Abstract: Drawing upon control-value theory,this study conducted a questionnaire-based sampling survey among undergraduate pharmacy students from the 2021—2023 cohorts at a top-tier pharmacy university in China.The study aimed to investigate the behavioral factors influencing students' pursuit of postgraduate education by examining how they could leverage their existing personal resources and conditions,while excluding the potential effects of family background and disciplinary differences.Furthermore,reflective questionnaires were collected from 2020 cohort pharmacy students who had successfully obtained postgraduate admission qualifications through recommendation-based admission.Using NVivo software,this study comparatively analyzed the differences in implementation strategies between recommendation-based postgraduate admission and entrance-examination-based postgraduate admission,as well as the underlying mechanisms shaping these strategies.From the perspective of a dynamic equilibrium driven jointly by control and value dimensions,this study reveals the process through which quantitative accumulation leads to qualitative transformation in successful postgraduate advancement,characterized by a spiral upward developmental trajectory.