According to the Higher School Order of 1894, higher schools were defined as institutions where education of specialized courses took place, and preparatory education for students to be enrolled in the imperial universities was stipulated by a provisional clause.
1894年の高等学校令では専門学科の教育をおこなう機関と定義され、但し書きにて帝国大学入学者のための予科教育が規定された。