Abstract: This study uses the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) database and employs fixed effects and Tobit models to examine how the accessibility and quality of basic education resources affect household human capital investment. The findings indicate that better access to educational resources has the effect of “choosing the good to follow” and “looking forward to the success of children”, which significantly raises families’ academic expectations for their children, thereby enhancing human capital investment through increased regional competitive pressure. In contrast, improvements in educational quality encourage families to invest more by boosting children’s academic performance, which is manifested as the effect of “famous teachers and high apprentices”. These effects vary according to factors such as resource allocation equity, levels of digitalization, and household income. Therefore, optimizing the allocation of educational resources is essential to fostering a virtuous cycle between households and society, and ultimately improving both the quantity and quality of human capital in the country.

Key words: basic education, educational accessibility, educational quality, human capital investment, family education