Abstract: Objective To study the mental health status of the college freshman and to provide scientific evidence for mental health education.Methods With SCL-90 (Symptom Checklist 90) and random sample method,1048 students from five colleges of Qinghai advanced vocation university were surveyed.Results There were 87 people (8.3%) with compulsion problem (any score of factor≥2) and 79 people (7.5%) with depression.There were 14 people (1.3%) with psychotic problems.Compared to the level of the normal in China and of other college students,mental health level of the freshman was significantly highter.But the female students had significantly higher scores than the male students in factors of body symptom,anxiety and fear (P<0.05).Poverty-stricken students had significantly higher scores than non-poverty students in factors of somatization,compulsion,interpersonal sensitivity,depression,anxiety,fear,hostility,paranoia,psychotic (P<0.05).Conclusion The mental health of the freshman in advanced vocational colleges is good,but the female students and the poverty-stricken students have some mental health problems.