With the popularization of higher education in China more and more families had the first generation of college students. Promoting the learning and development of the first generation of college students required a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics and problems faced by this group. In this study，the first generation of college students’ experiences gained before going to college，college-based learning experiences，their evaluation of colleges and educational outcomes were analyzed using the CCSS data from the “Follow-up Study of Chinese College Students’ Learning and Development” made by Tsinghua University. The results showed that the first generation of college students had lower family economic status and cultural capital，and rarely enjoyed high quality educational resources when in high school，seldom got the chance to be recommended for admission to be a college student. Most of them went to local colleges and universities. In the colleges and universities，those students lacked of active learning and social interpersonal interaction；they were less involved in extracurricular activities and research-related high-impact educational activities. In terms of college evaluation and educational outcomes，the first generation of college students had low ratings on perceived social support and perceived communication and leadership gains. For the first generation of college students，the unfavorable factors were difficult to change，and they lacked of academic guidance and financial support when in colleges and universities. Some measures should be taken by the colleges and universities to promote their good development through better allocation of resources and supportive means.