The junior high school period constitutes a critical developmental stage for adolescents’science career aspirations. Investigating science career aspirations among rural junior high students represents a significant concern within science education research. Existing studies indicate that rural Junior Middle School students generally perform suboptimal in developing science career aspirations. This Research employs the conceptual framework of science capital to examine factors influencing rural Chinese students’science career aspirations. The research systematically investigates the differential impacts of science capital components through a questionnaire survey administered to 2 022 rural junior high students in Guangxi province，combined with ordered logistic regression and marginal effects analysis. Results reveal that higher science capital levels significantly predict stronger science career aspirations. Notably，science-related cultural capital demonstrates dual-directional influences，while science-related social capital exhibits consistent positive effects. Science-related behaviors and practices show limited explanatory power，with certain elements even displaying negative associations. Based on the survey results，this Research finally proposes targeted strategies to enhance the science career aspirations of rural junior middle school students from three dimensions of science capital.