Based on the intrinsic characteristics of the development of vocational education in China, an evaluation index system is established to measure the development level of majors in vocational colleges. Using relevant data from prefecture-level cities in Guangdong province during the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan period, and relying on the entropy method model, this study investigates the dynamic trends, development index rankings, and variations of the development of majors in vocational colleges. The study also employs K-means clustering and variance decomposition methods to conduct a structural analysis of the spatial patterns and development of the majors.The findings indicate that the development level of majors in vocational colleges in Guangdong province shows an overall improvement from 2016 to 2020. The overall distribution features a high concentration in the central region, revealing an imbalance where the development level of majors in vocational colleges is higher in the Pearl River Delta region and lower in non-Pearl River Delta regions. The developmental differences in the scale elements of major settings constitute the main structural source of overall differences in the development of majors in vocational colleges in Guangdong Province. In light of these findings and against the backdrop of the newly revised Vocational Education Law, targeted implementation strategies are proposed to promote the high-quality development of major settings in vocational colleges in Guangdong province. These strategies include seizing important development opportunities presented by the new Vocational Education Law, enhancing the adaptability of major settings, promoting the aggregation of resources to accelerate the integration of industry and education, encouraging interdisciplinary cross-fertilization, and optimizing the mechanisms ensuring the development of vocational education.