Background <p>The applicability of the model of Emotion Regulation in Achievement Situations and the developmental characteristics of achievement emotion regulation at different stages still need further supplementation.</p> Aim and methods <p>To reveal the characteristics and core structure of students at different developmental stages in the process of achievement emotion regulation, we employed network analysis in our research.</p> Samples <p>Participants aged 11–22 years from three academic stages (<i>N</i> = 3867) were asked to report achievement emotions, emotion regulation goals and strategies, achievement goals, perceived control, and perceived value.</p> Results <p>1) The achievement emotions with the highest strength centrality in the three academic stages were anxiety, shame, and hopelessness; anxiety had high strength centrality in all three academic stages. 2) Cognitive change was the emotion regulation strategy with the highest strength centrality in all three academic stages. 3) Stable triangular structure existed across academic stages: hope, cognitive change, and perceived value; hopelessness, contra-hedonic goals, and perceived control. 4) Goals were connected with multiple nodes in other communities in the network.</p> Conclusions <p>This study elucidates the characteristics of achievement emotion regulation processes at different developmental stages and identifies the core structure of achievement emotion regulation centered around hope and hopelessness. The role of goals in the achievement emotion regulation process model cannot be ignored. It provides new insights and a more comprehensive systematic perspective for achievement emotion interventions in educational situation.</p>