Supported vanadium-phosphorus oxide catalysts were prepared from vanadic oxide and phosphoric acid through organic solvent method, and their catalytic performance was investigated in the selective oxidation of ethyl lactate(EL) to ethyl pyruvate(EP). Results showed that the yield of ethyl pyruvate was 73.67% when the VPO catalyst supported by TiO2 with P/V molar ratio 1.40; Under the optimal conditions(n(acetonitrile):n(hydrogen peroxide):n(ethyl lactate)=12:2:1, the amount of VPO/TiO2 catalyst is 10%, 65 °C, 5 h), the conversion of ethyl lactate was 85.24%, and the yield of ethyl pyruvate was up to 80.96%. When the catalyst was reused 5 times, the yield of ethyl pyruvate was still more than 70%. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and determination of average valence state of vanadium, the reaction mechanism is expected to involve a redox cycle in which V4+ in combination with dynamic V5+ sites acts as the active centers.