Number of college and university graduates in China 2013-2023

In 2023, a record high of around 10.47 million students graduated from undergraduate programs at public colleges and universities in China. That number was more than double as high as the number of degrees earned at all levels of higher education in the United States. The vast number of graduates from Chinese universities originates from the increasing enrollment in colleges and universities across the country. Of the 10.47 million Chinese graduates of 2023, around 4.94 million earned a bachelor's degree, whereas 5.53 million earned a more practically oriented short-cycle degree. On a graduate and postgraduate level, around one million master's and doctor's degree students graduated from public colleges and universities in China in 2023. What are the popular majors?In recent years, the most favored majors among Chinese bachelor students were engineering, management, literature, and arts, while short-cycle degree students chose majors such as finance and economics, medical health, and information tschnology. Meanwhile, philosphy, history, and agriculture, as well as biolological engineering, textile, and water resources were among the least desirable subjects. However, even the popular, highly competitive fields of study do not always guarantee quick and successful employment after graduation. What are the labor market prospects for graduates?The graduate employment rate within half a year after graduation has been generally stable in China over the past seven years, exceeding 90 percent on average. Those that struggle to find a job are usually graduates from less technical, quantitative majors who often lack both practical “hard skills” and “soft skills” such as communication, critical thinking, and managerial abilities. Engineering, technology, IT and science majors top employment rates as well as secure higher-starting salaries. The average monthly salary of a university graduate in China has increased by around 70 percent in the last ten years. However, high rent and costs of living in cities like Beijing or Shanghai often force young graduates to return to their hometowns or to seek employment in the second and third tier cities.

于2023年，中国公立高等院校的本科毕业生人数达到了约1047万，创下历史新高。这一数字是美国各级高等教育所授予学位数量的两倍以上。中国大学毕业生数量如此庞大，源于全国各地高等院校入学人数的持续增长。在2023年的1047万中国毕业生中，约有494万人获得了学士学位，而553万人则获得了更注重实践性的短期循环学位。在研究生及博士生层面，2023年，中国公立高等院校共有一百万硕士研究生和博士研究生毕业。那么，哪些专业最为热门呢？近年来，中国本科生最受欢迎的专业依次为工程、管理、文学与艺术，而短期循环学位的学生则倾向于选择金融与经济学、医疗卫生以及信息技术等专业。与此同时，哲学、历史、农业以及生物工程、纺织和水资源等领域则相对不受欢迎。然而，即便是热门且竞争激烈的学科领域，也并不总能保证毕业生毕业后能迅速且成功就业。那么，毕业生的就业前景如何呢？过去七年中，中国毕业生的半年就业率总体稳定，平均超过90%。那些难以找到工作的毕业生通常来自技术性、定量性较弱的学科，他们往往既缺乏实践性的‘硬技能’，也缺乏如沟通、批判性思维和管理能力等‘软技能’。工程、技术、IT和科学专业的毕业生就业率较高，起薪也相对较高。过去十年间，中国大学毕业生平均月薪增长了约70％。然而，北京、上海等一线城市的高昂租金和生活成本常常迫使年轻毕业生返回家乡或在二线、三线城市寻求就业。