The appetite for further studies in China has grown as youth unemployment rises. The number of students taking postgraduate courses has doubled from about 611,380 in 2013 to 1.3 million in 2023.
The number of students taking postgraduate courses in China has doubled from about 611,380 in 2013 to 1.3 million in 2023, according to data released by the Education Ministry in March. In 2023, the National Bureau of Statistics surveyed 4,000 graduating students in Shanghai and found that over 90 per cent of those who chose to further their studies instead of finding work do so to be more competitive in the job market.
Hannah, 27, obtained a second master’s degree in 2023, not for the love of studying, but because she had not yet found an ideal job.