Why some Chinese students are skipping elite universities amid job market fears
Top schools see fewer applicants for some majors, as economic pressures push young people to chase career stability
After underperforming in China’s national college entrance exam in June, Lu Jie was accepted into a computer science and technology programme earlier this month at a lesser-known polytechnic university in central China’s Hunan province.
“Good schools had too many applicants for this major, so I had to choose a lower-ranked one to pursue it,” Lu said.
Now more than ever, students are opting for majors with strong job prospects over prestigious universities. A focus on immediate employability and job security is eclipsing long-term aspirations and personal interests.
Computer science has long been a highly popular major, Lu said, but the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) – widely expected to create new job opportunities – has fuelled even greater demand over the past couple of years.