Summary

China Education Information Online, a web portal under the Ministry of Education, has recently produced a report analysing recent trends in students registering for China's postgraduate entrance examination. The report discusses issues such as applicant and enrolment numbers, gender ratios, popular subjects, and trends in the country's postgraduate examination.

Key findings from the report include:

  • The number of applicants to the country's postgraduate entrance examination has seen a large increase, increasing 18 per cent in 2018 to 2.38 million; this compares to 1.65 million candidates in 2015.
  • An increasing proportion of students are sitting the postgraduate entrance examination after completing their bachelor's degree, rather than taking the test in their final year of undergraduate study. In 2018 this proportion reached an all-time high of 45 per cent.
  • The number of candidates applying for professional master's degree programmes such as MBA courses continues to grow, and in many provinces has exceeded the number of applicants to academic master's degrees. For example, 55 per cent of candidates in Beijing are applying to professional programmes.
  • The gender ratio continues to be stable, with female students making up around 60 per cent of the total
  • The number of candidates applying for part-time programmes has increased compared to last year, particularly in Beijing where these now make up more than 10 per cent of the total
  • The top five master's degree subjects by number of applicants continue to be MBA courses, Accounting, Law, Finance and Public Administration in that order, with no change since 2016.

Analysis by Kevin Prest, Senior Analyst, British Council International Education Services

The rate of growth in candidates for the postgraduate entrance examination over the last three years is faster than the increase in actual postgraduate places in the most recent three-year period for which data is available (2014 to 2017). This suggests that, despite the rising number of places, competition for domestic postgraduate degree programmes is getting even more intense.

The same conclusion is suggested by the rising proportion of candidates who apply after completing their bachelor's degree. Although some students apply for a master's course after gaining work experience, as indicated by the growth in applicants for professional and part-time programmes, many of these candidates are re-sitting the exam after failing to receive a place on their preferred programme the previous year.

Taken together, the information in this report indicates that there is strong unmet demand for master's degree programmes in China. This could be a positive sign for UK HEIs, as an overseas master's degree can allow students to avoid the uncertainty and intense competition of the postgraduate entrance examination.

Sources

1. Report from China Education Information Online (in Chinese): https://yz.chsi.com.cn/yzzt/fxbg2018

2. News article from Xinhua (in Chinese): http://www.bj.xinhuanet.com/bjyw/2018-08/08/c_1123241416.htm

3. Previous British Council International Education Services report on growth in professional master’s degree programmes: https://education-services.britishcouncil.org/news/market-news/professional-masters-degrees-increasingly-popular-china