In recent years, China’s long-standing craze for taking the postgraduate entrance exams is waning. The number of applicants has been declining for two consecutive years, with a decrease of 360,000 in 2024 compared to the previous year, and a further drop below 4 million in 2025, with 500,000 fewer applicants than the previous year.
On the afternoon of November 21st, the data released by the Ministry of Education of the Chinese Communist Party revealed that the number of applicants for master’s research programs nationwide in 2025 was 3.88 million, a decrease of 500,000 from 2024 (4.38 million), representing an 11.4% decrease.
This marks the second decline in the number of master’s research program applicants in the past 10 years since 2014. The last decline occurred last year, dropping from 4.74 million in 2023 to 4.38 million in 2024, a decrease of 360,000. This indicates that the number of applicants for master’s research programs in 2024 and 2025 has declined for two consecutive years, with the decline widening.
Subsequently, the topic labeled “the second decline in postgraduate entrance exam applicants in 10 years” sparked heated discussions on the internet.
Professional investor and Weibo influencer “颯颯肖” commented, “What are the reasons behind this? Are people looking to find jobs earlier or aiming to take civil service exams in advance? 500,000 is not a small number.”
Founder of Zhi Xin Qing Nian (Zhi Xin Youth) and Weibo influencer “耿向順” analyzed in a post, “This year, there are more undergraduate graduates compared to before, but the number of postgraduate entrance exam takers has significantly decreased from the previous year. I think the main reason is not because this year’s undergraduate graduates have all found good jobs or have better employment opportunities than previous years, but because people have become more clear-headed and realized that the cost-benefit ratio of pursuing postgraduate studies is too low, leading to a decrease in the number of applicants.”
Financial blogger “ETF Playing the World” said, “They have found that the problems they face after pursuing postgraduate studies are more severe than those they faced three years ago upon graduating with their undergraduate degrees!”
Exclusive lecturer on theoretical law at Beijing Ruida Chengtai Education Technology Co., Ltd., and Weibo influencer “理論法宋光明” stated, “Possible reasons include: First, economic pressure. The downturn in the national economy, the decrease in parents’ current income, and the uncertainty of future income. Pursuing graduate studies means that while your undergraduate peers have been earning money for three years, you are still spending your parents’ money.
“Second, work pressure. Even after graduating from postgraduate studies, there is still the pressure of finding a job. The initial intention of the expansion of postgraduate enrollment policy was actually to help alleviate the employment pressure on young people.
“Third, devaluation of qualifications. When you graduate from postgraduate studies, your undergraduate peers have already gained three years of work experience, and may have moved to better job positions, while you are just a newcomer in the workplace, yet you are of the same age as them.
“Fourth, the postgraduate entrance exam is too demanding, and the competition is too intense.”