The number of applicants for graduate school in 2024 will decrease by 360,000, a phenomenon that has attracted people's attention and thinking. According to the analysis, the reasons for the decrease in the number of applicants for graduate school entrance examination are mainly multifaceted.
First, people's judgments about graduate employment prospects have changed. As the size of graduate students continues to grow, more and more people are discovering that just having a master's degree does not guarantee them a decent job. As a result, many people have given up on graduate school entrance examinations due to the consideration of their job prospects. They rethought their choices and found that "academic qualifications" could not solve the employment problem, so they chose other development paths.
Secondly, the increase in the proportion of pushes and exemptions has also caused a certain degree of impact on the number of applicants for postgraduate examinations. The push-exemption ratio refers to the number of recommended graduate students reserved by colleges and universities in the enrollment plan. In recent years, many colleges and universities have been increasing the proportion of exemptions, and some even exceed 50%. This has led to a decrease in the number of actual examinees in the enrollment plan, and at the same time, it has also reduced the competitive pressure of the postgraduate entrance examination, so that some people choose to directly exempt from the graduate school.
In addition, the narrowing of the enrollment of academic master's degree (master's degree) and the fact that professional degree master's (professional master's) has become the mainstream of application are also one of the reasons for the decline in the number of graduate school applicants. In recent years, many colleges and universities have reduced the number of academic master's students, and some majors have even stopped recruiting master's degrees. According to the "Professional Degree Graduate Education Development Plan (2020-2025)" issued by the Ministry of Education, in the next few years, the enrollment scale of professional degree graduate students will be expanded to about two-thirds of the total size. This trend has led to a change in the number of applicants for graduate school.
Finally, the strict control of the quality of graduate students is also one of the factors affecting the number of applicants for graduate school. In order to ensure the quality of postgraduate training, some universities have begun to extend the number of years of master's and doctoral studies in recent years. This means that the postgraduate entrance examination does not only mean that you can be admitted successfully, but also that you need to complete your studies within a certain period of time. This is a challenge for some people, who are more cautious about whether or not to continue their studies in graduate school, with fewer options to choose from.
The decrease in the number of applicants for postgraduate entrance examination has brought a certain impact and prospect to the development of the entire postgraduate examination group and higher education. On the one hand, under the overall trend of reduction, the competitive pressure of postgraduate entrance examination may be alleviated to a certain extent. The expansion of the enrollment scale means that the overall probability of going ashore for graduate school entrance examination has increased, which is good news for candidates. On the other hand, the decrease in postgraduate entrance examinations may lead to the adjustment of majors in the enrollment plans of colleges and universities, which will further affect the competition situation of postgraduate entrance examinations. At the same time, the improvement of the quality of graduate students will also become a common challenge for universities and candidates.
The reduction of the postgraduate entrance examination market also needs to attract the attention and thinking of the education department and relevant parties, so as to better guide and guide the selection of candidates. The education department can further optimize the graduate enrollment policy, improve the quality of graduate training, and make graduate education truly an important support for the development of higher education. Colleges and universities can also adjust the setting of graduate majors according to market demand, and launch majors that are more socially demanding and academically cutting-edge, so as to attract more outstanding candidates to apply for the examination.
For candidates, they should look at the postgraduate entrance examination rationally and choose a path suitable for their own development. Postgraduate entrance examination is not the only way to solve the employment problem, and employment and development also need to have practical ability and comprehensive quality. Instead of blindly pursuing graduate school entrance examinations, it is better to have an in-depth understanding of your interests and strengths, and reasonably plan your career development path.
In general, the overall reduction in postgraduate entrance examinations has brought some changes and reflections to higher education and candidates. The education authorities and colleges and universities should make corresponding policies and adjustments in response to this situation, guide candidates to make reasonable choices, improve the quality and level of postgraduate education, and promote the development of higher education as a whole. Candidates should also be rational about the postgraduate entrance examination, take into account their own interests and development needs, and make the right choice.