The results of the 2024 master's degree preliminary examination have been opened to inquiry in various provinces recently, and candidates can check the preliminary examination results through the official website of each enrollment unit or the graduate enrollment information network and other official channels. This paper will analyze the development trend of graduate education in China in recent years from the aspects of the number of applicants for graduate education, the number of graduate students recruited, the number of graduate students in school, and the number of graduate students.
From 2016 to 2023, the number of applicants for master's degree in China has maintained rapid growth, reaching a peak in 2023, with a total of 4.74 million applicants for postgraduate examinations. The number of graduate students in 2024 is abnormal, a decrease of 360,000 compared with 2023, and the number of students will decline by nearly 76%。This is also the first decline in nearly a decade, and the turning point of the national postgraduate entrance examination trend may have arrived.
With the skyrocketing number of graduate school entrance examinations, the difficulty of graduate school entrance examinations has also risen, and the ratio of graduate school entrance examinations in 2017 was less than 3:1, and by 2022, the ratio has climbed to 414:1, the difficulty of the postgraduate entrance examination is unprecedented.
Figure 1 The number of applicants and admissions for master's degree from 2015 to 2024.
Data**: Ministry of Education.
Note: The Ministry of Education has not yet announced the number of students admitted to the 2023 master's program.
In 2024, among the announced number of postgraduate students in each province, Shandong Province has the largest number of applicants, with 40 applicants40,000 people, while the second-ranked Jiangsu Province has 28 applicants10,000 people.
Figure 2 The number of applicants for postgraduate entrance examinations in each province in 2024.
Data**:1Ministry of education; 2.Provincial Examination Institutes; 3.Major news**.
Note: Henan, Shaanxi, Hebei, Jilin, Hainan, Qinghai and other provinces have not yet announced the number of applicants for postgraduate examinations.
China's postgraduate training institutions are mainly composed of ordinary colleges and universities and scientific research institutions. In 2022, the number of postgraduate training institutions in China will reach 830, including 596 ordinary universities and 234 scientific research institutions. Compared with 2014, there are 42 more, an increase of 53%。
In 2022, the number of ordinary colleges and universities in China will reach 2,760, an increase of 231 compared with 2014, an increase of 91%。
Figure 3 The number of ordinary universities and the number of postgraduate training institutions in China from 2014 to 2022.
Data**: Ministry of Education.
Note: The Ministry of Education has not yet announced the number of ordinary universities and postgraduate training units in China in 2023.
In 2022, more than 1.24 million master's and doctoral students will be admitted across the country, doubling from 2014. Among them, the number of master's students increased by 55480,000, an increase of 101%; Doctoral students increased by 6640,000 people, an increase of nearly 915%。
In recent years, the country has vigorously developed professional degree postgraduate education, and the proportion of professional degree graduate students has been increasing. In 2015, the proportion of professional degree graduates was 409%, and the proportion has risen to 57 in 20225%。
According to the latest documents of the Ministry of Education, the proportion of professional degree students will continue to increase, and by 2025, the proportion of master's degree students in China's master's degree enrollment will reach about 66%, and the number of doctoral degree students will be greatly increased. In 2022, the proportion of master's degree students in China's master's degree enrollment has reached 625%。
Figure 4 The number of graduate students enrolled and the proportion of professional degree students in China from 2014 to 2022.
Data**: Ministry of Education.
Note: 1The Ministry of Education has not yet announced the number of graduate students enrolled in 2023; 2.In 2014, there was no distinction between academic and professional degrees.
In the past decade, the scale of graduate education in China has been expanding, and in 2014, there were a total of 184 graduate students in China770,000 people, including 153 master's students50,000 people, 31 doctoral students270,000; By 2022, the number of graduate students in China will reach 365360,000 people, including 309 master's students750,000 people, 55 doctoral students610,000 people; This is an increase of 97 compared to 20147%。Among them, the proportion of master's students has increased slightly, and this proportion has stabilized at about 85% in recent years.
Figure 5 The number of graduate students enrolled in the country from 2014 to 2022.
Data**: Ministry of Education.
Note: The Ministry of Education has not yet announced the number of graduate students enrolled in 2023.
In 2014, a total of 53 graduate students graduated from China590,000 people, including 48 master's students220,000 people, 5 doctoral students370,000; By 2022, the number of graduate students in China will reach 86210,000 people, including 77 master's students980,000 people, 8 doctoral students230,000 people; Compared with 2014**608%。Among them, the proportion of master's students has always remained stable at about 90%.
Figure 6 Number of graduate students graduating from 2014 to 2022 in China.
Data**: Ministry of Education.
Note: The Ministry of Education has not yet announced the number of graduate students graduating in 2023.
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