(Yicai) June 27 -- The number of graduates with bachelor's degrees from leading universities in China opting to continue their education has surged in recent years thanks to more master's and doctorate programs and expanding postgraduate enrollment.

Some 81 percent of university grads from Tsinghua University and 78 percent from Peking University continued their studies last year, according to data from the universities. The rate at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences was 90 percent, while that at ShanghaiTech University and Southern University of Science and Technology stood at 82 percent and 79 percent, respectively.

Of the 30 "Project 985" universities surveyed by Yicia, the rate of university graduates pursuing postgrad studies at 25 exceeds 50 percent, while that at 15 is more than 60 percent.

Major universities have more master's and doctoral programs, with a significant proportion of reserved postgraduate admission spots, noted Ding Changfa, associate professor at Xiamen University's School of Economics. In addition, postgraduate enrollment has expanded in recent years, resulting in a bigger proportion of graduates from elite universities continuing their education.

China saw 1.3 million new postgrad students last year, up 4.8 percent from 2022, according to data from the Ministry of Education. The number of new doctoral students jumped by 10.3 percent, while that of master's students rose by 4 percent.

The number of enrolled postgrad students in China has soared 62 percent over the past six years, with that of doctoral students surging 83 percent and master's students 59 percent.

Regarding disciplines, the medical and certain engineering fields have taken up a significant proportion of newly enrolled students driven by economic and social demands. Students starting master's programs in science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine accounted for 60 percent last year, while those beginning doctoral programs in these fields exceeded 80 percent. The rate of university grads pursuing further studies at top universities with strong academic prowess in these disciplines was also higher.

Editor: Martin Kadiev