Before deciding whether degrees have lost their value, look at the national education mix: only 15467 in every 100,000 (10万) people had a college-level education (2020 census; a 2025 sample survey estimates about 19%)
- High value
- Evidence A
- Saves money
- Free
- Takes minutes
- No willpower
In plain words
In the 2020 census, about 15% of people nationwide had finished junior college (大专) or higher. A 2025 sample survey estimates about 19%, a rise of a few percentage points in five years. In both, the largest group is people whose highest level is middle school. People 15 and older have studied an average of only 9.91 years, just past middle-school graduation. So in China a middle-school education is not “enough”; it is the most ordinary level.
Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 23, tip 3. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer