2020 China University Graduate Employment Report: Salary Rankings and Green/Red Major Analysis

Today’s released “2020 China University Graduate Employment Report” shows that the 2019 cohort of bachelor’s graduates earned an average monthly salary of 5,440 yuan, with computer‑science majors leading the compensation rankings.

Excluding inflation, the starting salary for undergraduates has increased by 23.6% over the past five years compared with the 2015 cohort, while vocational graduates now earn an average of 4,295 yuan per month, reflecting a 15.7% rise.

The proportion of graduates pursuing further study continues to climb: the domestic postgraduate enrollment rate for undergraduates rose from 13.5% in 2015 to 15.2% in 2019, and the rate of vocational graduates advancing to bachelor’s programs increased from 4.7% to 7.6% over the same period.

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Salary rankings for the top‑10 majors (average monthly income, 2019): computer‑science (6,858 yuan), electronic information (6,145 yuan), automation (5,899 yuan) for undergraduates; railway transport (5,109 yuan), computer‑science (4,883 yuan), water transport (4,763 yuan) for vocational graduates.

“Green‑card” majors are those with low unemployment, high employment rates, salaries, and satisfaction, driven by strong industry demand growth, indicating sustained employment advantages.

“Red‑card” majors suffer higher unemployment, lower salaries, and lower satisfaction due to supply‑demand imbalances; these trends reflect national averages and may vary regionally.