Rural Students in China's Elite Universities: Understanding Their First-Year Academic and Social Success

Abstract

Gaining admission to universities is an important step toward upward social mobility for rural students. Adjusting to higher education institutions constitutes the next crucial one. This study investigates the nature of social and academic experiences of representative samples of rural college students entering four elite universities in China. By using the first round of data that we collect, it examines specifically the first year social and academic experiences of the sampled urban and rural students and sort out which social factors contribute to academic and social success at key universities. The study will contribute the global literature in sociology of education by looking at educational outcomes of rural students in Chinese social and cultural context.