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Where talent flows: Trends and determinants of Chinese students’ city preferences

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  • Li Wang
  • Xian Zhang
  • Yifei Wang
  • Yuxiang Li

Abstract

Employment location preferences offer critical insights into how students evaluate opportunities across cities and drive early-career spatial sorting. This study examines Chinese college students’ employment city preferences from 2016 to 2020, focusing on the evolving influence of campus performance, family background, and university characteristics. Using five waves of nationally representative longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Chinese University Students (PSCUS), we apply multinomial logistic regression and relative importance analyses. Our results show that university characteristics as the primary predictor: students from Double First-Class universities favor first-tier cities, even as second-tier cities attract the largest share of students. Strong campus performance allows students to be more flexible in their location choices, whereas family background plays a moderate, compensatory role. Temporal patterns suggest that students’ preferences reflect the combined influence of institutional prestige, personal merit, and family resources. The findings provide insights into early-career mobility and inform policies for balanced regional development.

Suggested Citation

  • Li Wang & Xian Zhang & Yifei Wang & Yuxiang Li, 2026. "Where talent flows: Trends and determinants of Chinese students’ city preferences," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 21(3), pages 1-15, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0343928
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0343928
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mian Huang & Chunbing Xing & Xiaoyong Cui, 2022. "Does College Location Affect the Location Choice of New College Graduates in China?," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 30(3), pages 135-160, May.
    2. Jeffrey Grogger & Gordon H. Hanson, 2015. "Attracting Talent: Location Choices of Foreign-Born PhDs in the United States," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 33(S1), pages 5-38.
    3. Martin A. Carree & Kristin Kronenberg, 2014. "Locational Choices and the Costs of Distance: Empirical Evidence for Dutch Graduates," Spatial Economic Analysis, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(4), pages 420-435, October.
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