Subjective Well-Being and Education in China: The Moderating Role of Educational Position

Previous research consistently highlights the link between educational attainment and subjective wellbeing, positioning education as a significant indicator of life satisfaction. However, the pathways through which education influences wellbeing, particularly the concept of education as a positional good, remain underexplored. This study applies six waves of data from Chinese General Social Survey and utilizes the data from China Population and Employment Statistical Yearbook to evaluate relative educational standing. By incorporating Educational Competitive Advantage Scores, as a measure of educational position from the Chinese General Social Survey into a Hierarchical Linear Model, we investigate the interplay between educational position, income, and subjective wellbeing. The results suggest that individuals with higher educational positions report significantly better subjective wellbeing. In addition, educational position also modifies how the absolute educational attainment (years of schooling) and income make an impact on subjective wellbeing. This study contributes to the growing literature on educational attainment and subjective wellbeing against the backdrop of rapid educational expansion and credential inflation, offering insights into the how both the absolute and relative educational attainment make a difference on subjective wellbeing in the Chinese context.