Credentialism in Mainland China’s Education System: Manifestations and Social Role

Abstract

This study examines the manifestation of credentialism within mainland China’s education system and labour market, tracing its historical, institutional and cultural origins while assessing its contemporary impact. Integrating theories of social closure and reproduction with a human capital perspective, the study analyses ‘degree inflation’, ‘discrimination based on first degree’ and the Gaokao-centred selection mechanism, revealing how academic credentials have become a dominant and exclusionary signal of capability. Through literature review and Sino-British comparative analysis, this study finds that the expansion of Chinese higher education has reinforced the screening function of academic credentials while exacerbating educational stratification, social anxiety, and resource competition—particularly when degree requirements exceed practical skill demands. In contrast, the UK’s adoption of diversified assessment and competency-based practices in admissions and recruitment partially mitigates excessive reliance on academic qualifications. This study argues that China urgently requires dual reforms in both institutional frameworks and prevailing attitudes: on the one hand, broadening admission and employment criteria while elevating the status of vocational education; on the other, rebalancing the relationship between academic credentials and practical competencies. Only through such measures can the legitimate screening function of academic qualifications be preserved while mitigating their exclusionary effects, thereby advancing educational equity and social mobility.