9.42 million students sit national college entrance exam

A student burns incense as he prays for luck in the coming college entrance exam. [Photo/IC]

Figures from the ministry show college students majoring in English or computer science and technology, each with 100,000 graduates in 2013, found more difficulties in the job market.

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The emphasis on entrance exams and the lower chances of admission to a top college in China have led more and more parents, especially from elite families, to look for alternatives.

There has been a growing trend of Chinese students applying to universities outside the country.

According to the ministry, nearly one million students who were eligible to take the Gaokao in 2010 decided against it. Of those students, about one-fifth decided to study abroad instead.

Figures from the U.S. backed the phenomenon. The number of high school students in China pursuing higher education in the U.S. hit 110,550 during the period of 2013-2014, a nearly 50 percent increase than that of 2010-2011, said the report by China Education online, citing the Open Doors Report.