Why do you feel that there are more and more college students?

Finally, a chart showing the data pull. The reason is straightforward: over the past 10 years, there has been massive expansion in enrollment. From 2004 to 2014, the number of college students stabilized at around 7 million annually. Starting in 2015, however, there was a sharp increase — reportedly nearly 13 million admitted in 2023, almost double the figure from a decade prior. Against this backdrop, annual births have dropped below 8 million. In other words, even 8 million new births aren’t enough to half-fill university spots, so it’s likely that a wave of university closures will hit within the next 18 years? And some faculty positions may disappear too? The demographic dividend is shifting toward a talent dividend — more college and graduate students per capita!

Flip the perspective: if you see 8 million or 10 million graduates as your competitors, you’ll quickly be crushed by involution. But look at it another way — that’s over 10 million customers to serve, a highly lucrative market. Think about what you can build to solve their needs. By this logic, companies like Meituan, Ele.me, and Douyin broke through from losses and carved out success on the internet.

The Hellish Starting Line for the Post-00s

After Obstetrics, Kindergartens Are “Running Out of People” Too