Studying abroad has become increasingly accessible, and the importance of one's financial foundation is gradually being downplayed. Choices and methods for studying abroad vary significantly depending on family background. Therefore, the core question is no longer whether one can study abroad, but how to find the path that best suits one's circumstances. Let’s take a look at how students from families with different annual income levels pursue their studies abroad.
-The following annual income classifications are for reference only-
High-income families: Annual income over 1 million RMB
The proportion of these students in the study-abroad population is gradually decreasing.
High-income families are the generally recognized "typical" study-abroad demographic—the children of the wealthy or high-ranking officials, often referred to as "other people's children" or the children of the elite. Their social media feeds often showcase families owning expensive bicycles worth tens of thousands or growing vegetables in their villa gardens.
For them, going abroad is as easy as an impulsive trip, and study expenses are a minor expenditure. Students from this stratum generally do not need to worry about how to go abroad; the only concern is how to do it in the best way possible.
In 2015, the award-winning TV series "A Love for Separation," which focused on the study-abroad craze, became a major hit. The Zhang Xiaoyu family in the show is a typical high-income family; his father’s decision to send him abroad was made in an instant.
Being expelled from an Australian school, returning home, retaking the TOEFL, and successfully applying to a US university—this appears impossible to the average family, as such spontaneous decisions to study abroad require substantial financial support.
Middle-class families: Annual income of 300,000–500,000 RMB
Gradually becoming the main force of the study-abroad population.
The majority of students studying abroad are not from the ultra-wealthy, but rather from the middle class—families that are slightly better off than the average.
The Huang Lei family in "A Love for Separation" represents this socioeconomic stratum. In the show, their combined annual income is around 500,000 RMB. As typical middle-class representatives, study expenses can generally be fully self-funded without considering other channels. Students from these families live relatively comfortably abroad without excessive financial pressure.
J student · US Master’s/PhD
"My family is probably just average (though I've thought about it later, we are actually quite a bit better than the average, and self-funding is certainly affordable). I wouldn't call us wealthy, just a comfortable middle-class family.
I spent eight years in the United States and didn't spend a single cent of theirs; in fact, when their cash flow was tight, I even sent them 100,000 RMB. I received full funding from the board of trustees, which covered tuition, food, and accommodation. I only had to pay for my round-trip airfare and insurance.
During my Master's and PhD, I held the only fellowship in our department (which ranks in the top 10 in the US). Later, I worked as a Teaching Assistant (TA) and Research Assistant (RA). I also interned every summer, earning about $3,000 a month after taxes."
Working-class families: Annual income of 100,000–300,000 RMB
The proportion within the study-abroad demographic is gradually increasing.
If they choose to study for a Master's degree in North America, without other financial sources, this group often finds themselves unable to afford living expenses after paying tuition.
Like the Qinqin family in "A Love for Separation," the cost of going abroad once overwhelmed the parents, and they ultimately gave up on sending their child abroad. Although there are many ways to study abroad, they eventually chose to give up.
Why is the trend of working-class families choosing to study abroad increasing? Because they have their own ways of doing so.
Parents are ordinary workers in first-tier cities who borrow money from relatives to send their child to study Computer Science in the US, eventually staying in the US as a software engineer.
Parents have low wages, with a combined annual income of less than 200,000 RMB. After going abroad, living expenses are earned by the student. The parents' total savings were about 200,000 RMB, enough to cover the first two years of tuition, while living expenses were mostly earned through part-time work.
Students from ordinary families with a dream to study abroad pursue STEM fields and full-scholarship PhD programs, so they do not cost their parents much.
For one student, studying for two years cost 200,000 RMB. By the second half of the second year, they started an internship and earned a salary; during the year a scholarship wasn't available, they lived frugally. They only took 130,000 RMB from their family to finish their Master's, and costs would be even lower if they won a scholarship at a top school.
At the beginning, they only wanted to study for a Master's in the US, so they worked hard to boost their GPA, secured a full scholarship, spent a total of 200,000 RMB of their parents' money, and then obtained an RA position, securing their living expenses.
Low-income families: Annual income under 100,000 RMB
This group's proportion in the study-abroad demographic is gradually decreasing.
In the past, such a background would be considered impossible for studying abroad unless the student was outstanding enough to qualify for a government-sponsored program. But now, it is possible through scholarships, loans, or by working first to save money.
In the sixth grade, both parents were laid off. The mother worked as a supermarket stocker, working 12 hours a day for ten years. The student always wanted to study abroad but reality didn't permit it. After graduating from a domestic undergraduate program, they worked hard to land a job at a foreign investment bank, where the pay was decent.
Three years into the job, they went to the US for an MBA; the tuition was entirely covered by loans, intending to pay them back after graduation.
If calculated by normal wages, the parents' annual income was less than 100,000 RMB, so the father worked a second job, and they were still paying off a mortgage every month. Before going abroad, the family had virtually no savings, and they didn't want to borrow from relatives, as those relatives were also poor. Pursuing a business degree, the student didn't want a PhD, only a Master's, with the US as the only destination. Before applying, their funds for the GMAT exam were only enough for one attempt.
At present, nearing the end of their US Master's degree, the annual scholarship and RA position cover tuition, and by doing some side jobs, they are fully able to support themselves.
The question of how much money one needs to study abroad is no longer the issue, because there is always a way. Wealth just makes it easier. The key is to find the path that suits you.
In the long run, our main considerations should be the goals of studying abroad, how to persuade our parents, and how to plan for our education and future careers.
As long as you are clear about your purpose for studying abroad, analyze the pros and cons logically, can bear the risks and uncertainties regarding future returns, and have a thorough plan and preparation, studying abroad is possible even with loans or borrowed funds.
If you are genuinely committed, you can always find a path that fits you. Regardless of your family background, you can find a suitable way. By gathering information and comparing it against your benchmarks, you will certainly find your own path.
Regardless of the purpose—whether it is to receive the most advanced education, to see a bigger world, or simply to earn more money upon returning home after graduation.
Every youth or chapter of life is worth elevating through an overseas education. Going abroad is a personal pilgrimage, where one knows both the hardships and the joys.
Whether you come from a high-income family or one with an annual income of 12,000, setting out on this study-abroad journey requires support from your parents. And one day, we will grow into trees and become a pillar of support for our families.