Guangzhou most favorite city for college grads in China

Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, has become university graduates' most favorite city in China, Securities Times reported on Friday.

China's financial center Shanghai and capital Beijing have become the graduates' second and third choices this year, according to a report on renting during graduation season in 2020.

The report by the Beike Real Estate Research Institute, which is part of the real estate online brokerage Ke, reveals that graduates prefer to work and live in a relatively more comfortable urban environment with good public services and appropriate pressure.

The stable and cost-effective housing price is the most attractive reason for Chinese university students to choose Guangzhou after graduation as the housing prices in Guangzhou are the lowest among the four first-tier cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

The convenience index reflected by the number of convenience stores a city has is another consideration factor for graduates. In 2018, the number of convenience stores was 7,594 in Shanghai, 6,036 in Shenzhen, 4,960 in Guangzhou and 2,613 in Beijing were.

Although Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province, has the highest convenience index of 4.63, the housing price in the city surpasses Beijing and Shanghai, making it less competitive than other cities.

Guangzhou with a convenience index of 3.33 outweighs Shanghai and Beijing, with convenience indices of 3.13 and 1.21, respectively, in this round of competition. The city also has an open and inclusive culture and a relatively lower level of pressure.

Shanghai grabbed the second spot on the list of most favorite cities among Chinese graduates due to its convenient transportation, and high-quality education and medical services.

About 66.7 percent of surveyed respondents said the prospect of urban development is the first consideration for young graduates when choosing a city for employment, followed by high-quality job opportunities, according to the report.