Everybody educated? Education migrants and rural-urban relations in Hubei Province, China

This dissertation tells the stories of China's 'education migrants', the growing number of Chinese rural youth who migrate to the city via the country's higher education system. These youths' increased enrolment in Chinese universities has driven the rapid expansion of the Chinese higher education system since 1998. Despite being the first in their families to enrol in university, education migrants struggle in the city as a result of their substandard degrees and the stigmatisation of rural people in urban China. Yet their family members' need of support and a lack of alternative options continues to drive their pursuit of success in China's urban economy.