Who Stays in Higher Education Longer? Investigating the Influence of Family Background on Entering Master’s Education in China

China has entered a massification stage of higher education, with expansion now extending to master levels. However, the surge in graduate applications has not translated into a proportional increase in master’s program admission rates. Although more students want to stay in higher education to attain a master’s degree, access is highly selective. This study investigated the role of family background characteristics in shaping master’s education continuation. This study incorporates four waves of the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), analyzing a sample of 44,435 respondents for a comparative analysis between the master’s degree and non–master’s degree groups. The result indicates that the individuals who received master’s education have prominent advantages in family background. The majority of master’s degree recipients are urban Han Chinese with high family economic status. Their parents are more likely to hold higher education degrees and maintain stable, formal employment. These findings suggest that access to master’s programs remains disproportionately concentrated among privileged social groups. Policy reforms in China should widen access for underrepresented and disadvantaged populations.