Meritocratic Myth in Mind? Socioeconomic Backgrounds and Shifting Beliefs about Meritocracy among College Students in China.

This article examines how Chinese college students' beliefs in meritocracy—defined as the idea that success is based on individual talent, effort, and education—change over their college years and vary by socioeconomic status (SES). Using longitudinal data from the Beijing College Students Panel Survey (BCSPS), the study finds that students' overall belief in meritocracy declines during college as they increasingly recognize the importance of nonmeritocratic factors such as family background and social connections. Students from lower-SES backgrounds initially hold stronger meritocratic beliefs and downplay nonmeritocratic influences, but over time their views converge with those of higher-SES peers, who are more aware of structural advantages from the outset. These findings highlight a "dual consciousness" among students who simultaneously endorse meritocratic ideals while acknowledging systemic inequalities, illustrating how higher education shapes perceptions of social mobility differently across socioeconomic groups in China.