China’s Study Abroad Boom Finds a New Generation: Retirees
TOPICS
Subscribe to our newsletter
By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use.
FOLLOW US
About Us<br>|Contribute<br>|Contact Us<br>|Sitemap
NEWSChina’s Study Abroad Boom Finds a New Generation: Retirees<br>After decades of work and family responsibilities, older Chinese are pursuing overseas education for themselves, but many are finding classrooms designed for younger students.
By Yang Yang and Jiang Xinyi<br>Jul 24, 2026#aging#education#lifestyle
After decades spent working, raising families, and putting personal ambitions on hold, two Chinese women in their 50s returned to school thousands of kilometers from home.<br>In Athens, 58-year-old Ella Wang found a new sense of purpose at university, studying Greek archaeology, history, and literature. While in New Zealand, 54-year-old Zhao found herself overwhelmed by an English program that was far beyond her level.<br>Both studied alongside classmates young enough to be their children, but their experiences could hardly have been more different. Yet both are part of a growing number of Chinese retirees looking overseas for education.<br>Having spent their working lives during China’s reform era, many now have greater financial security, more control over their time, and familiarity with overseas education after sending their own children abroad.
China already has about 105,000 universities for older adults, but overseas programs that combine learning with international travel have a particular appeal for retirees seeking cultural experiences beyond the classroom. EF Education First, one of the world’s largest international education providers, estimates that China’s broader overseas education market for older adults will reach 1.2 trillion yuan ($167 billion) by 2030.<br>Yet for those entering education systems designed around younger students, the challenge is finding a classroom that fits.<br>Lesson learned<br>Zhao discovered that within days of arriving in New Zealand.<br>She had enrolled in what she believed was a beginner English program. EF had assessed her at A1, the lowest level, and shown her an A1 textbook before she left China. But when lessons began, every available course was beyond her level, and teachers spoke only English.<br>“It was completely incomprehensible,” Zhao told Sixth Tone.<br>After one lesson, she returned to the same room for the next class, only to find it empty. The class had moved, but she had not understood the instructions. On another occasion, a teacher called on her, and she did not understand the question.<br>Zhao had paid about 160,000 yuan for tuition and an eight-month homestay. After retiring from Shanghai’s flower industry, she hoped the program would teach her enough English to travel while she was still healthy. EF’s promotional videos had shown students studying, immersing themselves in local culture, and traveling around New Zealand.
She soon considered quitting. The experience, she felt, had been “overly romanticized” by overseas education providers. “I completely broke down and burst into tears,” Zhao said. “I couldn’t tell my family how miserable it was. I only said I missed them.”<br>Zhang, 56, had enrolled in a six-week program at the same school and found the pace equally punishing. “It was like I hadn’t even learned to stand, and they were already asking me to run,” she said.<br>Both had hoped to learn practical English: how to read a menu, take a bus, ask for directions, and order food. Instead, their classes focused on subjects such as history, biology, and mathematics. Another Chinese retiree in the same course quit after three days.<br>Zhang began to question what she was struggling for. “Do I really need to learn history, biology, and math at this age?”<br>That mismatch has led some Chinese education providers to design programs specifically for retirees. Yao Xiaoqiong, head of private education provider New Oriental’s Global Campus Center, told Sixth Tone that one- to three-year courses remain difficult for many older students. Instead, the company offers two- to four-week overseas programs, including art courses in the UK and culinary courses in France.<br>The programs require no prior language skills and include 10 hours of preparation before departure, as well as interpreters and coordinators during the trip. Yao said older clients generally seek cultural immersion and hands-on learning rather than degrees.<br>Zhang encountered some of that outside the classroom. When she got lost or struggled to understand bus announcements, strangers stepped in to help.<br>But keeping up with the course consumed her. Zhang studied until 11 p.m. and woke at 4 a.m. to prepare. In class, she relied on a translation app but still “couldn’t keep pace with everyone else.” Younger students often avoided partnering with her for group work.<br>By the end of the program, she was physically and mentally exhausted. She still hoped to return to New Zealand one day as a tourist. “But this time, I just don’t have the mood to...