Since the times of Confucius, Chinese culture has revered education. But higher education doesn't always translate into higher earnings. In 2009, average first time earnings for a bachelor degree holder were just 1,900 yuan - or about $275 a month.

For those with master's degrees the figure rose to a hardly inspiring $400. And with the number of new graduates expected to reach 6.3 million this year - even more competition in the graduate job market this year could push those salaries even lower.

Now while there are signs that China's job market is stepping out of the economic downturn, most companies prefer skilled employees to fresh graduates who'll need expensive training. And today's students aren't demanding. Most want a job which will cover their basic living expenses.

But even those modest goals seem out of reach. The $300 dollar per month salaries typically on offer are lower than the national average - even lower than those of a construction worker.