Porcelain Publishing / SPR / Volume 9 / Issue 2 / DOI: 10.47297/wspspr2025090203
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The Impact of Shanghai's New Household Registration Policy on University Students' Willingness to Settle down and Policy Recommendations

Chenxi Huang1 Leixin Wang1 Shijing Cao1
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1 School of Social Development, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
Published: 31 December 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Abstract

Talent attraction policies, especially household registration (hukou) policies targeting highly educated talents, are critical factors influencing university students' willingness to settle down in a city. This study, taking Shanghai as an example, systematically analyzes the impact of hukou policies on university students' settling willingness through policy text analysis, surveys, and interviews. The findings reveal that university students' willingness to settle down has not been fully stimulated due to factors such as insufficient policy promotion, high living costs, and perceptual differences. Some students face significant barriers in accessing information and understanding specific policies. Based on these findings, the study proposes policy recommendations including optimizing policy promotion, adjusting settlement thresholds, and improving supporting public policies. The aim is to provide a reference for talent policies in Shanghai and other cities, and to promote more effective strategies for talent attraction and retention.

Keywords
University Students
Settling Willingness
Household Registration Policy
Talent Attraction
References

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Social Policy Review, Electronic ISSN: 2753-5231 Print ISSN: 2515-4710, Published by Porcelain Publishing