More Chinese students headed abroad for university studies last year, but many of those returning for work expressed disappointment not only about their pay, but also about the types of companies employing them.

A subsidiary of Beijing New Oriental Education and Technology Group Inc., which helps students prepare to study overseas, recently published a report on job conditions for returned students. The company surveyed 3,700 students and their parents in 25 cities around the country, and also used data from the job-hunting website Zhaopin.com.

Most of the students the company talked to went to prestigious universities in the West. More than half said they wanted to work at a foreign firm or joint venture when they returned to China, but most wound up at a domestic private company.

The following is a more detailed look at what the report said.

Number of Students Who Studied Abroad

Number of Graduates Who Returned to China

Countries Where Chinese Students Studied Abroad

*Many students choose to study in Australia and Canada for immigration purposes.

Comparison of Where Graduates Wanted to Work and Where They Ended Up

Salaries that “Returned Students” Commanded in Their First Three Years Back

How Satisfied the Returnees Are With Their Pay and How Many Years They Need to Work to Pay for Their Studies Abroad