It said only nine percent of those studying abroad received scholarships from foreign institutions while three percent supported themselves through part-time jobs. One percent were funded by the Chinese government.
The survey, published by China.com.cn, a government-run website, was conducted by education research company MyCOS, Xinhua reported.
The survey divided its respondents into two categories - students who graduated from China's top 211 universities in 2009 and other students.
According to the survey, 1.64 percent of the graduates in 2009 went abroad for further study.
Some 0.69 percent of students from the other category also pursued overseas studies.
The survey said the majority of the students who studied abroad took economics and business management as their major subject.
Around 6.1 million students graduated from China's universities and colleges in 2009, according to statistics from the ministry of education.
Published 23 August 2010, 03:04 IST