This study analyses student and parental perspectives on the decision to drop out from a rural junior high school in northeast China. Data were collected in 2017 via participant observation, focus groups with students who were considered at "high risk of dropping out", and semi-structured interviews with parents. The official Chinese dropout rate during the nine years of compulsory education is 6.2%; however, in this case, the cumulative dropout rate was as high as 43.1%. Beyond analysing the poor education environment, low academic performance, and pressures from private tutoring, migrant families' situations were also examined for a deeper understanding of the motivations of dropouts and their parents. Official discourse in China blames high dropout rates on students' "study-weariness"; however, this study suggests that, given the intense competitiveness of the country's education system and the disadvantages of rural residents, dropping out may seem a rational choice for many rural families.