<p>Enhancing the well-being of disadvantaged students is increasingly prioritized in public elite universities in China. However, existing research has not adequately investigated the formation of rural university students’ well-being. This study addresses this gap by integrating imprinting theory with the positive psychology framework of well-being to examine how growth imprints are formed, evolve, and shape rural university students’ well-being. Through 16 photo-elicitation interviews with rural university students from two universities in Zhejiang Province, findings reveal that growth imprints are formed by factors such as family support, interregional migration, and internal drives (both negative and positive). These imprints evolve dynamically through reinforcement, fading, and superposition. By utilizing, transforming, and integrating these imprints, rural university students construct self-identity, attitudinal cognition, and competence, which shape multiple dimensions of well-being (positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement). This study advances understanding of the impacts of growth imprints on rural university students’ well-being and offers practical insights for supporting their healthy development.</p>