A competent regime, as the west had since WW2 until recently, can assimilate most potential elites into its ranks, which was the point of the university system, or ruthlessly crush them in infancy, as what happened to the various militia groups in the 80s and 90s.
There's always a replacement elite lurking in the shadows, waiting for a critical mass of foot soldiers for their revolution.
A competent regime, as the west had since WW2 until recently, can assimilate most potential elites into its ranks, which was the point of the university system, or ruthlessly crush them in infancy, as what happened to the various militia groups in the 80s and 90s.