Most parents would be supportive if their Gen Z children didn’t want to go to college, study says

The cost of college has skyrocketed. Tuitions have increased 134% at private institutions in the past two decades and 141% at public institutions. However, a new report from Multiverse, a tech startup that offers apprenticeships as an alternate form of education, indicates that the majority of parents would be supportive if their children did not want a college degree.

Multiverse surveyed over 1,000 parents in the United States with children ages 12-19. Half of the parents surveyed were white and half were BIPOC. They were asked about their thoughts on college and what they wanted for their children’s futures.

Here’s what the survey found:

64% of parents said they would be somewhat or very supportive if their child did not want to get a college degree. This was higher for younger parents—71% for parents ages 25-34, while only 57% of parents ages 55-64 said they’d be supportive of their children not wanting a college degree.
82% of parents said that paying tuition or thinking about their child having to take on student debt causes some or significant amounts of stress. Over half of respondents said financial stress over paying for higher education is an obstacle that impacts their family.
69% of respondents said they would be totally supportive if their child entered the workforce instead of going to college after high school; 38% said this was because they felt like a job would be more effective for gaining the necessary skills, while one in five said it would relieve their family from the cost of college.

“We know that parents are the number one influence over what a high school graduate is likely to go on to do with their lives,” said Euan Blair, founder and CEO of Multiverse, in a statement. “We also now know that they care far more about what their child goes on to be able to achieve, rather than simply whether or not they go to college.”