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Post-secondary expectations

What you expect your child to do after high school: university, any further training, trades, a gap year, or their own choice.

Do we expect our child to go to university?

In short: Parents choose between 5 main approaches: University expected; Some post-secondary of any type; Trades equally valued; Gap year welcome; The child's call. Evidence: your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide. Best settled: teen.

Evidence
Your call
Best settled
Teen
Part of
Learning & the wider world

Post-secondary expectations: what are the options?

Parents usually land on one of these 5 approaches.

  1. 1. University expected

    You expect the child to attend university.

  2. 2. Some post-secondary of any type

    You expect some education after high school, of any kind.

  3. 3. Trades equally valued

    Skilled trades are valued as much as university.

  4. 4. Gap year welcome

    A year off before further study is welcome.

  5. 5. The child's call

    The child decides what comes after high school.

Post-secondary expectations: what does the evidence say?

Your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide.

41% of US parents call a college degree extremely or very important for their child

Sources

What else is worth knowing?

Children absorb what their parents assume about life after high school long before the decision arrives. Options include university, college, trades, work and a gap year. Your expectations also affect how you save.

Questions to ask each other

  • What are our hopes for after high school?
  • How would we feel if our child chose a different path?
  • Who will pay, and how will we talk about it?

More in School and academics

First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.