Academic success is shaped by a wide range of factors. These include parental education levels, parental emphasis on and involvement in a child’s education, family dynamics, economic conditions, cultural influences, and geographic location, among others.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has studied family characteristics and the factors that impact children’s academic achievement. In 2022, their research found that 58% of children lived in households where at least one related adult had attained an associate’s or higher degree. This is an increase from the 48% of households with related adults who had an associate’s degree or higher in 2012. However, 42% of children under age 18 lived in households in which no related adult had attained a college degree.
Breaking this cycle starts with providing accessible opportunities for parents to pursue higher education. For parents seeking to pursue higher education and set a positive example for their children, flexible degree programs like Lamar University’s online Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in University Studies offer accessible pathways to earning a bachelor’s degree while balancing work and family responsibilities
Understanding the Effect of Parent Education
A 2024 study published in the International Journal of Arts, Science and Humanities examined the influence of parents’ educational level on their children’s academic success. They found that the educational background of parents emerges as a crucial determinant impacting their children’s academic achievements. Since parents are a child’s first teacher, they mold their children’s perspectives, instill values and lay the foundation for their child’s educational route.
The study found that students with well-educated parents earned higher scores and grades than those whose parents had less education. Also significant is the level of parental involvement in schooling. The more engaged parents are in their child’s studies, the better the child’s academic attainment. The study emphasized that students’ educational performance cannot be solely attributed to their parents’ educational level. Parental engagement, socioeconomic status, social and cultural experiences and more also factor significantly in a child’s educational success.
The European Journal of Public Health published a similar study in 2022, which found that “parental education is one of the best predictors of child school achievement. Higher parental education is not only associated with higher child intelligence, but children from highly educated parents also perform better in school due to other family related factors.” Not only is parental education a consistent predictor of children’s school achievement, but it also strongly influences the physical health, mental health and cognitive abilities of their offspring. Parents with higher education levels tend to live in higher-quality neighborhoods. They are more likely to instill educational expectations in their children and provide social and material resources that promote higher school achievement.
Parenting practices, such as regular mealtimes, bedtimes, shared family activities and individual activities like homework time, are routines that provide a sense of belonging and structure in a child’s life. This environment helps foster healthy development. Conversely, in homes where parents have a lower education level, there tends to be less structure to family routines and more harsh discipline, which can lead to behavioral problems in children as well as poor academic performance.
The study highlights two main findings. First, the child’s intelligence partially mediates the influence of parental education on the child’s school achievement. And second, parental education is also influential in parenting practices and family routines, which affect school achievement.
Research on First-Generation College Students
First-generation college students, those whose parents have little or no college experience, represent one of the most dynamic and motivated populations in higher education today. According to FirstGen Forward, there are 8.2 million first-generation undergraduate students, comprising 54% of all undergraduates in the United States. Their success carries lasting implications not just for themselves, but for their families, communities and the broader workforce.
These students often bring exceptional resilience, purpose and drive to their academic journey. Research consistently shows, however, that they benefit most when institutions make a deliberate, sustained commitment to their success through targeted advising, financial support and campus-wide structures designed with their needs in mind.
More than half of Lamar University’s student population identifies as first-generation, and the university has built its mission around serving them well. That commitment has earned national recognition on two significant fronts. The FirstGen Forward Network Leader designation — the second phase of the competitive FirstGen Forward Network — reflects an institution’s commitment to a multi-year experience focused on improving institutional cultures and systems at scale. Lamar has earned that designation, signaling to first-generation students that their success is a strategic priority.
Lamar’s commitment to access and opportunity has also been recognized by one of higher education’s most respected frameworks. The 2025 Carnegie Student Access and Earnings Classification identifies Opportunity Colleges and Universities as institutions that demonstrate both higher access — enrolling students who reflect the communities they serve — and higher earnings outcomes for graduates. Lamar University holds that Opportunity Colleges and Universities designation, alongside a Research 2 designation for high research spending and doctorate production, a combination that reflects both broad access and serious academic rigor.
For first-generation students weighing where to earn their degree, these recognitions carry real meaning: Lamar University is an institution where the structures, resources and institutional will to support their success are already in place.
Building Your Family’s Educational Future
Parents with a higher education are better equipped to be involved in their children’s education and contribute to their developmental wellness. Students whose parents stay involved in school have better attendance, behavior, grades, social skills and adapt better to school.
Studies show that earning a bachelor’s degree has a significant positive impact on career choices and income. According to the Social Security Administration, men with a bachelor’s degree earn approximately $900,000 more in median lifetime earnings than high school graduates. Women with bachelor’s degrees earn $630,000 more. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that bachelor’s degree holders earn roughly 66% more than those with only a high school diploma.
Students interested in earning a bachelor’s degree have many options available. The fully online B.S. in University Studies degree from Lamar University provides total flexibility and affordability for students who may be working while attending school or who want to accelerate their degree completion.
The Department of University Studies works with students to ensure they receive the maximum credit possible for work already completed, whether academic courses, technical credit or workplace experience. They also offer credit for workplace experience. Students can earn up to 24 hours of credit toward their degree by successfully demonstrating experience-based knowledge and mastery of crucial competencies.
Learn more about Lamar University’s online Bachelor of Science in University Studies program.
