30% of Gen Z and Millennials Don't Want to Go to College: What are the Reasons?

According to Deloitte's findings in the *2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey*, 31% of Gen Z and 32% of millennials worldwide decided against pursuing higher education.

Some respondents chose alternatives such as vocational training, internships, or fields offering skills-based learning with lower financial burdens.

Several reasons influenced Gen Z and millennials' decisions not to pursue higher education. For both generations, financial constraints were a primary driver, with 39% citing this as a reason.

Family or personal circumstances also influenced the decision not to attend university, chosen by 34% of Gen Z and 42% of millennials. Furthermore, seeking flexibility and pursuing desired learning paths were cited by 26% of Gen Z and 22% of millennials.

Other reasons influencing the decision against higher education include seeking careers not requiring a university degree, lack of interest in traditional education, and concerns about future student loan debt.

Two further reasons were the intention to become entrepreneurs and the belief that technological advancements render higher education less relevant in providing needed skills; the proportions are shown in the graph.

Deloitte's *2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey* involved 23,482 respondents, comprising 14,751 Gen Z and 8,731 millennials from 44 countries across North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

The survey was conducted using self-administered online interviews, with fieldwork completed between October 25 and December 24, 2024. Qualitative interviews were also conducted between December 19, 2024, and January 10, 2025.

Gen Z respondents in this survey were born between January 1995 and December 2006. Millennial respondents were born between January 1983 and December 1994.