I found this question on Quora.

Here’s my answer:

A 2014 survey by New America revealed that most students go to university for some reason other than parental pressure. Parental pressure rated lowest, at 42%, among options on the survey.

College Decisions Survey: Deciding to Go to College

However, I’d hesitate to give that particular answer much weight. The margin of error is ±3.1%. That means if people didn’t understand the question, they might have answered wrong.

However, like all surveys, there may also be systematic bias.

I think psychology works against this question. People don’t like to admit when someone successfully pressures them into something. Many do not even admit it to themselves. I think 42% is low because some people are in denial. It’s hard to say how low it is though.

I’d estimate roughly that pressure from parents plays a pivotal role in at least half of cases.