More than one in ten (11%) parents or guardians believe that their child is "too clever for an apprenticeship or school leaver programme", according to research by AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk.
Over half (54%) of the parent or guardian respondents agreed with the statement "I definitely want my child to go to university".
And 45% of students surveyed mentioned pressure from parents, guardians and peers as key reasons for not exploring alternatives to university.
However, just over half (54%) of students interviewed said that they are only considering traditional university routes, which implies a significant number are considering other options.
More than 10,000 school and college students across the UK were surveyed, as well as over 1,000 parents, 500 teachers, 280 careers advisors, and 27 key employers offering graduate and schoolleaver programmes.
The study found that students could be lacking information about alternatives to university. Less than 18% of the students sampled could name a single employer of school or college leavers, with less than one in 20 (5%) able to name at least five.
The report, The School & College Leaver Careers Market 2015, found that Rolls Royce was the best known employer of school leavers, followed by Jaguar Land Rover and the armed forces. However, only 5 of the 10,000 students surveyed knew Virgin Media, Nike or Aston Martin also provide opportunities for those without University degrees.
Jack Denton, co-founder of AllAboutSchoolLeavers, warned that employers must stay aware of education trends.
“As fewer people go to university and begin to take on non-university routes, employers must think about balancing the size of their graduate and school leaver intakes," he said. "The supply of vacancies must match the changing demands of the market.”
