To not understand people who talk about being the first in their family to go to uni like it’s a badge of honour?

It's not just a generational thing. It's about social mobility.

The reason why uni became more common for more young people is because social mobility was a talking point in the 90s, and addressed directly through grants and admissions policies.

I was the first in my family to go to university, and it's something I occasionally reflect on. Not because I think it makes me a better person, but because it an important part of my background, and it affected the opportunities I had (opportunities that my relatives didn't).

Not understanding something doesn't render in non-existent or unimportant to others.

My daughter will be the first girl in my family to go to uni, if she does indeed go to uni.I am very proud of her.Yes of course it is a generational thing as well, but I was so proud of her A level results, I would have liked her to choose something less female dominated, but it's her life and choice.
I am anyway proud she seems to be getting confident and happy with herself.It's nice to be proud of your family.😁

And?
It almost doesn't matter what percentage of people went to university. It doesn't take away the challenges experienced by first generation students. Challenges you are refusing to admit exist unless you were raised by drug addicts.

I work at a university that attracts higher than average numbers of first generation students. We are running an event tonight which will involve staff being in full academic dress. A huge number of my first year students have expressed how anxious they are about attending because it is completely alien to them.
Some of then have said they can't attend because parents don't understand why they need to be on campus late at night and while they are technically adults many of them live at home and are heavily influenced by their views.

For people like me, whose family didn't expect me to stay on to sixth form, getting to uni and making it through the four years was a massive achievement. Not just academically but also financially. I had to self-fund because my family were low waged.
They still tell me it's far from x y z that I was raised and not to get above my station.

I think you are confused about two things:

1. "our parents" are not all the same age on Mumsnet.
2. as a PP pointed out post second world war post 18 education referred to an array of different options such as Further education colleges (technical and vocational courses; day and evening classes).Technical colleges and apprenticeships tied to industry and manufacturing training.Teacher training colleges and specialist colleges in things like music and nursing Many of the above have degree status now so if you think about it the achievement of accessing post 18 education is the same.

Yes, so not "very rare" at all by that time, and that will be the generation than typically have kids of uni age today. And of course, the proportion of people of that generation who at least finished college would have been way higher.

Back in what day? I was at school in the 70s. It was very much expected in my Grammar school that we went to Uni, whereas in my sister’s secondary modern school it wasn’t an option to consider.
Now it’s expected because people think you’ll get a better job. Reality shows that isn’t the case for the vast majority of students.

YABU to still not understand, when 8 pages of posts have been trying to explain, including facts and data and studies. There are clear barriers to university attendance for people who don't come from a background where it is expected, supported, or where there is previous experience of it, and university attendance is far less likely amongst those groups. The fact that you don't consider those barriers problematic doesn't mean that others also mustn't - the data says so, and....so far you have no actual experience of your own to prove even in your individual case whether you are right or not, you're just talking.

A person's upbringing doesn't have to involve drugs and neglect to be disadvantaged in all kinds of ways and it's very narrow-minded to assume that that actual dysfunction is the only factor that can make it harder to get to uni. Your 'normal' might not be everybody else's normal, and yes, a lot of people from disadvantaged backgrounds will find it harder to get to, navigate, and succeed at university.

So you should be!

Agree!

I am the first person in my family to own their own home. My family were not heroin addicts but could never have afforded to buy.

Im so proud of myself. As our my family. I expect people feel the same about uni.

FYI you can't rely on AI for your research at uni 😜

Yes, 14% so around 1 in 7.

But most people born in the 1950s don't have uni aged kids in 2025!

I knew that in theory, but wasn’t aware of the actual stats. Gosh, that’s a stark difference!

it's obvious why some people didn't go to uni let's be honest 😂

My parents did go to uni, it was perfectly normal, and their dads at least went to uni too! Less women then, sadly.

Very interesting!

@QuiltPlantCandle said their 50s and 60s not the 50s and 60s.

I'm in my 50s, went to uni in the 90s.

But we're not talking about people who were born in the 50s, are we?

No, I said that almost everyone I know who is currently in their 50s or 60s went to Uni, not that they went in the 1950s or 1960s. I'm in my mid 50s. Guess when I went to university? The 1990s.

But why are you talking about the 1960s?! My parents went to uni in the 1960s, and I'm in my fifties now!

The vast majority of people of your age wouldn't have parents who were of university age in the 1960s!

😂😂