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Teens · 17 to 18 years

Age 17: Development, Research, and What Helps

Last reviewed · 17 min read · 14 activities · 12 common questions · 89 sources · Plain-text version

Seventeen is the last full year before legal adulthood. Here's what the research says about college, cost, and finishing, plus the money, health, and life skills your teen needs before they leave home.

A parent and teen walk across a leafy college campus on an autumn tour.

At a glance

  • No single path is right. College, community college, apprenticeships, the military, and work all lead somewhere; finishing what they start matters most.
  • The 2027–28 FAFSA opened September 23, 2026. Do it together: hands-on help raised college attendance in a randomized trial.
  • Compare net price, not sticker price. In-state tuition and fees at public four-year colleges averaged $11,950 in 2025-26, but grants cut what many pay.
  • At 18, your teen controls their own health records. Have them book appointments and refill prescriptions now.
  • Teach credit before the first card: how scores work, why interest adds up, and why paying in full every month is the goal.
  • Teens 17 and 18 need 8 to 10 hours of sleep, yet only 20% of 11th and 12th graders get even 8 on school nights.
  • Alcohol plays a bigger role in crashes as teens age: 34% of drivers ages 18 to 19 killed in 2024 had a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or higher.
  • Ask your pediatrician about the MenB vaccine before college. US vaccine schedules differ in 2026, so ask which one they follow.

Your age-17 checklist

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Seventeen is usually senior year, the last full year before legal adulthood. For first jobs and new drivers, see the age-16 guide; for the paperwork of turning 18, see the age-18 guide.

What's developing

There's no CDC milestone checklist for 17. The AAP calls ages 14 to 17 middle adolescence and 18 to 21 late adolescence (AAP), so a 17-year-old stands at the line between the two.

On the edge of adulthood

By late adolescence, most teens have reached full adult height, have more impulse control, judge risks more accurately, and base decisions more on their hopes and ideals (AAP). The brain keeps maturing into the mid-to-late 20s, with the planning-and-decisions region among the last to finish, but it also adapts well to new experiences (NIMH). Psychologist Jeffrey Arnett calls ages 18 to 25 "emerging adulthood," a distinct stage of identity exploration (Arnett, 2000). Real responsibility now, with you as backup, is how they grow into adulthood.

Identity, independence, and you

Expect clearer values and steadier friendships and romantic relationships. Many young people rebuild their relationship with their parents into a more adult one, coming to you for advice rather than rules (AAP).

Sleep in senior year

Teens need 8 to 10 hours of sleep in every 24 (Paruthi et al., 2016). In CDC's 2025 survey, only 20% of 11th and 12th graders got at least 8 hours on school nights (CDC). Teen melatonin timing makes early bedtimes hard (NIMH), and applications and jobs pile on.

Mood and mental health

In a national survey of 9,282 adults, half of all lifetime mental disorders had started by age 14 and three-quarters by 24 (Kessler et al., 2005), so the years after high school still carry real risk. In 2025, 33% of high school students reported persistent sadness or hopelessness, down from 40% in 2023 (CDC). Learn the warning signs before your teen leaves home (see Call or text 988 if your teen).

Substance use at 17

In 2025, 66% of 12th graders hadn't used alcohol, cannabis, or nicotine in the past month. Over the past year, 41% had used alcohol, 26% cannabis, and 20% had vaped nicotine (NIDA).

Senior year and what comes next

In October 2024, 62.8% of that year's high school graduates were in college, about two-thirds of them at four-year schools (BLS). Of recent graduates not in college, 66.4% were working or looking for work.

Driving at 17

Crash risk per mile is highest at 16 and 17 (IIHS). In most states, graduated licensing limits apply only to drivers under 18 (IIHS), so many 17-year-olds are about to lose them. Your family's rules can last longer.

What the research says

Data on costs is solid; much of the rest is observational, so read it as patterns, not proof.

1. Hands-on FAFSA help changes who goes to college. In a randomized experiment, tax preparers offered low- and moderate-income families on-the-spot help filing the FAFSA plus aid estimates. Seniors whose parents got the help were 8 percentage points more likely to complete two years of college within three years, 36% versus 28%. Aid estimates without help filing didn't improve outcomes (Bettinger et al., 2012). Summer text reminders and near-age mentors also raised enrollment among students with less access to college counseling (Castleman & Page, 2015). Yet only 54% of the class of 2025 had filed a FAFSA by the end of June 2025 (College Board, 2025). Takeaway: Do the forms together. Information alone isn't enough.

2. Finishing is the part that pays. Of students who started college in fall 2019, 61.1% earned a degree or certificate within six years (National Student Clearinghouse, 2025). Of fall 2015 community college starters, only 16% earned a bachelor's within six years (CCRC, 2024). In Federal Reserve survey data from 2017 to 2019, 51.2% of borrowers who didn't finish said they were doing at least okay financially, versus 77.2% of borrowers who did; the authors stress that's a pattern, not proof of cause (Lockwood & Webber, 2023). Takeaway: Pick a path your teen is likely to finish, and borrow as if they might not.

3. Prestige matters less than most families think. Using Social Security earnings records for students who entered college in 1976 and 1989, economists compared students who applied to similarly selective schools. The boost from attending the more selective one shrank to roughly zero, except for Black and Hispanic students and students whose parents had less education, who still gained a lot (Dale & Krueger, 2014). At the very top it's contested: attending an Ivy-Plus college instead of a typical flagship public raised the chance of becoming a top 1% earner by 50% (Chetty et al., 2023). Takeaway: For most students, fit, cost, and finishing matter more than the name.

4. Sticker prices overstate what many families pay. In 2025-26, average published tuition and fees were $11,950 at public four-year colleges (in-state), $4,150 at public two-year colleges, and $45,000 at private nonprofit four-year colleges. After grants, first-time full-time in-state students at public four-year schools paid an estimated $2,300 in net tuition and fees on average. Of 2023-24 bachelor's recipients at public and private nonprofit four-year schools, 47% graduated with debt, averaging $29,560 (College Board, 2025). Takeaway: Compare net price after grants, and count living costs.

5. Few teens get ready for adult health care. In a 2016 national survey covering 20,708 youth ages 12 to 17, only 17% with special health care needs and 14% without had all three basics of transition planning: a talk about moving to an adult doctor, help with self-care skills, and time alone with the doctor (Lebrun-Harris et al., 2018). Pediatric, family medicine, and internal medicine groups jointly recommend planning through the teen years (White & Cooley, 2018). Takeaway: Start the handoff now. At 18 it becomes legal overnight.

6. A talk before college can shape drinking, modestly. In a randomized trial of 724 incoming freshmen and their parents, a parent handbook made students less likely to go from nondrinker to drinker; slower growth in drinking showed up only in women, and heavy drinking didn't change (Ichiyama et al., 2009). In a trial of 1,275 former high school athletes, the handbook plus a brief college counseling session lowered drinking and alcohol problems 10 months later (Turrisi et al., 2009). NIAAA calls the first six weeks of freshman year a vulnerable time (NIAAA). Takeaway: Have the talk the summer before they leave. It helps some teens, not all.

7. Close ties with grown kids are normal, and mostly good. In a 2023 Pew survey, 73% of parents of 18- to 34-year-olds texted with them at least a few times a week, and only 9% of young adults said their parents were too involved (Pew Research Center, 2024). In a study of 592 grown children averaging about 24, those getting frequent, varied support from parents reported better adjustment and life satisfaction, while parents who felt their child needed too much support were less satisfied themselves (Fingerman et al., 2012). Takeaway: Stay close. Aim your help at their goals, and look after yourself too.

Parenting techniques

Coach the decision, don't make it

Your teen has to live the plan, so let them lead while you ask questions. Lay out the real options: four-year college, community college, an apprenticeship or trade program, the military, a job, or a planned gap year. Test each against their interests, the cost, and the odds they'll finish (see Path test-drive). Ask what a normal week would look like on each path, and keep "undecided" respectable.

Script: "I'm not attached to any one answer. What's pulling you toward that option? What worries you about it?"

Make the FAFSA a joint project

The FAFSA is the free application for federal and state grants, work-study, and loans (Department of Education). The 2027–28 form opened on September 23, 2026 (Federal Student Aid). Your teen and each contributing parent sign in with their own StudentAid.gov account, and each contributor must consent to share federal tax information or the student can't get federal aid (Federal Student Aid). Let your teen drive the keyboard while you supply the numbers, and file early; deadlines are in When can my teen fill out the FAFSA for the 2027–28 school year?

Run the numbers before anyone falls in love

A college's net price calculator estimates what students like yours paid after grants (Department of Education), and College Scorecard shows federal data on cost, debt, graduation rates, and earnings (College Scorecard). Run both before campus visits. When offers arrive, sort every line into grants (free), work-study (earned), and loans (repaid with interest). Agree on a borrowing limit before the offers come, not in the glow of an acceptance letter.

Move health care into their hands

By 16 to 17, Got Transition, a federally funded program on this topic, suggests teens make their own appointments, see the doctor alone, refill their own medicines, and keep a medical summary (Got Transition). At 18, only your teen can consent to treatment or see their records unless they give written permission to include you (Got Transition). The move to an adult doctor usually happens between 18 and 22 (Got Transition). If your teen has a chronic condition or may need help with health decisions as an adult, plan before 18.

Talk about alcohol before they leave

Pick a calm time the summer before they leave. Cover the legal and school penalties for underage drinking, the risks of overdose, injury, and violence, and how to recognize an alcohol emergency (NIAAA). Add cannabis: about 3 in 10 people who use it have cannabis use disorder, and its link with schizophrenia is stronger with early, frequent use (CDC).

Script: "You'll make your own choices. What I care about most: never drive after drinking or using, never ride with someone who has, and call 911 if a friend can't stay awake. You won't be in trouble with me for getting help."

Keep driving rules through graduation

Alcohol plays a bigger role as teens age. In 2024, 20% of drivers ages 16 to 17 killed in crashes had a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or higher, versus 34% of drivers ages 18 to 19, and June was the deadliest month for teens (IIHS). Drinking and driving is illegal under 21 (CDC). Teens who saw their parents as both supportive and rule-setting were 71% less likely to drive drunk than teens with uninvolved parents, in a survey of 5,665 high schoolers (Ginsburg et al., 2009).

The AAP describes consent as saying yes, without pressure, each time, and says consent can't be given under the influence of alcohol or drugs (AAP). Talk about both sides: getting a clear yes, and looking out for friends.

Script: "If someone's too drunk to stand, they're too drunk to say yes. If a friend is in that state, your job is getting them home safe."

Stay close while letting go

Agree on how you'll stay in touch before the move. Shift from directing to consulting: ask what they plan before offering your view, and let them make the call to the landlord or pharmacy first.

Script: "You don't have to report in. I'd love a quick text a few times a week and a call on Sundays. What works for you?"

What to teach

The goal at 17: a young person who could run a small household, with you as consultant rather than manager.

Family jobs at 17: the roommate standard

The AAP says a part-time job isn't a reason to stop helping at home, and that work inside the home is as valuable as work outside it (AAP). Try the roommate standard: your teen does what a considerate roommate would, without reminders.

  • Family jobs stay expected and unpaid: their own laundry, room, and dishes, plus a shared zone like weeknight dinners or the yard.
  • Extra paid jobs stay optional and separate, priced the way a neighbor would pay.
  • Shared costs are a family choice. A teen with steady income might cover one real bill, like their phone or gas. Among young adults living with parents in a 2023 Pew survey, 65% helped pay household expenses (Pew Research Center, 2024).

Research on paying kids for chores, or charging teens rent, is limited and mixed, so treat any system as a family choice. For practical ideas, see raising independent kids with chores and chores by age and what to pay.

The adult skills checklist

Before your teen moves out, aim for each of these at least once, done alone:

  • Food: plan a week of meals, shop on a budget, cook five dinners, store leftovers.
  • Clothes: wash, dry, and fold a load; treat a stain; sew on a button.
  • Home: clean a bathroom and kitchen, unclog a drain, reset a tripped breaker, find the water shutoff.
  • Health: book an appointment, refill a prescription, know their allergies and medicines, carry their insurance card (Got Transition).
  • Time: keep their own calendar and wake to their own alarm.

Cooking deserves extra effort. In Project EAT, which followed 1,321 Minnesota young people for 10 years, those who cooked in their early 20s ate more fruits and vegetables and less fast food later, though cooking in high school showed few later links (Laska et al., 2012).

A real monthly budget

Teaching money works: a meta-analysis of 76 randomized trials with more than 160,000 people found financial education improved knowledge and later money behavior (Kaiser et al., 2022). The CFPB's method: track income, track spending, list bills and due dates, then build the budget (CFPB). Make it real. A full-time job at $15 an hour brings in about $2,600 a month before taxes. The Census Bureau counts households spending more than 30% of income on housing as cost-burdened; in 2023, 49.7% of renters were (Census Bureau). See teaching kids the cost of living for more.

How credit scores and credit cards work

A credit score predicts how likely someone is to repay on time. Most run from 300 to 850 and are built from payment history, debt owed, how much available credit is used, account age, and recent applications. Lenders use them, and landlords and insurers may too (CFPB).

  • Under 21, a card issuer generally needs proof your teen can pay on their own or a cosigner over 21 (CFPB).
  • Pay in full by the due date and most cards charge no interest on purchases; carry a balance and interest starts on it and on new purchases (CFPB).
  • Interest is expensive. In mid-2026, the average rate on card accounts charged interest was 22.15% (Federal Reserve). At 22%, paying off $1,000 at $40 a month takes 34 months and about $350 in interest.

Student loans, explained simply

Grants are free money; loans are repaid with interest. Subsidized federal loans are for students with financial need, and no interest is charged while they're enrolled at least half time. Unsubsidized loans don't require need, and interest generally builds from the start (Federal Student Aid). For 2026-27, the undergraduate rate is 6.52%, fixed for the life of the loan; a new rate is set each July for new loans (Federal Student Aid). Borrowing the dependent-student maximum for four years adds up to $27,000 (Federal Student Aid); at 6.52% over 10 years, that's about $307 a month, before interest that builds during school. Compare it with a realistic starting paycheck.

What changes at 18

At 18, your teen controls their own education records (Department of Education) and, in most states, their own health information (Got Transition). The forms that let you help in an emergency are covered in the age-18 guide. If your teen has earnings, the age-16 guide explains custodial Roth IRAs.

Activities to try

Pick a few that fit your teen's plans. Most take an evening; together they cover the paperwork and skills of launching.

How we rate the evidence
Strong evidence
Randomized trials or systematic reviews show a consistent benefit.
Moderate evidence
Consistent observational research, or a major guideline (AAP, WHO) built on research.
Emerging evidence
Small or early studies. Plausible, not yet proven.
Mixed evidence
Studies disagree, or reviews rate the evidence as weak.

Too tired to choose? Let us pick one.

  1. FAFSA night, side by side

    Moderate evidence
    Time
    About an hour, including setup
    Builds
    Follow-through, financial literacy, access to aid
    1. Each of you creates a StudentAid.gov account ahead of time.
    2. Gather 2025 tax returns, W-2s, and current bank balances.
    3. Your teen fills in the form while you supply your sections and consent.
    4. List every state and college aid deadline on one shared calendar.

    Make it work: Some state and college aid is first-come, first-served, so file early (Department of Education).

    Evidence: Moderate. In a randomized experiment, hands-on FAFSA help from tax preparers raised the share of seniors who completed two years of college from 28% to 36%; aid information alone didn't help (Bettinger et al., 2012). Help from a parent hasn't been tested the same way.

  2. Net price showdown

    Emerging evidence
    Time
    1 hour
    Builds
    Comparison skills, realistic expectations
    1. Run each school's net price calculator with your real numbers.
    2. Look up each school's graduation rate and typical debt on College Scorecard.
    3. Line them up side by side, with a community college option included.
    4. Agree on a total borrowing limit before any offers arrive.

    Evidence: Emerging. Sticker and net prices differ widely (College Board, 2025), and federal tools show both (Department of Education; College Scorecard). But in the FAFSA experiment, price information alone didn't change outcomes (Bettinger et al., 2012), so pair it with action.

  3. Summer to-do sprint

    Emerging evidence
    Time
    30 minutes a week, June through August
    Builds
    Planning, independence
    1. Have your teen list every task from the college's portal: deposits, housing forms, placement tests, orientation, vaccine records, the first bill.
    2. Put each one on their calendar with a reminder a week before it's due.
    3. Check in once a week: what's done, what's stuck, who to call.

    Evidence: Emerging. Automated text reminders about pre-college tasks and near-age mentors raised enrollment among students with less access to college counseling (Castleman & Page, 2015); a family checklist hasn't been tested.

  4. Path test-drive

    Emerging evidence
    Time
    A few hours, once or twice in senior year
    Builds
    Self-knowledge, realistic expectations about work
    1. Pick one path your teen hasn't seriously considered.
    2. Apprenticeships: search the federal Apprenticeship Finder; apprentices earn a wage from day one and finish with an industry-recognized credential (Apprenticeship.gov).
    3. Military: read about the ASVAB, the aptitude test used for military jobs (ASVAB), and talk to more than one branch.
    4. Spend a morning shadowing someone in that work, then debrief over lunch.

    Evidence: Emerging. Paths differ in cost and completion (CCRC, 2024; National Student Clearinghouse, 2025), but trying one out first hasn't been studied.

  5. First-apartment budget

    Moderate evidence
    Time
    1 hour
    Builds
    Budgeting, cost-of-living awareness
    1. Pick a city and a likely first job, and look up its real starting pay.
    2. Find three real rental listings and price a phone plan, groceries, transportation, and utilities.
    3. Subtract everything from take-home pay and see what's left for savings and fun.
    4. Check whether rent stays under about 30% of income (Census Bureau).

    Make it work: If the numbers don't work, brainstorm fixes together: a roommate, a cheaper city, or a higher-paying path.

    Evidence: Moderate. Randomized trials of financial education show gains in knowledge and later behavior (Kaiser et al., 2022); this exercise follows the CFPB's budgeting steps (CFPB).

  6. Decode a credit card statement

    Moderate evidence
    Time
    20 minutes
    Builds
    Understanding of interest and credit
    1. Open one of your statements together and find the balance, minimum payment, due date, and interest rate.
    2. Find this month's interest charge and multiply it by 12 to see a year's cost.
    3. Talk about why paying in full keeps purchases interest-free.

    Evidence: Moderate. Financial education improves knowledge and money behavior in randomized trials (Kaiser et al., 2022); the content comes from CFPB and Federal Reserve guidance (CFPB; Federal Reserve).

  7. Credit check before 18

    Emerging evidence
    Time
    30 minutes
    Builds
    Identity protection, credit awareness
    1. Ask each of the three credit bureaus to search for a report under your teen's Social Security number.
    2. If one exists, review it together and follow the FTC's steps for identity theft.
    3. Decide together whether to freeze your teen's credit until they need it.

    Make it work: Only AnnualCreditReport.com is authorized for free reports; ignore look-alike sites and emails asking for a Social Security number (FTC).

    Evidence: Emerging. The FTC says a child under 18 generally shouldn't have a credit report, so finding one can signal fraud; 16- and 17-year-olds can freeze or unfreeze their own credit (FTC).

  8. A teen holds a notepad at a pharmacy counter.

    Book it, refill it

    Moderate evidence
    Time
    15 minutes, a few times this year
    Builds
    Health care independence
    1. Have your teen fill out Got Transition's readiness assessment (Got Transition).
    2. They call or use the portal to book their next checkup or dental visit.
    3. They refill a prescription and pick it up, insurance card in hand.

    Evidence: Moderate. AAP, family physician, and internist groups recommend building these skills through the teen years (White & Cooley, 2018); Got Transition lists them for ages 16 to 17 (Got Transition).

  9. Build a medical summary

    Moderate evidence
    Time
    30 minutes
    Builds
    Health literacy, emergency readiness
    1. List diagnoses, medicines and doses, allergies, vaccines, and past surgeries.
    2. Add doctors' names and numbers, insurance details, and an emergency contact.
    3. Save it on their phone and in their portal, and ask the doctor to review it.

    Evidence: Moderate. Got Transition recommends that teens work with their doctor on a medical summary and keep a copy before 18 (Got Transition).

  10. Five meals before move-out

    Emerging evidence
    Time
    One dinner a week
    Builds
    Cooking, budgeting, independence
    1. Your teen picks five affordable dinners they'd actually eat.
    2. They plan, shop for, and cook one each week, with a budget.
    3. They write down each recipe and its cost per serving.

    Make it work: Include one meal that works with just a microwave or a single pot, for dorm or first-apartment life.

    Evidence: Emerging. In a 10-year study, young adults who cooked ate better later, though cooking in high school showed few later links (Laska et al., 2012); young adults who rated their cooking skills highly at 18 to 23 cooked more meals with vegetables and ate less fast food a decade later (Utter et al., 2018).

  11. Roommate-style house meeting

    Emerging evidence
    Time
    20 minutes, once a month
    Builds
    Fairness, communication, shared responsibility
    1. Everyone names one thing that's working and one that's bugging them.
    2. Agree on who owns which shared zones this month.
    3. If your teen is covering a shared cost, review it like roommates would.

    Evidence: Emerging. The AAP says chores build life skills and teamwork that carry into adulthood (AAP), and most young adults who live with parents help pay household costs (Pew Research Center, 2024). The meeting format itself hasn't been studied.

  12. The leaving-home alcohol talk

    Moderate evidence
    Time
    20 to 30 minutes, the summer before they leave
    Builds
    Safety knowledge, a lifeline to you
    1. Ask what they expect parties and drinking to be like, and listen first.
    2. Share your expectations and the legal facts for under-21s.
    3. Walk through the signs of alcohol overdose and when to call 911 (NIAAA).
    4. Promise a judgment-free ride or call, any time.

    Evidence: Moderate. NIAAA recommends it (NIAAA); randomized trials of parent handbooks found benefits on some drinking outcomes but not all (Turrisi et al., 2001; Ichiyama et al., 2009; Turrisi et al., 2009).

  13. Two graduates in caps and gowns hug and smile outdoors.

    Graduation-season ride plan

    Moderate evidence
    Time
    15 minutes before prom and graduation
    Builds
    Safe choices under peer pressure
    1. Agree on who's driving, who's riding with whom, and the time home.
    2. Set a code word your teen can text to be picked up, no questions that night.
    3. Restate the rules: seat belts, no phone, no impaired driving or riding.

    Evidence: Moderate. CDC recommends a parent-teen driving agreement (CDC), and teens with supportive, rule-setting parents report far less drunk driving, though that's an association (Ginsburg et al., 2009).

  14. Pre-register to vote

    Moderate evidence
    Time
    15 minutes
    Builds
    Civic identity, handling official forms
    1. Check your state's rules; in almost every state, teens can register before 18 if they'll be 18 by Election Day (USA.gov).
    2. Have your teen fill out the registration themselves.
    3. Look up the next election date together and add it to their calendar.

    Evidence: Moderate. Two quasi-experimental analyses found that preregistration laws raised youth turnout (Holbein & Hillygus, 2016).

Common questions

When can my teen fill out the FAFSA for the 2027–28 school year?

The 2027–28 FAFSA opened to the public on September 23, 2026, so your teen can file it now (Federal Student Aid). It covers the school year starting July 1, 2027, and asks about 2025 tax returns (Federal Student Aid; Department of Education). The draft form lists June 30, 2028 as the federal deadline, but state and college deadlines can come much sooner, and some aid is first-come, first-served (Department of Education). Each contributor, usually a parent, needs their own StudentAid.gov account and must consent to share tax information (Federal Student Aid).

How much can my teen borrow in federal student loans?

A dependent undergraduate can borrow up to $5,500 in the first year, $6,500 in the second, and $7,500 a year after that, up to $31,000 total; those limits didn't change under the 2025 law (Federal Student Aid). For loans first paid out from July 2026 through June 2027, the rate is 6.52%, fixed (Federal Student Aid). Parents of new borrowers can take Parent PLUS loans of up to $20,000 a year and $65,000 total per student (Federal Student Aid). Grants come first and aren't repaid; the maximum Pell Grant for 2026-27 is $7,395 (Federal Student Aid). Borrowing less than the maximum is often wiser; see Student loans, explained simply.

Is community college a smart way to start?

It can be, especially on cost: average 2025-26 tuition and fees were $4,150 at public two-year colleges, and grant aid has on average covered tuition and fees for first-time full-time students since 2009-10 (College Board, 2025). The catch is transfer: of students who started at community college in fall 2015, about a third transferred to a four-year school, and only 16% earned a bachelor's within six years (CCRC, 2024). If a bachelor's is the goal, pick the transfer school and its course requirements from the first semester, and meet with an advisor early.

Is college still worth the cost?

On average, yes, for students who finish. In 2025, full-time workers 25 and older earned a median $1,578 a week with a bachelor's degree, $1,135 with an associate degree, $1,062 with some college but no degree, and $966 with a high school diploma, and unemployment fell with each step (BLS). The risk is borrowing and not finishing: borrowers who didn't complete were much less likely to say they were doing okay financially (Lockwood & Webber, 2023). Averages hide big differences by school and field, so check College Scorecard's earnings data for specific programs (College Scorecard).

Does it matter if my teen gets into a prestigious college?

For most students, less than you'd think. Among students who applied to similarly selective colleges, those who attended the more selective one didn't earn measurably more later, except for Black and Hispanic students and students whose parents had less education, who did gain (Dale & Krueger, 2014). Elite schools may still matter for reaching the very top: one study found Ivy-Plus attendance raised the chance of becoming a top 1% earner by 50% (Chetty et al., 2023). Cost, fit, and likelihood of finishing are better guides for most families.

Is an apprenticeship a good alternative to college?

It can be a strong one for a teen who wants to earn while learning a trade. Registered apprentices are paid from the first day, get on-the-job learning plus classroom training, and finish with an industry-recognized, nationally portable credential (Apprenticeship.gov). Your teen can search openings by career and location with the federal Apprenticeship Finder (Apprenticeship.gov). Look into the specific program's pay, completion rate, and what job it leads to, the same way you'd vet a college.

How can my teen build credit before age 21?

The simplest route is becoming an authorized user on a parent's well-managed card. The account's full history then appears on your teen's credit record, and they aren't legally liable for the charges (CFPB). Under 21, getting their own card requires proof of independent income or a cosigner over 21 (CFPB). Any account helps only if payments are on time; payment history and how much credit is used are core parts of a score (CFPB). Student loans count too: after a pandemic-era pause, late federal student loan payments were again reported to credit bureaus starting in late 2024 (Federal Reserve, 2026). Set autopay and keep balances paid in full.

Should I charge my teen rent once they have a job?

There's no research-backed answer, so it's a family choice. Plenty of families ask a working young adult to contribute: in a 2023 Pew survey of young adults living with their parents, 65% helped pay household expenses and 46% helped with rent or the mortgage (Pew Research Center, 2024). For a 17-year-old in school, covering one real bill, like their phone or gas, often teaches the lesson without crowding out savings. Some parents save the money and return it at move-out. Keep it separate from family jobs, which stay unpaid for everyone.

What changes when my teen turns 18?

In most states, your teen becomes a legal adult who controls their own health care decisions and medical information; you can be included only with their written permission (Got Transition). The legal age of adulthood is 19 in Alabama and Nebraska and 21 in Mississippi and Puerto Rico (Got Transition). Rights over education records also pass to them at 18, or when they start college at any age (Department of Education). They can usually stay on your health plan until 26 (HealthCare.gov). The age-18 guide walks through the paperwork, such as a health care proxy and a medical records release.

When should my teen switch from a pediatrician to an adult doctor?

There's no fixed age; the move usually happens between 18 and 22 (Got Transition). The AAP discourages arbitrary cutoffs and says the decision belongs to the patient, family, and doctor, based on the young person's needs (Hardin et al., 2017). Ask your pediatrician now when their practice stops seeing patients, and plan a handoff with a medical summary sent to the new doctor (Got Transition).

Does my teen need the MenB vaccine before college?

It's a decision to make with your pediatrician. The AAP recommends MenB for teens with certain health conditions and for anyone 16 to 18 who decides with their pediatrician to get it (AAP). CDC clinical guidance calls 16 to 18 the preferred age, with 2 doses 6 months apart, or a faster 3-dose schedule for students starting college in less than 6 months; it also recommends a MenACWY booster at 16 (CDC). Meningococcal disease can spread in crowded places like college dorms and military barracks, and some colleges require vaccines (AAP). US guidance has been changing. In January 2026, the CDC dropped meningococcal and flu vaccines from its routine childhood schedule; the AAP still recommends them (AAP). In March 2026, a federal judge paused many of those federal changes, finding them likely illegal, and the government has appealed (STAT, 2026), so official guidance is still in flux. Ask your pediatrician which schedule they follow.

How often should I check in after my teen moves out?

As often as you both like; frequent contact is common and usually welcome. In a 2023 Pew survey, 73% of parents of young adults texted with them at least a few times a week, and only 9% of young adults said their parents were too involved (Pew Research Center, 2024). Agree on a rhythm together before the move. Watch for signs that need more than a check-in, like withdrawing, sounding hopeless, or failing classes (NIMH).

Safety and when to get help

Senior-year driving

In most states, graduated licensing rules cover only new drivers under 18 (IIHS), so keep your own: a seat belt on every trip, which cuts the risk of death or serious injury by about half; no impaired driving or riding, since even small amounts of alcohol impair driving; and rest before early or late drives (CDC). Keep the graduation-season ride plan in place.

Alcohol, cannabis, and overdose

Signs of alcohol overdose include confusion, being hard or impossible to wake, vomiting, seizures, and slow or irregular breathing. Call 911 right away, and never let the person sleep it off alone (NIAAA). For a suspected opioid overdose, give naloxone if you have it, call 911, keep the person on their side, and stay. Naloxone is sold over the counter (CDC). Counterfeit pills made to look like prescription drugs can contain fentanyl, which was found in 77% of US teen overdose deaths in the first half of 2021 (Friedman et al., 2022).

Sexual assault and dating abuse

After a sexual assault, get to safety, call 911 if in danger, and go to an emergency room; your teen can ask for a specially trained nurse examiner and doesn't have to decide about charges there. The National Sexual Assault Hotline is 800-656-HOPE (4673) (Office on Women's Health). For dating abuse, call love is respect at 866-331-9474 or text LOVEIS to 22522 (love is respect).

Firearms and medicines at home

If possible, remove firearms from the home; otherwise store them locked and unloaded, with ammunition locked separately. About 90% of suicide attempts with a firearm are fatal. Keep medicines in a lockbox (AAP).

Call 911 if your teen

  • Is unconscious, can't be woken, or is breathing slowly or irregularly after drinking or using drugs (NIAAA; CDC)
  • Has attempted suicide or is in immediate danger of hurting themselves or someone else
  • After a head injury, has a seizure, a worsening headache, repeated vomiting, slurred speech, unusual confusion, one pupil larger than the other, or can't stay awake (CDC)
  • Has been assaulted or is in danger from a partner or anyone else (Office on Women's Health)

For a possible poisoning, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222, free and 24/7 (America's Poison Centers).

Call or text 988 if your teen

  • Talks about suicide, wanting to die, or feeling hopeless
  • Is in an emotional crisis and you're not sure what to do

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential, and open 24/7 by call, text, or chat (988 Lifeline). Asking directly about suicide doesn't plant the idea (Dazzi et al., 2014). LGBTQ+ young people can also call the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678 (Trevor Project). Save 988 in your teen's phone before they move out.

Call your pediatrician if your teen

  • Seems sad, empty, irritable, or uninterested for a few weeks or longer, or their sleep, eating, or grades change (NIMH)
  • May be using alcohol, cannabis, vapes, or pills, or you're worried they might be
  • Has a partner who controls, isolates, or frightens them
  • Has a chronic condition and no plan yet for adult care (Got Transition)
  • Is behind on vaccines or college health forms

The 17-year checkup

Expect a physical exam, depression and suicide risk screening, questions about alcohol, nicotine, and drug use, a hearing test once between 15 and 17, an HIV test at least once between 15 and 21, and STI testing based on risk, kept as confidential as possible (AAP, 2025). Part of the visit is your teen alone with the doctor (AAP). Every visit is a chance to catch up on missed vaccines (AAP, 2025), and the AAP's 2026 schedule includes a yearly flu vaccine and MenB for some teens (AAP, 2026; AAP, 2026); see Does my teen need the MenB vaccine before college? for how schedules differ. Let your teen book the visit and ask about their privacy rights at 18 (Got Transition).

Sources

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

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