Growing numbers of boys are turning their backs on university, with many believing that it's not what you know, but who you know that counts.
A report from the Sutton Trust education think-tank warned that a wide gap in attitudes has opened up between girls and boys.
Nearly twice as many teenage boys as girls say they are unlikely to go to university, the research found.
Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: "We are looking for new ways to raise the attainment and aspirations of boys, particularly those from non-privileged backgrounds, so that more of them decide to go on to higher education."
The Ipsos Mori survey of 2,400 11 to 16-year-olds in England and Wales found among girls, 76% said they were likely to go on to higher education, compared to only 67% of boys. This gap of nine percentage points was twice as high as the year before. And one in three boys said they did not intend to go to university because they "do not enjoy learning", compared to one in five girls.
The study also warned that boys were more "pessimistic" or "fatalistic" about the impact of a university education on their future success.
Boys were more likely to list "knowing the right people", "family background" and "which secondary school you go to" as important factors in getting on in life. Girls, however, were more likely to list "aiming to do the best you can" and "being able to read and write well".
Sir Peter said a new system for university admissions could help more boys enter higher education.
The Sutton Trust is piloting US-style aptitude tests for sixth-formers, to be used as university entrance exams. "We are considering the potential benefits of an aptitude test for university admissions, to be used alongside A-levels which traditionally favour girls," he said.
Initial results suggested that these aptitude tests can help identify "bright male students who might otherwise be overlooked", he said.
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