This paper compares the causal effect of parents’ education on three outcomes of their adolescent offspring aged 10–15 years in China. Empirical results from propensity score matching show that only mothers with a college degree have an effect on the emotional well-being of adolescents. Mothers’ educational influence on health and emotional well-being of adolescents is also greater than fathers but in rural areas, only father’s education has an impact on health and education of the adolescents. Sons however benefit more than daughters in the domains of health and educational well-being from parents’ education. Evidence indicates that promoting women’s education is a key urban policy although in rural areas, empowering women and providing an enabling environment through communities and schools is critical to improving various well-being outcomes of the next generation.