As students prepare to head back to school, a class they may not have available to them is one focused on personal finance or financial literacy.

According to research by Junior Achievement and consulting firm Big Village, 68% of teens would “likely” take a class on financial literacy—money management, personal finance—if offered to them, yet only 31% say they have access to those kinds of courses in school. This, despite research from the International Federation of Accountants that shows a lack of financial literacy among adults, costs the U.S. nearly $500 million dollars a year.

“When you ask adults what they wish they learned in school but didn’t, it usually involves topics like understanding how money works,” says Jason Berry, vice president of impact and innovation of Junior Achievement of Washington. “These findings show that most teens today would like access to this kind of information, but many may not be getting it.”

Junior Achievement offers learning experiences to students in grades K-12 and to young adults 18 and older that focus on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work and career readiness. JA programs are available at low or no cost to schools and reach more than 4.4 million students in the U.S. each year.

Other findings from the survey show:

*Sixty percent of teens would “likely” take courses in work and career readiness and entrepreneurship if offered at school.

*More than 40% of teens would “likely” take courses on paying for college if offered.

*Fifty-four percent of teens think using AI to do schoolwork instead of doing it themselves is “cheating,” down from 60% a year ago. Last year, 44% of teens said they likely would use AI to do their schoolwork, but this year only 30% say they have actually used it for that purpose.

Respondents for the survey were selected from among those who have volunteered to participate in online surveys and polls. The sample used is comprised of are all who qualified and completed the survey based on the demographic quota requirements.

Junior Achievement of Washington's mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. Driven by the passionate power of its volunteers, JA programs are taught by community and business mentors—individuals committed to the success and healthy development of students in Washington state and northern Idaho.

In 2023, Junior Achievement of Washington reached thousands of K-12 students with relevant, hands-on learning experiences that teach young people to manage their money, plan for their economic future, own their businesses, and develop readiness for careers or college.

The survey of 1,002 teens between the ages of 13 and 17 was conducted July 9-14 by Florida-based Big Village, formerly Opinion Research Corp.

Sherri Richardson, is the regional director of Junior Achievement of Washington, and leads JA programs and development in the Eastern Washington and northern Idaho regions.