The Fundamental Motivations approach suggests that one of the motivational systems that governs human behavior is the pursuit and maintenance of status. In Brazil, one of the ways to acquire status is through professional advancement, which can comes from academic preparation through entry into higher education institutions. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether people take into account the status of the higher education course when choosing a profession; and whether factors related to the possession of resources influence this choice. A total of 387 individuals will participate in the research, divided into three studies. In the first study (Study 1), 128 participants will assess the status assigned to different higher education courses. In the second study (Study 2), 131 students are expected to provide information about their social status, environmental unpredictability experienced in childhood and their personality characteristics. Finally, in the third study (Study 3), 128 participants will evaluate stimulus subjects who are trained in low-status or high-status courses, given the global market value, social status and possession of individual characteristics. We believe that this work will increase knowledge about status motivation and its influence on individuals' decision making in a sample outside the North American and European context. This information is important because the career choice has a great influence on the subjective and psychological well-being of adult individuals. Understanding which factors influence this decision allows a greater understanding of the challenges faced by this population, an important aspect in the development of effective strategies and policies for improving mental health. In addition, identifying factors that may influence professions and/or higher education choices are important for the development of policies and strategies aimed at educational guidance for young people.