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How does inter-generational mobility of education effect the mental health of elder parents? Based on the measurement of relative education level, we divided the trajectories of inter-generational educational mobility into nine categories. Using data from the Chinese Family Panel Studies（CFPS） of 2012, 2014, and 2016, we find that in the context of strong inter-generational relationships in China, inter-generational educational mobility has a significant impact on the mental health of middle-aged and elderly parents. Compared with low education stayers, those who with upward mobility in offspring’s education has stronger sense of superiority and better mental health. Meanwhile, compared with high education stayers, parents with downward mobility in children’s educational attainment has stronger sense of relative deprivation and worse mental health. In younger group, the health effect of long-distance upward mobility of offspring education is weaker, but the effect of long-distance downward mobility is stronger. Further analysis of the mediation mechanism shows that the parents with offspring’s upward educational mobility are more confidence with future life, having higher subjective status identification and better mental health. Therefore, deepening the reform of the education system and market mechanism and enhancing the inter-generational mobility of education are efficient ways to accelerate the high-quality development of education in China and improve the mental health of the middle-aged and elderly people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]