<p>Parenting can influence children’s lives in various ways. However, relatively little research has been conducted on how parenting relates to adult children’s mate preferences. In the present study, we investigated the associations between parenting styles and Chinese college students’ long-term mate preferences and examined the potential mediating role of self-perceived mate value. A total of 471 Chinese college students (200 males and 271 females) participated in the survey, reporting their perceived parenting styles, self-perceived mate values, and long-term mate preferences. We analyzed the data using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that the two self-perceived mate values mediated the relationship between authoritative parenting and male and female students’ mate preferences but not the relationship between authoritarian parenting and mate preferences. The results suggest that authoritative parenting, which represented positive parent–child interactions, could be related to Chinese adult children’s mate preferences via their self-perceived mate values of attractiveness and status as well as family orientation. However, authoritarian parenting, which is characterized by high parental control but low warmth, failed to connect to children’s mate preferences through mate values. We also discuss the practical implications of these findings.</p>