For high school students, getting accepted to their choice of applied colleges is one of the biggest achievements of their life up to that point. Although, over the recent years, there has been a massive shift of students choosing to go to trade school rather than pursuing their university dreams: Why? There are three primary reasons: tuition cost, time spent at school, and job security.
Tuition Costs:
Over the past 70 years, the economy has boomed, but so has inflation. One of the biggest price changes being college tuition. Over the years, the average college tuition has skyrocketed from hundreds of dollars per year in the 1960s to tens-of-thousands per year today in the 2020s, with a handful of universities charging over $100,000 per year! On the other side of the spectrum, trade school rarely exceeds $30,000 per year and only requires a maximum of four years of attendance. While universities offer the potential for scholarships, whether athletic or academic, trade school offers a much more practical and safer option for families who may not be able to afford university for their child.
Time Spent In School:
Another key factor between choosing trade school or university is the number of years a student plans to spend in school. If a student decided to attend university, complete their undergraduate program, then go to graduate school and complete that program as well, they will have already spent 4-12 years just at university alone. While a trade student typically spends between six months and two years learning their trade. The glaring result between the two being the tuition the student owes to the school; 4-12 years of university tuition may not just slow you down, it keeps you prisoner in a college tuition penitentiary for decades. Trade school, on the other hand, offers a path that avoids excessive student loans, allowing the student to continue in life without having as much worry of student loans, as a university student who may be stuck for decades in endless debt. Not every high school student wants to feel trapped in endless school work or student loans, so with this desire, trade school has become a much more appealing option over the recent years.
Job Security:
Building off time spent in school is the final key factor of high school students choosing trade school over university, job security. University students spend 4-12 years at school with no guarantee that they will secure a stable job at any point. Especially some majors, like Art History and Music for example, are notorious for not having many job options after graduating, while the trades are in extremely strong demand, because the potential to secure a job after graduation is unparalleled to most college majors. This is evident with job industries such as plumbing and electricity. Plumbers and electricians are two of the safest occupations in the job market today, and with the accessibility of the job, most high school students feel safer going to trade school rather than university.
The Future of University
Although there has been a major wave of students going to trade school over college in the last few years, the appeal to university will endure. Trade school offers benefits like affordability, less time in school, and job security, but going to university offers the opportunities for networking, personal growth, and academic exploration that is unattainable anywhere else. Ultimately, it comes down to the student and their personal desires, and they must weigh their priorities, recognizing that both paths can lead to successful and fulfilling lives.
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