The school year is coming to an end in a couple of months and lots of high school seniors are going to be taking next steps in life and, perhaps, education. So, of course, the debate about college vs. trade school has started rearing its ugly head. Did you know that not every person wants to go to college? Take me, for example.
Oh, The Disappointment
I don't remember my parents specifically stating that us kids were going to college, but it was definitely understood that was what they wanted for us. Between my junior and senior year in high school, we took a trip to my mom's alma mater. We toured the campus, had lunch in the cafeteria and met with one of the professors. While the campus was beautiful, it just didn't click for me.
I'm pretty sure I took the SAT's but likely didn't do well. I just didn't enjoy classroom work so I graduated high school with a C- average. I also had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do career-wise. I distinctly remember telling my parents that since I didn't have a clear path forward, I didn't see the logic in spending their hard-earned money on college for me. They were NOT happy, to say the least!
Off and on for the next several years, they would bring it up and offer to pay for my college education. I continued to decline. They stopped bringing it up about the time my younger sibling graduated high school and went on to college.
What Other Options Are There?
I have never felt that college is the answer for every person. It is, more often than not, a seriously large financial investment that can leave the graduate and/or their parents in deeper debt. According to the Education Data Initiative website, the average cost of college per year in the U.S. is about $38,270 per year per student. That figure, they state, includes books, supplies and daily living expenses. Multiply that times four and you're looking at nearly $155,000 for a bachelor's degree that you may or may not use in your work life!
Plus, you have to take courses that are an extension of high school in addition to the courses that actually pertain to your major. (If you aren't going to use science in your fine arts future, why do you have to keep taking it?!)
So, what other options are there? Well, in my case, the answer was go straight from high school to working. Now, in that regard, I lucked out. I started working for my dad in his insurance agency while still in high school. Don't get the wrong idea, though. There was zero special treatment! In fact, we was harder on his kids that worked for him than he was on his other employees in some ways.
Turns out, I excelled in office work. I learned to be well-organized and detail oriented. I learned to assess a situation in the moment and solve problems. Those early skills helped me have a great work life in office administration for nearly 50 years!
Another alternative to college is trade school. This route allows you to focus solely on the field you want to pursue. Edvisors.com indicates that the average cost of trade school in 2026 ranges from about $5,000 to $15,000 based on what the field of study is. An added advantage is that based on what you're studying, this form of education usually takes six to 12 months (sometimes 24 months) to complete and you're off working while college-goers are still studying.
There is a Need for College and Trade Schools or Neither
I'm not advocating that no one should consider college. I'm saying that each person needs to decide for themselves what they want their post-secondary education to look like.
Want to be a lawyer? You'll need a four-year bachelors degree and a three-year juris doctorate degree.
Want to be a welder? You'll get your welding certificate in three to six months.
Want to become a school teacher? You'll need a four-year bachelors degree that generally includes a year of teacher prep and certification.
Want to become a mechanic? You'll get your initial certification in six months, based on the program.
Want to be an over-the-road truck driver? You'll get your CDL in three to seven weeks based on the program.
Want to be a secretary? You can get a job right out of high school.
ALL of those jobs are necessary to keep our country running smoothly, too. Blue collar, white collar, chef, cook, server, janitor, trash collector ... EVERY SINGLE JOB IS NECESSARY! And if you are one of those people that look down their noses at others doing more menial jobs or manual labor?
You best get your mind straight because you would not be where you are without people that do all the jobs you don't do!
How about This?
Let's set aside our expectations for our kids to some extent. Let's be proud of who they are and pray they grow up healthy, happy, have an income doing what they are good at (and hopefully enjoy!). That's all that really matters! Let's try supporting our children rather than forcing them down paths that aren't theirs to travel.
So, wherever your children are headed after high school, may it be a path they want to follow with your support.