College Isn’t the Only Path to Success
Expanding alternatives to higher education would fill skills shortages, boost opportunity and reduce student debt. Why isn’t Washington on board?
Beats a humanities degree.
Photographer: Megan Jelinger/AFP/Getty Images
Spurred by a robust job market, a growing number of young Americans are choosing to forgo college for the workforce. Politicians of both parties should welcome this trend and build on it — not least, by shifting resources from traditional college pathways and toward work-based alternatives that provide students with real-world skills.
Last year, 62% of recent high school graduates were enrolled in college, the smallest share in two decades and eight points lower than 2009, when enrollment peaked. Some of that drop can be attributed to pandemic-era school closures, during which many college-age students abandoned their studies and never returned. Rising wages have also made entry-level work more appealing.