There are other options beyond those two, and still more options are in the making, yet third (and fourth and fifth) options often seem invisible to the teenage mind. Communicating the advantages of these other options has not been successful, at least in certain segments of the population.
A great deal of social pressure — from peers, from parents, from teachers — urges many students to “go to college” even if those students don’t have a clear idea of why they’re going to college. Conversely, other students are encouraged to get a job and start making money as soon as they graduate from high school.
Perhaps the pattern of mandatory education creates the mental habit of going to school merely because it’s required, and without any thought of a grander reason for attending. Compulsory education until the age of 16, 17, or 18 — the laws vary by state — may create a mental habit which is then transferred to post-secondary education.
De-emphasizing college and university programs, and de-emphasizing unskilled labor immediately after high school graduation, would create more headspace for learning about other alternatives.
The long and growing list of those options includes programs at community colleges, apprenticeships organized through labor unions, certifications offered by private-sector corporations, and time in the military. These, and other experiences, offer fruitful career paths, cost less, and often take less time.
Spending four or more years getting a bachelor’s degree from a college or university is a good option for some students in some situations, but should not be made into a one-size-fits-all template for every high school graduate. The recent small statistical decline in the number of matriculants at colleges and universities in the United States may be a salutary reality. But perhaps that decline needs to be accelerated.
There are plausible lines of reasoning which lead to the conclusion that America is sending too many, and too large a percentage of, high school graduates to college. Society and educational institutions together must advise students about post-secondary options, inform students about programs which are not four-year degrees, and give some social capital to lucrative careers which do not require those four-year degrees.
Improved communication about post-secondary options and opportunities could dismantle some of the stigmas associated with not earning a college degree. Teenagers can learn, e.g., that annual salaries for some skilled craftsmen exceed the annual salaries for some college-education professionals. Information about training programs can emphasize that those who complete them in, e.g., the technology sector are highly knowledgeable and skilled.
It is also important for students and society to understand the distinction between education and training: training is for a specific task or job; education is a more general development of the mind’s skills. That difference can help students find the post-secondary programs which are the best “fit” for their goals and for their personalities.
