• Traditional college and university degrees can be very expensive and lead to debt, while jobs can be scarce.
• Jobs in the trades tend to be secure.
• Training for trade jobs can be affordable, if not free or paid.
• Skilled trades offer the opportunity to do important hands-on work.

Four-year colleges and universities are getting considerable competition these days: Institutions that teach trades are rising in popularity. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported that enrollment in vocational programs rose by 16% from 2022 to 2023, a trajectory that's continuing this year.

With the cost of traditional college high and the job market for those with degrees uncertain, learning a valuable trade quickly and inexpensively has become appealing.

Here are the financial reasons many are opting for a program that will prepare them for a career they love in a field that’s hiring.

According to a 2024 Strada Education Foundation and the Burning Glass Institute report, 52% of recent four-year college graduates are underemployed a year after graduation. Ten years later nearly half still don’t work in a field that requires a four-year degree.

Although higher education has many intellectual rewards, some common majors don’t equip graduates with job-ready skills or sustainable salaries.

For example, per HeyTutor’s 2024 data for jobs in mass media, often a stepping stone to a career in journalism, there is a 7.8% unemployment rate, 55.2% underemployment rate and a median early-career wage of $35,000. People who graduate with liberal arts degrees (humanities, social sciences, physical sciences and arts) experience unemployment rates of 6.7%, underemployment rates of 58.4% and a median early-career wage of just $33,400.

This is particularly problematic when student loans come into play. An Education Data Initiative report found that the average federal student loan debt balance in 2024 is $37,088, but escalates to an estimated $39,981 when private loans are included.

With minimal career demand and low-paying positions in their fields of study, making........

© U.S.News