Young people value on-the-job training more than college: Study

Fewer high schoolers are motivated to go to college and are prioritizing on-the-job training and certificate programs that can land them jobs faster, cheaper and easier, according to a new survey.

College enrollment has decreased by 8% since 2019, previous reporting by USA TODAY shows. According to a new survey published this month, top reasons include an unwillingness to take on debt, the pressure that college brings and the fact that it may not be worth the money it costs to attend.

Information for the survey, conducted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was collected from both high school juniors and seniors and young adults ages 18 to 30 who chose not to go to college. Respondents were asked in focus groups and online whether they saw “excellent/good value” in a four-year degree, as well as other educational and vocational paths.

This was their response.

How the data breaks down

College grades are “middle of the pack” for high schoolers and non-enrolled adults, the survey found, with 72% of students saying four-year degrees have an “excellent/good” grade and 57% of non-enrolled graduates saying so . That’s down from 60% when non-enrolled graduates were surveyed the previous year.

On-the-job training seems to be more valuable to both high school students and non-enrolled graduates, with 83% of the former indicating it is excellent or good and 77% of the latter saying so. Favor for trade and vocational schools is up 63% from 58% for non-enrolled graduates from the previous year.

A two-year degree ranked at just under 70% and 63% for its value being excellent or good.

Other findings

The top two reasons for pursuing a four-year degree, according to both groups, are the ability to make more money and the opportunity to get a better job with a greater chance for promotion.

The survey revealed that 58% of high schoolers and 51% of non-enrolled graduates agree that “these days, a good job requires a college degree,” but the barriers in doing so may be tougher than ever to get around.

High school students said encouragement from counselors, teachers and parents to attend college was mostly positive, but talk around continuing education was less positive among peers. Here’s how that breaks down:

School counselors (47% said mostly positive)
Parents (44% said mostly positive)
Teachers (34% said mostly positive)
Classmates (29% said mostly positive)
Social media (16% said mostly positive)

The research found that most college info sources target high schoolers and not young adults moving farther away from “college age.”

The proposed solutions

High schoolers are more uncertain than ever about whether they should spend money on a degree, especially if there isn’t a topic of study they are particularly interested in pursuing. Young adults are elements of how to reengage with school if they do become interested, especially with the added responsibilities they likely now have.