By Philip Berkwit

Debates about higher education have long been waged. This includes the debate of trade school vs college.  However, at Ponte Vedra High School (PVHS), trade school is massively less popular with seniors than the typical college education. In a survey of PVHS seniors, over 80 percent of seniors claimed they were considering or planning to go to college. More students are still more interested in college.

According to act.org, “A trade school, also known as a vocational or technical school, focuses on providing hands-on training and education in specific trades. These schools offer specialized programs that prepare students for careers in certain industries.” Trade schools are meant to prepare and give an education for a specific job. This can be similar to the purpose of college, but college’s purpose can vary depending on the person. College is meant to be a broad experience and education, while trade school has a specific purpose of helping its attendance excel in a specific trade. These trades can also be very different to the type of jobs a college education offers. Some of the most popular majors at college include businesses, health and social science. While some of the jobs through trade school can include an electrician, a dental hygienist, a web developer, and a HVAC technician.

However, college is obviously not cheap. According to bestcolleges.com, “The average college tuition and fees at four-year schools in 2021-2022 was $19,806. The average total cost for a year of college at a four-year school — including tuition and fees, on-campus room and board, books, supplies, and other expenses — was $36,436. That’s roughly $146,000 over the course of four years.” This is a huge expense, which has put many students into debt.  Trade school is usually shorter at two years, rather than four, and its prices are much more reasonable. According to learnhowtobecome.org, “The average cost of trade school is around $33,000.” However, there is a possibility that a trade school could be a for-profit school. According to TheBestSchools.org, “a for-profit college is a college owned and operated by a private company or business. They are often managed by investors and stakeholders and they generate revenue that is used for non-educational purposes. For-profit institutions usually don’t receive state or federal aid.” For-profit schools are highly controversial. According to TheBestSchools.org, “for-profit colleges also typically report lower graduation rates, higher costs, and fewer student services. Because they prioritize profits, these institutions may not invest as heavily in student learning outcomes. As a result, some for-profit schools have a poor reputation.” Trade school still has the possibility of being cheaper than college prices. But this still does not make them popular with many PVHS seniors.

“I’m not sure trade school can get me a career in biotech,” stated Matthew Fitspatrick, a PVHS Senior.

Certain experiences and opportunities make college a popular choice for many seniors. College also continues to be the status quo. It is by far the most popular choice for Seniors, and according to bestcolleges.com, “about 15.2 million students are enrolled in an undergraduate program. Roughly 8.5 million are pursuing a bachelor’s degree. There were about 3.1 million graduate students. In 2022, about 62 percent of people who completed high school or earned a GED certificate immediately enrolled in college.” Despite this, a healthy salary and education can be found in; many forms, college and even trade school are far from the only ways to gain education and experience.

Although college is still the status quo, its enrollment is declining. According to pewresearch.org, “College enrollment among young Americans has been declining gradually over the past decade. In 2022, the total number of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college was down by approximately 1.2 million from its peak in 2011. Most of the decline is due to fewer young men pursuing college.” However, the opposite is happening for trade school. According to thehustle.co, “Recent enrollment data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shows trade school interest is on the up-and-up, with double-digit increases in many vocational programs, including mechanic, repair, construction, and culinary courses.”

In 2024, college still reigns supreme to trade school. But the popular option might have a chance of changing in the future.