news

for decades, american high school students have been told to "go to college, get a diploma, and find a good job," which seems to be the golden rule to success. but with soaring college tuition, mounting student loans and a turbulent job market, people are increasingly skeptical of this path.

data from payroll provider adp shows that in recent months, job postings for positions requiring a bachelor's degree have been lower than in 2019. more and more young people are attracted by the prospect of high-paying careers.shift to technical workthese careers offer job security and do not require taking on huge debt to get trained.

enrollment in career-focused community colleges in the u.s. grew 16% last year to its highest level since 2018. that’s nearly 30,000 more students than before the pandemic.

screenshot from the movie boyhood

abandoning undergraduate studies and going straight to technical schools. across the ocean, young people in the united states are also "taking off kong yiji's long gown".

chinese families can relate to the academic contempt chain. the path of attending a prestigious school, getting a high diploma, and finding a high-paying job is also deeply ingrained in our minds.

but,is university the only path to career success?

the halo of academic qualifications fades

the rise of skills education

most american kids of generation z take it for granted that they will go to college and get a degree after graduating from high school.

but today, faced with overwhelming student debt, job difficulties, and political intolerance on campus, “college for everyone”that consensus is crumbling.

the latest data from the u.s. department of labor shows that the college enrollment rate of high school graduates aged 16 to 24 in the united states has dropped from 66.2% on the eve of the outbreak in 2019 to 61.4% last year. in 2009, this proportion reached a peak of 70.1%.

the story of “university going to college” no longer works.

screenshot from the movie "talented"

in sharp contrast,community colleges that focus on vocational courses have bucked the trend and become a popular choice for more and more families.

community colleges with a focus on career programs saw a 16% increase in enrollment in fall 2023. the number of students studying construction trades grew 23%, while the number of students studying hvac and vehicle maintenance and repair programs grew 7%.

community colleges in the united states can be divided into two categories:

growth only occurs in the firstthe number of new students enrolled in the second category of colleges and universities has decreased by more than 500,000 compared to before the epidemic.

after a thorough investigation, it is clear that american students disdain four-year college degrees.

screenshot from the movie boyhood

gallup polls show that over the past decade, the percentage of americans who feel confident about higher education has dropped from 57% to 36%. two-thirds of high school students believe they are doing just fine without a college degree.

screenshot of wsj report

ultimately, the biggest reason is cost-effectiveness.

"high investment, high return" is a phrase that still largely applies to american education today.

in general, it is still a widespread reality that college graduates have higher salaries and greater opportunities for promotion in companies.。data from the u.s. bureau of labor statistics show that last year, the median weekly wage for bachelor's degree recipients was $1,493 (about 10,598 yuan), while the median weekly wage for young people who earned an associate's degree from a two-year community college was $1,058 (about 7,510 yuan).

however, the reality is always more complicated than the conclusions on paper. a 2021 report from the georgetown university center on education and the workforce found thatsixteen percent of high school graduates and 28 percent of associate degree holders earn more than half of those with four-year bachelor's degrees.

at the same time, college students face greater financial risks, including having to pay increasingly higher tuition fees, student loans that may take decades to pay off, the possibility of dropping out without a degree, and the possibility of not being able to find a job.

after weighing the pros and cons, the trend of consumption downgrade finally reached education.

put aside your pride and make money

in june this year, intelligent, an american college preparatory company, conducted an online survey of 750 american business leaders on their views on college degrees. the results showed that one-third of american companies have eliminated the bachelor's degree requirement in recruitment, and another 25% of companies said:by 2025, the bachelor's degree requirement will be eliminated from job postings.

screenshot of wsj report

the federal government and several states have also eliminated degree requirements for many government jobs, and major companies including microsoft, ibm, and deloitte have also taken the same step.they want real skills more than a certain number of years of experience or a college degree.

to be fair, universities are not indifferent.

but the existential crisis arrived before the reforms took effect. according to the association of state higher education administrators,more than 500 private, nonprofit four-year colleges have closed in the past decade, triple the number from the previous decade.

the overall reform is slow and sluggish, and ordinary families have to actively look for alternatives.

a two-year community college is a type of college that offers shorter program durations, more concise, relevant, and practical courses than a four-year university, and provides additional value to students compared to going directly to work after high school graduation.

according to the center on education and the workforce at georgetown university, workers with only a high school diploma earn an average of $1.6 million over their lifetime, while workers with an associate's degree earn an average of $2 million.

there are also career and technical education programs that focus on training students for careers such as auto repair, electrical wiring and welding. some of these programs are offered by community colleges, and some are run by for-profit schools. cheaper and faster, they only give you a skills certificate after graduation, not an associate's degree.

in addition, apprenticeships are becoming an alternative for more and more families. such opportunities are usually provided by employers or program sponsors (such as unions). apprentices work in their chosen field and then learn through practical operation while receiving classroom instruction. according to data from the federal government and the urban institute, a think tank in washington, d.c., the number of apprenticeships has increased by more than 50% in the past year.

interestingly, apprenticeships have traditionally been offered in trades such as construction and mechanics.but now, it is becoming increasingly common in white-collar industries such as banking, insurance and cybersecurity.

certificate programs are also a viable option. since google partnered with more than 100 community colleges to offer training for it support jobs, such programs have become more associated with higher-paying jobs in a wider range of fields, from computer programmers and horticulturalists to dental assistants and surgical technicians.

the rise of these alternative college degree programs is a big step for american parents, and it could be a small step in a revolution in american higher education.

stills from the movie "freshman"

for us, these changes are also worth pondering. once upon a time, we sent our children to college, as if we had accomplished a great mission. but is that the success of education?

in any case, one indisputable fact is that the nature of education is undergoing profound changes.

in this era of uncertainty, perhaps the most important thing is not which path to choose;keep an open and adaptable mindset, keep learning and growing。

after all, in this ever-changing world, the only constant is change itself.

discover quality education