While college is a good option for many people, it isnât for everyone â and not going to a four year college doesnât mean you canât have a meaningful career.
More people than ever before have a college degree, but a four-year program isnât the only way to be successful. College isnât for everyone, and even employers are realizing that there are many skills that canât be captured in a degree program. In fact, some major employers, including Google and Apple, no longer require applicants to have a four-year degree for positions in which a degree was once a prerequisite.
There are certain jobs for which you need a college degree, like engineering or counseling, but there are plenty of careers out there that donât require additional degrees.
Table of Contents
Reasons You Should Not Go To College
College isnât right for everyone. Employers are beginning to recognize that a college diploma may not necessarily be the best job-screening prerequisite for hireability. There can be valid reasons to delay college â or put it off entirely. Reasons to consider taking a year off can be valid, helping you save money while you learn more about yourself.
• Youâre not excited about your options. Maybe you didnât get into the schools you expected or have second thoughts that came up when you tried to imagine yourself attending the schools you did get into. Taking a year off, reassessing, and considering different options can be a good strategy if the thought of college fills you with dread or doubt rather than excitement.
• Youâre unsure what career you are interested in pursuing. You may want to explore different options by being exposed to college-level courses at a community college, or spend time volunteering, working, or traveling.
• Youâre already working. If you already have a job, you may be wanting to lean into your current job or save money to go to school in a few years.
• Youâre exploring non-degree avenues. There are many high-paying trades that donât require a degree, but may require an apprenticeship.
• You have a plan for a gap year. Some people like to take a year to travel, work, or otherwise take a break in between high school and college to further explore their identity and what they want to do in the future.
• You feel youâre going to college only to please your family. If you feel pressured to go to college, it may be a sign that college isnât the right option for you, right now.
• You have essential family obligations. Some students may need to help their family and may not be able to take time off to go to school. These students may consider community college or a part-time degree program. Speaking with your current high school counselor may also help you find avenues to navigate multiple responsibilities.
• You want to take time to pursue a talent. From sports to the performing arts to a creative path, some people make the decision to explore a talent more seriously, focusing time, energy, and resources prior to going to college. This can be a decision thatâs made with your family, any coaches or teachers, and yourself to navigate an untraditional option.
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Reasons You Should Go To College
College can be a great time to grow and learn and for some, itâs a natural step. Here are some other reasons why college may make sense:
• Youâre excited and realistic about college. You recognize college may have ups and downs and feel confident that college feels ârightâ as your next step â not just something your family or teachers expect from you.
• Youâve done your research and are confident that a college degree will be helpful to achieve your career goals.
• Youâve talked with alums and people working in potential future career fields and feel like college makes sense for your career goals.
• College fits into your overall financial plan. Whether itâs saving for college, scholarships, financial aid, student loans you feel comfortable paying back, parental help or all of the above, how you feel financially about going to college can be a good gut check to see if college is right for you right now. Itâs easy to forget about student loan payments during undergrad, but take a look at the terms and consider how those payments will feel when youâre out in the working world.
• You have a âPlan Bâ in case you realize that college isnât the right fit. Sometimes people realize one semester into school that college may not be what they need at that moment in their lives. It can be helpful to talk about what this may be, so that you donât feel trapped if school doesnât feel like itâs a good fit.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics
Alternatives to a College Degree
Just because you arenât interested in a four-year degree doesnât mean you need to forgo higher education entirely. Alternative educational models, like trade schools and community colleges, offer many practical certification and two year associate degree programs that can help you get ahead.
It is important to know that even if youâre not planning to pursue a four-year degree, you still have options when it comes to creating a career that is right for you.
Trade School
Sometimes known as technical or vocational schools, trade schools can prepare you for a specific job, such as a dental hygienist, electrician, cosmetologist, or nurse. These programs are normally much shorter than four years, and certain programs may allow you to finish in only a few months. There are both public and private trade schools, with some operating on a for-profit basis.
Trade schools donât award bachelorâs degrees. Instead, when you graduate from a trade school, you typically receive a diploma or certificate indicating that you are trained and certified to perform a specific job. Some trade school programs do offer associate degrees, which are the same type of degrees offered by many community colleges.
Recommended: How to Know if Trade School is Right for You
Community College
And that brings us to community colleges, which, as we mentioned above, usually offer two-year degrees called associate degrees. These degrees can either stand alone or be a stepping stone to obtaining a bachelorâs degree at a four-year school.
But many community colleges offer career preparation programs that are designed to help students jump into the workforce without the need for a bachelorâs degree.
Community college could also be a great way to test out college life and see if you want to continue pursuing higher education. They tend to be much less expensive than four-year universities, which means it wonât cost you an arm and a leg before you decide if higher education is right for you.
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are paid positions designed to teach the apprentice about a specific job or industry. They can help you learn how to use industry-specific tools and technologies and help you develop your skills over a period of time. This may be in fields as diverse as plumbing to transportation engineers to baking apprenticeships.
Apprenticeships can be a win-win for employers and employees because they allow those starting out to begin working immediately â that way, employers can fill vacant jobs and you can receive a paycheck right away.
Recommended: A Complete Guide to Apprenticeships
Certificate Programs
Similar and sometimes overlapping with trade schools, certificate programs offer specialized training in a specific area. This may include coding, cybersecurity, or could be in things like yoga, fitness, a commercial driverâs license (CDL) or other places where specialized knowledge may be a prerequisite. These certificates may also be helpful in making job seekers eligible for positions with higher starting salaries.
Taking a Gap Year
A gap year is when a student takes a year off between high school and college. Some colleges allow accepted students to defer for a year, holding a place for them in the next yearâs incoming class. Some people create a travel itinerary, others may work or volunteer for the year. There are some gap year programs that create opportunities for students, keep in mind that some programs may be expensive.
Starting a Business
If you are already passionate about â and have a lot of knowledge about â a specific field or industry, you might consider skipping college altogether and jumping into that business.
Starting your own business takes a lot of hard work, but it could mean that you get to be your own boss and work in an industry you love. And because you could quickly become an expert on the products or services you provide, you arenât necessarily at a disadvantage because you lack a degree.
If You Do Go the College Route
There are plenty of options if you choose not to attend a four-year college. However, there are also options within the world of college: the type of college you choose, the major you decide to pursue, and how you pay for college.
Thereâs no denying it: Higher education is expensive. In the 2021-2022 school year, the average in-state college tuition and fees was just over $10,000 , and for private school, it was about $38,000. This can be a big financial commitment, especially if you are on the fence about pursuing higher education.
Thatâs why it can be a good idea to begin creating a payment strategy early, which may include both federal and private student loans. Fill out the FAFSAÂŽ to see how much federal aid â including scholarships, grants, work-study, and federal student loans â you qualify for.
Federal student loans do have limits on how much a student can borrow each year they are enrolled in school. Some students may need additional funds to bridge the gap. In that case, some may consider borrowing a student loan from a private lender, like SoFi, to help pay your tuition.
In general, it can be a smart idea to exhaust all your Federal loan and grant options before you consider private student loans. Thatâs because federal loans offer some protections, such as deferment options, that private loans do not. Private loans can cover up to 100% the cost of attendance, including money to cover books, room and board, and personal expenses.
The Takeaway
College can lead students on a new career path, but depending on your goals and other factors, may not be necessary. Some students may choose to pursue a trade or vocational program instead of a four year degree.
Students who are pursuing a four-year degree may consider borrowing a private student loan after all other financing options have been exhausted. SoFi offers no fee student loans for undergraduate and graduate students, in addition to parent loans.
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