It is clear that people are more often likely to lean towards college after graduating high school due to the much higher income rate and more people influencing it. However, with this in mind, many people also fail to take into account the percentage of dropout rates and late grads. For those who have not done the proper research this may not sound like a big deal but when you start adding up all of the big bills and college debt you are going to be anchored. Even after graduating college you still may finish with a large sum of debt, meaning you are going to have to work right away in order to be able to pay it off. This is why trade school is a better option for those who are looking into doing something hands on in their future. 

The Institute of Education Statistics estimates that 40% of college attendees at a four year college are shown to drop out before completion of their degree. Consequently, costing all of these attendees nearly $70,000 in lost wages and education expenses every year according to U.S. News. For the most part people are unsure of what they should focus on in higher education, meaning they would get a very late start on learning about their major. This can be worse for people who already have a major in mind, especially those who want to do something involving hands-on tasks. People who are sure of what they want to do with their life have to wait until Sophomore year of college to pick their major. 

College can take up to 4 years, therefore that would be 8 semesters. On the other hand, trade school can take anywhere from 8 months to typically 2 years. This is a very big deal because while you may be in college for 2 whole years maybe going over nonsense that will not be used or needed in your major you can be attending a trade school instantly gaining experience and working at a much faster rate than at college. At a trade school you may even be working already gaining experience in your field  before even earning your certification for that department. For example, for the career of plumbing, you can apply and become a plumbing apprentice for a master plumber which will help you gain the hands on experience and learning upon the way of obtaining your plumbing license at a trade school or technical school.

People are mainly focused on obtaining their degree and finishing college, but for the most part they never tend to focus too much on how things will be after graduating. With the world changing so rapidly, it is becoming a struggle for people to obtain let alone find jobs. Students are finding themselves struggling to find jobs or openings due to the very large percentage of people applying for the same jobs as them. Unlike college, trade schools are much cheaper and easier due to the large demand for high skill hands on jobs. Trades are needed all over the world more than any other job because of everyone focusing on college.

In conclusion, leaning towards a trade school is a much safer and smarter thing to do with all the risks involved. There is a very high percentage of college dropouts up to 40% and many late grads. The length differentiation and waste of time going over many different subjects that don’t pertain to your major is a huge portion. Including all of the economic conditions and limited job openings for many college graduates will leave them in debt. Trade school is a much safer route with almost guaranteed job openings and much cheaper expenses with a much higher graduation percentage for those who want to major in something that is hands on.