35% of US parents now favour trade or technical education over college: Why the traditional degree is losing appeal
For years, college was treated as a default next step after school, almost a guarantee of stability and upward mobility. That certainty is now under strain. Across the United States, families are questioning whether a four-year degree still delivers the return it once did, especially as tuition costs rise and entry-level job opportunities shrink.New data from American Student Assistance (ASA) points to a marked shift in parental thinking. In a survey of over 2,200 parents of middle and high school students, 35% said career and technical education may be a better fit for their children. In 2019, only 13% felt the same. While college continues to be the most preferred option, support has weakened. The share of parents favouring a traditional degree has fallen to 58%, down 16 percentage points over five years. These findings were first reported by Fortune.
Parents and teens are moving in the same direction
What stands out in this shift is that teenagers are largely on the same page. A separate ASA study conducted this year found that 70% of teens believe their parents are more open to alternatives such as trade schools, apprenticeships, or short-term training programmes. The idea that college is the only respectable or viable path appears to be fading within households.Trevor Houston, a career strategist at ClearPath Wealth Strategies, summed up this change while speaking to Fortune. He noted that families are beginning to look closely at outcomes, not just credentials. With college costs rising sharply and job certainty declining, many parents are questioning whether the investment still makes sense.
Cost and uncertainty are reshaping decisions
The financial side of higher education remains a central concern. Data from the Education Data Initiative shows that the average annual cost of college in the U.S.—including tuition, housing, and other expenses—now exceeds $38,000 per student. That figure has more than doubled since the start of the century, with private institutions often charging significantly more.At the same time, the job market has not kept pace. Millions of Gen Z graduates remain unemployed or underemployed, and many openly question the value of their degrees. For parents watching this play out, the risk feels real and immediate.
Trade schools draw attention for earnings and demand
Trade schools are gaining ground largely because they promise a clearer path to employment. Several skilled roles that do not require a four-year degree now offer salaries that match or exceed many white-collar jobs. According to figures cited by the National Society of High School Scholars, jobs such as aircraft mechanics, plumbers, construction managers, industrial electricians, and energy technicians can pay well into six figures.Julie Lammers, executive vice president at American Student Assistance, told Fortune that demand for such workers is expected to grow further. Large sections of the current workforce in these trades are nearing retirement, while infrastructure projects, housing needs, and energy sector changes continue to expand demand.
New training pathways widen career choices
Trade schools are not the only alternatives drawing interest. Apprenticeships, boot camps, certification courses, and licensing programmes are also gaining traction. These options are often far cheaper than college. A coding boot camp, for instance, can cost around $7,000 as a one-time fee, compared with nearly $40,000 for a single year at a university.IBM has described many roles emerging from these pathways as “new-collar jobs,” where skills matter more than degrees. Since 2017, the company has run apprenticeship programmes in areas such as cybersecurity, data science, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence.As Fortune recently reported, the Trump administration has also announced a Tech Force programme that allows individuals without college degrees or prior experience to work in federal agencies. With salaries ranging from $150,000 to $200,000, the programme reflects how sharply the demand for skilled talent has shifted.Taken together, these developments suggest a quiet but significant change. Families are no longer asking only where students should study. They are asking what, exactly, education should lead to—and at what cost.
