Although attending a four year college can be a great plan and the logical next step after high school, it’s not the only choice that can set you up nicely in the future. With the continued rising education costs and the influx of degrees shifting the market value, you may want to look into various alternatives to college instead.
Again, this is not a knock on attending college. Pending your career interests, goals, and your ability to afford school and get scholarships to help — it can have a major impact on your career. But if you are looking for other alternatives or just want to analyze your options first, then stick with me!
1. Online School
Online school is pretty much self-explanatory: instead of learning in-person, you’re taking classes online. Some online schools offer certificates, bachelor’s and master’s, and many mix in-person classes with online classes.
The main benefits of online school is that you can study at your own pace and on your own schedule. It’s also a lot more affordable and you have many more options in terms of classes and schedule.
2. Trade School
A trade school is another type of education that usually lasts one or two years and earns you a certificate in something specialized. These kinds of schools are private, and usually prepare a student to enter a specific career after training.
The benefits of attending a trade school is that the training is a lot more specific and geared towards a specific career. This means you are almost guaranteed a job once you graduate.
3. Apprenticeship
An apprenticeship is a type of training that is sponsored by a company; you are paid to work a job while you are also educating yourself at the same time.
Apprenticeships are usually in the construction, manufacturing and healthcare field. Examples of companies offering apprenticeships are Walmart, CVS Health and Hertz. The advantage of apprenticeships is that you are literally being paid to learn!
4. Community College
Community colleges are cheaper alternatives to the regular four year universities. They are local public schools that offer training programs as well as associate degrees to those who want to transition to a four year college later on. Every state has their own community colleges – simply search for community colleges online and you’ll find a list of the closest ones.
5. Online Certifications
Online certifications are online courses that train you in a specific skill and then offer you a certificate of completion. These could be coding schools, online colleges and other types of specialty courses. If you want to build programming skills, for example, an online certification is a great way to get started.
Companies such as Treehouse and Codecademy offer online coding certifications and don’t require a huge amount of education costs or time. The advantages are that online certifications are designed to train you online for a career in your field.
6. Start A Business
Instead of studying business in college, starting a business yourself can be a great way to learn the ins and outs of business management and entrepreneurship. Thanks to the internet and the large amount of books, online courses and resources, the barrier to building a business has never been lower. With just $100, you can easily set up a website and start selling products, services, or other people’s products.
7. Military
Another popular alternative to college is joining the military. For one, you do not need a college degree to attend and the military can even cover your costs to get an education through various government programs.
However, when you join the military you’ll be trained for different career fields so you can easily find a job after your service is complete. But you have quite a bit of options to consider if you decide to serve your country.