Top Alternatives to College: Comprehensive Options for Parents to Consider for Their High Schoolers
Discover diverse and rewarding alternatives to college for high schoolers. Explore trade schools, volunteering, military service, entrepreneurship, and online certifications. Learn about cost-effective, hands-on training options that lead to successful careers.
You’ve heard the phrase “College isn’t for everyone” and didn’t think it applied to your son or daughter. But now, your high schooler is a junior or senior with their college years quickly approaching and suddenly the college decision is on the table. After seeing their grades and test scores you start to wonder if you should be thinking about alternatives to college for them.
It’s a stressful time for both parents and students because the college decision is made to feel like a life or-death decision.
If you’re feeling the pressure, you came to the right place, because:
What you’ll get from reading this article:
· Why consider the alternatives to college?
· The best alternatives for college-bound high school students.
· Top programs offering alternatives to college education
Why consider the alternatives to college:
· Cost-Effective Education: Alternatives like vocational training, apprenticeships, and community colleges often cost significantly less than a four-year college, reducing student debt.
· Faster Entry into the Workforce: Programs such as trade schools and boot camps typically require less time to complete, allowing students to start their careers sooner.
· Hands-On Experience: Many alternatives offer practical, on-the-job training, which can be more engaging and directly applicable to future careers.
· Diverse Career Opportunities: Paths like apprenticeships, certification programs, and military service provide access to lucrative and fulfilling careers that don't require a traditional college degree.
· Flexibility and Customization: Alternative education options often offer more flexible schedules and tailored learning experiences, which can be ideal for students with different learning styles or life commitments.
**A quick note**
If you’ve made it to this point and you’re having second thoughts about college alternatives, it’s okay we do have a few quick resources for potential college students and their parents as well.
For help with choosing a college, click on the link to the article here.
For help with guiding your child on choosing a college major, click; here.
Okay, now we are down to the people who are serious about alternatives for college for their high schoolers, so let’s get into this list.
Best alternatives to college
#1 Trade Schools:
Trade schools are a great option for a high schooler who is thinking about skipping college for a number of reasons including the cost, a targeted education for a career path and a quicker route to getting that first real job.
One of the biggest stigmas teens face with this option is that they “weren’t smart enough to get into college so they had to learn a trade.” This couldn’t be further from the truth.
During my time in high school, a classmate of mine who was a straight A student had a passion for fixing cars. That’s all he really cared about, cars, cars and more cars. He realized it didn’t make sense for him to go to college because he wanted to b
e….no not a racecar driver, a mechanic.
He went to a technical school where he learned how to open up his own shop and I can promise you he’s making triple the amount of money than what some of my other classmates are making who went to a traditional college.
You might be wondering about some trade school options. Well, below are a few that can get you started on a path to a great career.
A few trade school options:
1. HVAC Technician Programs: If your son or daughter is passionate about heating ventilation or ai conditioning, an HVAC program is a great option. It’s a field that’s always in demand and will always be in demand regardless of the AI apocalypse that’s coming.
People will always need heating and cooling, so it’s a job that pays a decent salary to start and will always need someone in the field.
Average Starting Salary: $42,000 to $58,000
2. Culinary Arts Schools: Similar to HVAC, the food industry will always need workers. There may be slow and uncertain times (thanks Coronavirus) but unless we’re dealing with the AI apocalypse again, people are always going to be going out to eat or ordering food.
If your child takes a liking to cooking, serving, etc., a culinary school is a really good option.
Average Starting Salary: $30,000 to $37,000
3. Automotive Technology Programs: As I mentioned in the example with my high school classmate, the auto industry can be very lucrative and isn’t for dummies. The industry needs smart people, especially with the integration of technology like auto-pilot and anything else Tesla or Silicon Valley comes up with next.
Average Starting Salary: $32,000 to $41,000
#2 Volunteer in Multiple Industries
Volunteering for some reason always gets overlooked as a path to a career.
It’s looked at as helping out at a soup kitchen handing out turkeys on Thanksgiving or bringing presents to kids during Christmas. These are all great things and should be on everyone’s to-do list. But, let’s look at volunteering as an alternative to college.
Why is volunteering good for your career?
- Little to no experience is needed to volunteer.
- It’s a great way to meet people within the industry your son or daughter is interested in.
- Hands on experience and on the job, training are the payment for volunteering.
A former boss of mine had been looking for work and began volunteering at a hospice care facility near her house. It was something she was passionate about but didn’t have any experience in. She had been volunteering once or twice a month until she was laid off, and then began volunteering more.
It took a few months, but she wound up getting hired as a manager at the facility, all because she volunteered.
Now, it’s not always that easy, but volunteering is a great way to get your foot in the door and then stay in the door if you want it.
#3 Military Service
This is probably the most controversial one on the list because it’s one that is a great alternative to college on paper, but you have to have the stomach as a parent to encourage your child to take this path.
I love the military, I love America, I support the troops and whatever else I need to say to make the point that I’m patriotic, but I don’t think I would want either of my sons to take this path because depending on the branch of the military they could be potentially putting their lives on the line.
With that being said, the US military offers great benefits for students that enroll in one of their programs.
I can give you a list of people who served in the military instead of going to college and talk to you about how much good it did for their lives, but it’s a decision that’s certainly not for everyone so I’ll leave it there.
In case you were wondering, here a few military programs to look into if interested:
1. Army ROTC Program
2. Navy Enlisted Programs
3. Air Force Technical Training
#4 Entrepreneurship
We go from the most controversial one to the riskiest. This is not for everyone, but it can be an amazing path to take for someone who has the knowledge and passion to start their own business.
The Pros:
· Unlimited earning potential
· Flexibility
· Ability to do what you love
The Cons:
· Unlimited earning potential could also lose money
· Will require lots of working hours
Just like college, being an entrepreneur isn’t for everyone. This is where you as a parent can help guide your child down the right path.
There are a number of examples of people starting their own company even though their parents didn’t support them. Don’t let this happen to you. Be involved in your son or daughter’s thought process here to make sure you understand what it is they want to sell, their business idea and how they’re going to make money.
The more you know, the better you can be at supporting your child.
#5 Online Courses and Certifications
This suggestion would have been blasphemous a decade ago, and still not be widely accepted, but it’s a great option. The way learning is fragmented now, earning an online certification for a specialized field is a viable option to going to college.
There are many jobs where you don’t especially need a formal degree, and employers are just looking for skills and knowledge. These online certification programs offer just that.
Sure, there are definitely ones that are more legitimate than others, so make sure you research the programs that your son or daughter are looking into, but with the right program, they can start earning serious money before their friends make it to their sophomore or junior years of college.
There are a variety of programs and fields that you can enroll in, so the two below are just some examples and ones that can put your child on track to a great career.
Certification programs:
Google IT Support Professional Certificate:
Coursera's Data Science Specialization:
Making an informed decision:
The choice to search for alternatives to college is not an easy one. You’ll need to spend a lot of time with your high schooler understanding what they want to do and how they want to get there.
If you feel like you want to talk to someone about the process, our coaches at Your Career Strategy can help you and your child make the decision that’s best for you.