A four-year college degree is not necessarily the next step for students after they graduate from high school.

The rising cost of college tuition has revitalized interest in career and technical education (CTE).

According to data from the National Student Clearinghouse, enrollment at community colleges rose 2.6% in 2023 compared with a year earlier, enhanced by a 16% surge at schools with a focus on CTE.

Similarly, a survey by Edge Research commissioned by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation found on-the-job training seems to be more valuable to both high school students and nonenrolled graduates than a four-year degree, with 83% of the former stating it is excellent or good in value, compared to 80% for college. Favor for CTE schools is up 63% from the previous year.

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges says CTE has evolved from a traditional vocational school model to one that offers academics and skills for higher education and careers in skilled trades, technology and applied sciences. Demand for this type of education continues to grow, with various state superintendents and directors of CTE programs indicating they can only accommodate a fraction of the applicants they get for CTE programs.

While a traditional four-year university might be the right path for some individuals, CTE has proven ideal for many others. Some education officials say it’s a sentiment being shared across the nation, that there is another way and another track for students to be successful. CTE may help students get more excited about school and view themselves in careers they may not otherwise be exposed to.

The National Center for Education Statistics puts the average annual tuition for a four-year degree at a private institution in the United States at roughly $35,000 (and public at approximately $10,000.) Room and board costs also must be considered, and those can increase the overall cost by a significant amount. The average tuition for a trade school can be around $17,600 a year, but rates vary based on the trade. Most of the CTE schools do not require students to reside on campus, which helps to save money.

Exploring the Career and Technical Education route can be highly satisfying and financially rewarding. Careers are diverse, and students can find a track that enables them to start training and working by investing less than they would if they were to attend a traditional college.

Career paths in the field of CTE

CTE programs offer students access to a wide range of career paths. If high school students were once advised to focus primarily on traditional four-year universities as their next step after graduation, more and more of today’s students are considering CTE programs as they seek to find rewarding, lucrative career paths.

Students considering CTE may be intrigued to learn that employment prospects figure to be substantial in the years to come. In fact, the Association for Career & Technical Education projects a deficit of 6.5 million skilled workers by 2030, which suggests students who enroll in CTE programs should encounter a thriving job market upon graduation.

With that in mind, students wondering if a CTE program could be the next step in their academic journeys can explore a number of different career tracks, including:

• Agriculture: Farming may come to mind when individuals think of the agricultural sector, but there are many additional pathways within the industry as well, and various CTE programs can prepare individuals for such careers. The career resources experts at Indeed note that CTE programs may focus on agribusiness systems, environmental service systems, food products and processing systems, and plant systems, among other paths. Aspiring farmers, agricultural inspectors, park rangers, wildlife administrators, and others can look into CTE agricultural programs as they consider the next step in their academic careers.

• Business: Indeed notes that business courses are popular CTE courses because they teach students the ins and outs of business operations. That’s vital knowledge for students who ultimately aspire to own their own business. In addition to the technical training students receive in CTE programs, the focus on business ensures students also are well-trained in the everyday tasks necessary to run a successful business, including general management, human resources and operations.

• Construction and architecture: According to Indeed, CTE programs focusing on construction and architecture teach students about the principles of designing and drafting structures. Construction technician, construction inspector and project estimator are some of the popular career paths among students who enroll in construction and architecture CTE programs.

• Health science: Careers in health science also may appeal to students who want to find rewarding careers in in-demand fields in the years ahead. Health science CTE programs are wide-ranging. A program that offers instruction on biotechnology can prepare students for a career as an emergency medical technician. Various other specialties can prove equally beneficial to students interested in working in a health care setting, and those jobs figure to be in demand in the decades to come as the aging population continues to grow.