Only 36 percent of Americans have notable confidence in our higher education system, according to a 2023 Gallup poll. “The Chronicle of Higher Education,” a premier outlet covering news related to colleges and universities, has an entire series of articles on the “public perception problem.” These articles acknowledge that societal belief in the value of college has dropped significantly. More and more high school graduates are skipping college entirely.
The reasons for a paradigm shift surrounding higher education lie beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say that the days when college was seen as an all-but-necessary rite of passage and the only viable path to a successful career are probably over.
My purpose isn’t to advise anyone for or against college, nor to promote or criticize any particular institution. To be clear, many colleges offer an excellent education. Plenty of career paths require a college degree. Depending on a high school senior’s circumstances, going to college may be a great choice. But that doesn’t mean college is for everyone. Plus, the general state of our higher education system certainly leaves something to be desired. In many cases, Americans are asking the question: Is the quality of education available at the average college really worth the enormous financial cost and time commitment? Sometimes, the answer is no.
Fortunately, there are ways to receive a good education that don’t have to put your loved one into debt for the next 10 years. There are also successful career paths that don’t lead through the ivory tower.
Here are five ideas for young people looking for an alternative to the standard four-year college bachelor’s degree. Some entries on this list focus on the self-improvement side of the question and some on the career-training side of the question—two educational considerations that should remain distinct. A good education is about improving the whole person, not merely checking the boxes that result in a larger paycheck.
Online Academies and Educational Institutes
The internet has unfurled many new avenues of learning. Today, it’s possible to receive an education whose quality rivals that of an average university for free or at a low cost. Innovative educators are creating online academies and institutes to compete with traditional brick-and-mortar colleges at a fraction of the price. Here are some prime examples.Peterson Academy
Psychologist and public intellectual Jordan Peterson has established an online academy with video courses taught by Ivy League professors and other experts. The academy purportedly cuts out the ideological bent found in many university classrooms.Course offerings include “Modern European History,” “Symbolism and Christianity,” “Basics of Biology,” “Plato: The Dawn of Thought,” and “The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union.” Currently, tuition costs $499 per year.
Hillsdale College Online Courses
Tradition-oriented Hillsdale College has put together a number of free online video courses for the public. The college board believes that a good education is necessary both for personal happiness and societal flourishing, and they’re working to spread the good seeds of liberal education far and wide.
With an emphasis on the classic texts and ideas of Western civilization, Hillsdale courses cover a wide range of topics, including the history of Rome, the founding of America, Winston Churchill, C.S. Lewis, Aristotle’s “Ethics,” Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” classic children’s literature, Shakespeare, Marxism and Communism, civil rights, and the American constitution.
The Albertus Magnus Institute
The Albertus Magnus Institute is a nonprofit “dedicated to the promotion of education that is truly liberating.” The institute seeks to teach the liberal arts in the traditional way they were understood for many centuries in the West. Operating within the Great Books tradition, the institute offers live and recorded courses in Greek and Latin, Boethius’s “Consolation of Philosophy,” English lyric poetry, democracy in America, and Euclid’s “Elements.”For those looking to go deeper, a three-year “Cohort” program is available during which students work through all the traditional liberal arts and the foundations of philosophy. The first year focuses on the trivium (grammar, logic, rhetoric), the second on the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music), and the third on the philosophy of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas. The Cohort fee is a modest $50 per month.
You can find more information about these and similar educational opportunities here.
Trade Schools
Trade schools, technical schools, or vocational schools focus on teaching students specific, employable skills. As such, a trade school might pair well with one of the online academies listed above. Trade school curricula tend to be hands-on and practical, efficiently preparing students for work in fields like:- Construction
- Cybersecurity
- IT
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Welding
- Cosmetology
- Administrative assistant
- Graphic design
However, students pursuing this route should be careful of trade school scams, which, unfortunately, do occur. Predatory schools can leave students with lots of debt and little job prospects. The Kershaw, Cutter & Ratinoff law firm advises that, when considering a school, you confirm its accreditation, be wary of “counselors” who are really salesmen, get job-placement data in writing, and request information on the school’s student loan default rate.
Apprenticeships and Internships
For some career paths, the best way to prepare is to simply get started. For centuries, most trades were taught via apprenticeship, with young workers toiling under the guidance of a master tradesman or craftsman, learning the necessary skills on the job and perfecting their craft through years of feedback and hard-won experience.Apprenticeships are still available today. Modern apprenticeship programs combine paid, on-the-job instruction with classroom time, culminating in an industry-recognized credential. A surprisingly large number of industries boast apprenticeship opportunities, including construction, manufacturing, agriculture, energy, transportation, and education.
Internships are another excellent way to gain work experience in your desired field. However, they don’t always lead to industry-recognized credentials and are often unpaid.
Coding Bootcamps
For those interested in a career in IT or computer programming, a coding bootcamp may offer the perfect jumpstart. A coding bootcamp is an intensive course designed to teach essential computer programming skills. The training provided prepares students to work in a programming, web development, software, or related field.Snagging this in-demand skill through a coding bootcamp could be enough by itself to launch a career as a tech professional—and it can be accomplished for much less time and money than a computer science degree requires. Bootcamps typically run for at least 12 weeks.
Real Estate Sales Licenses
A career as a real estate agent doesn’t require a college degree. Prospective agents must complete a pre-licensure course and pass their state’s licensing exam to work as a real estate agent. Usually, agents must subsequently complete continuing education to maintain their license. Exact requirements vary by state, but generally at least 60 hours of coursework are required prior to taking the licensing exam. Still, that’s a lot less time than a four-year business degree. And the $1,000 or so spent on books, classes, and exam fee falls far short of the $108,500 average cost of a bachelor’s degree in the United States.Some of these pathways could be pursued simultaneously to maximize your college-substitute years. For instance, a student could complete a coding bootcamp and a real estate sales license to provide career training while rounding out their general education through Hillsdale online courses—and still be finished in under four years.
While the traditional college route remains a viable and sometimes necessary path for many, it’s important to realize many alternatives are available. Students may be able to secure their future while saving thousands of dollars and years by thinking a little unconventionally.
