Nowadays, schools imply that college attendance is an absolute must. But, the reality is that there are many secondary education options after high school—all with unique opportunities and advantages. For example, trade schools are one alternative that cannot be dismissed, but are they a better option than college?
Trade school can be a good alternative to college, depending on what the desired career outcome is. For manual careers, a trade school can assist in reducing costs and offering real-world experience. However, certain careers can only be obtained with a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college.
The career that each person has in mind makes all the difference. Interested or just uncertain about life after graduation? Keep reading to learn all about trade schools and how they hold up to a traditional college.
Is Trade School or College the Better Option?
As a general rule of thumb, there is no absolute better option. Instead of thinking about which one is better, consider which one would be right for you. The career that you are pursuing matters the most when deciding between trade school and college. There are so many careers out there, and they all require different skill sets and knowledge. Reflecting on your interests and career goals is vital before your commitment to either of these paths.
Trade schools are worth attending because they offer you the technical skills to enter high-paying jobs without spending four years or more in school. While it’s case by case, compared to going to college, attending trade school is worth it compared to having only a high school diploma.
By completing trade school, you learn crucial skills and obtain a license or certificate. Even with costs, you often make money as an apprentice while developing your skills. Since trade is in high demand and competitive, continuing to trade school is often necessary. Learning the fundamental skills will make your career easier and lessen any steep learning curves as well.
When is Trade School Better?
If the ultimate goal is to learn specific job-oriented skills for a single career field, then trade school is better.
Without the hassle of taking general education courses and electives, every class focuses on that desired career; this reduces your school time and economic burden before you enter the workforce.
Trade school is better if you are interested in becoming a:
- Electrician
- Welder
- Plumber
- Technology Specialist
- HVAC Technician
- Paralegal
- Massage Therapist
- Dental Hygienist
- Construction Manager
All of these careers (and much more!) are possible after graduating from a trade school. You’ll be able to get to work in two years at most and already have the skills needed to succeed.
When is College Better?
If you’re interested in expanding your general knowledge or are unsure of your exact future career, earning a general degree from a traditional college may be better for you. By taking general education and a diverse set of classes, your degree will enable you to pursue many career options in the future.
Even more, if you are interested in a professional career, you are required to earn a degree in the traditional college setting. The transition from a bachelor’s to a master’s and then a Doctorate is easier when you go to college.
Here are some careers which require you to have a traditional higher education degree:
- Doctors
- Veterinarians
- Mental Health Counselors
- Teachers
- Market Manager
- Research Analyst
- Application Software Developer
While some of these careers may be offered at trade schools, a college degree is often necessary to be considered for the job.
Trade School vs. College
A trade school is a post-secondary educational institute designed as an alternative to the traditional college setting. During a student’s time at a trade school, they develop and learn the skill set necessary for one specific job. For example, if you want to be an electrician, your entire school curriculum will be dedicated to relevant electrician skills and provide hands-on practice. Other names for trade school includes “technical” or “vocational” school.
A college is a post-secondary educational institution designed to teach students broad concepts with the ultimate goal of earning a degree. This degree can be used to work in a variety of career fields. Students will take general education classes for the first two years of college and then take classes related to their degree for the remaining years.
Costs
Let’s examine the difference in costs for attending trade school versus college:
- Total trade school attendance costs, on average $15,000, with the highest being $33,000.
- The average cost of a single year at an in-state public university is $25,615 per year.
There are external factors that make trade school even more affordable and college less. While the upfront costs already favor trade schools, consider all the additional fees that college requires. For college, you’re often required to:
- Pay for textbooks
- Room and board
- Parking
- Transportation
- Mandatory meal plans
With trade school, the only extra fee would be transportation.
With 70% of college students taking out loans at a high interest rate of 5.8%, this makes trade school even more appealing. The average graduate leaves college with $30,000 worth of debt that is interest-compoundable, which is more than the entire tuition for many trade schools.
If your desired career is possible through trade school, it can alleviate a large portion of your potential financial burden in the long run. If you have to get loans for trade school, your paid apprenticeship will assist you in paying them back in an efficient manner.
Time
Time is the second biggest difference between a trade school and a traditional college. Though various college degrees and levels require different durations, they generally take longer to complete than trade schools.
- The duration of trade school typically ranges between eight months and two years.
- The duration to earn a typical bachelor’s degree in college is four years.
Keep in mind that after your trade school training, you will be spending 1-4 years as an apprentice. Unlike a traditional internship, an apprenticeship is a full-time job that is decently paid so you can work and learn with an expert. While you may be able to land an apprenticeship without going to trade school, it’s unlikely since you would lack the skills and training.
Apprentices may even be able to obtain permanent spots after their apprenticeship is over.
Application Process
Compared to the regular college application process, a trade school application is simpler.
For a traditional college application, you’ll need to or have:
- Fill out the common app (or equivalent)
- High school transcript
- Seek out recommendation letters
- College admissions tests
- Application essay
- All financial aid
For a trade school, you’ll need to or have:
- GED/high school transcript
- Fill out any financial aid forms
There’s no need for extracurriculars, high test scores, or a wordy essay to be considered for trade school. After completing the application that’s available online, the school may reach out for an interview or informational session. That’s the entire process.
Keep in mind that most trade schools are open enrollment, meaning that you can apply and attend even if you live outside of that school’s district. This is beneficial because it gives potential applicants more options and helps them find the best trade school for their careers.
Difficulty Level
To start, college is difficult. College students need to spend an average of 10-13 hours studying a week, along with all assignments and projects. It’s fast-paced compared to high school, and the content itself is more complex.
With the stigma surrounding trade schools, many don’t perceive that trade schools are actually quite difficult in comparison. Though it’s a different type of learning than college, attending trade school still requires intelligence and effort. After all, it’s just as fast-paced, and students are learning an entire set of new skills in less than two years.
Regardless of what career training you begin, you will still need math, reading comprehension, and proper communication skills to ensure success. That being said, if you prefer hands-on learning over traditional reading and memorization, a trade school will ultimately be easier (although not easy) for you.
What Credentials Do You Get After Trade School?
Let’s examine the various credentials that a trade school may provide after successful graduation:
- Diploma or certificate – These awards can give you a competitive edge when applying with a company that recognizes them. They are not equivalent to a bachelor’s degree and are more specific than a college degree.
- Associate degrees – Certain trade schools will offer associate degrees in trade while you are learning from them. These associate degrees typically take two years to obtain in a traditional college. With an associate degree, an individual can go to college without starting from scratch if they choose to.
- Licenses – While career licenses can only be issued by the government, attending a trade school will teach you the necessary skills to pass the license exam.
Best Trade School Careers
While it’s important to follow your passions—it’s also very important to be financially stable. If you are looking at trade schools, here is the up-to-date list of top-paying trade careers in 2021:
- Graphic Designer ($52,270)
- Landscape Designer ($54,862)
- Plumber ($55,162)
- Police Officer ($63,149)
- Aircraft Mechanic ($64,080)
- Electric Lineman ($72,509)
- Medical Sonographer ($74,318)
- Power Plant Operator ($81,994)
- Construction Manager ($84,476)
- Radiation Therapist ($115,241)
If you are interested in attending trade school, make sure to consider the trade school itself. Like with a traditional college, certain trade schools will excel in certain fields. To get the most out of your time and effort, find a trade school that is experienced and effective at providing a good teaching experience for your career.
The Benefits of Trade School
Though not everyone can choose to attend trade school due to career incapacities, trade school still offers many benefits:
- Job Security – The programs that trade schools offer will always be in demand. For example, welders, electricians, and plumbers will forever be necessary. With constant and a high-level demand, trade school attendees will always be necessary.
- Flexible Timing – Without committing time to general education or elective classes, you form your schedule based on your needs.
- Reduced Cost and Time – As mentioned before, there will be less time and resources dedicated to a trade school than a traditional four-year college. On average, trade school is four times cheaper, and you enter the workforce at least two times as fast.
- Small Class Size – Trade school classrooms are designed to be more hands-on. Because of that, classes typically range from five to 20 students based on the specific training type required.
- No Need to Wait – Traditional colleges often only have a spring and fall sign-up schedule. For trade schools, you can sign up for training several times throughout the year with lenient deadlines.
- No Prior Requirements – There’s no need for high standardized test scores, special classes, or extracurriculars when applying to trade school. While high test scores might look good for some trade schools, a high school diploma or GED is all that’s required to be considered a student there.
- Earn While You Learn – As mentioned, as an apprentice, you earn a wage like any other employee for that company. The wage is typically considerably higher than the minimum wage.
- A Sense of Accomplishment – When you see that your work benefits hundreds of people, it makes you feel that satisfying sense of accomplishment that office work cannot convey.
- Connection into the Field – When you are a part of a trade school, you are constantly surrounded by teachers and mentors that have influence in that specific industry. With an apprenticeship, you make even more connections that will ultimately secure you a job.
The Limitations of Trade School
Like everything in life, nothing’s perfect. While trade school has many benefits, we have to consider what it lacks. Here are the cons of a trade school that you should consider before applying.
- No Job Guarantees – Earning a certificate or license can give you a competitive edge when applying for high-demand jobs, but you are not guaranteed anything. Trade schools teach you the skills and help you make connections, but you have to be proactive to reap the most benefits.
- Rigorous Schedule – While you can choose when to take classes, trade schools condense years of knowledge and skills into a compact curriculum. Because it’s so much knowledge in such a short amount of time, it’s rigorous and far from easy.
- Lack of Financial Aid – While accredited trade schools are eligible for federal student aid, your school may not be eligible. You must also attend at least 15 weeks of training to qualify for federal student aid.
- Lack of Adaptability – The biggest pitfall of trade schools is their lack of adaptability. Even within the same industry, a Stanford study reveals that trade school graduates struggled to find work as the industry changed. They were hired less than those with a four-year degree.
- Difficulty Changing Careers – The benefit of having a degree is in its broadness. A single biology degree can help you access hundreds of potential new jobs, but the same does not apply to trade school certificates. The training is based on a single career with very few skills that can cross into different industries.
How to Find the Right Trade School for You
Not all trade schools are created equal. If you are determined to enroll in a trade school, just make sure to consider a few points:
- Reputation – Is the trade school reputable, or are there only bad things people say about it? Not only will a bad trade school struggle to teach you the adequate skills to be successful, but companies will be less inclined to hire you from the beginning.
- Your Career Choice – Does your trade school even have a program that fits your career wants? Consider looking into schools that excel at your career since these will offer the best connections and resources for you in the long run.
- Reviews – It never hurts to look at reviews. See how real students felt about the trade school and how it ran. It can give you vital feedback that can help you avoid a hectic and stressful time.
- Managing Costs and Schedule – Ensure that you can afford the tuition or have ways to make up for it. Apply for scholarships, federal aid, or take out a loan. After your application, your school will be able to tell you how many hours a week you will need to dedicate. Then consider if you can handle that demand.
Final Thoughts
Looking back, there’s always been a stigma about not going to college. But, it’s unreasonable—people are different, and they all have unique skill sets. It is perfectly acceptable to choose a different route than what society wants us to go, and it can even be advantageous to you. In fact, the stigma is slowly unraveling itself as more awareness is being brought up.
While trade school is not for everyone, we encourage that you go for it if that’s what you want!
Just make sure to carefully consider the pros and cons before propelling onto the next step of your life. Trade school is a viable option to traditional college in many situations.