Survey: 35% of Parents Prefer Trade and Technical Pathways to Traditional College
A growing share of U.S. families are rethinking whether a traditional four-year college degree remains the best option after high school, as concerns about cost, debt, and job outcomes drive renewed interest in trade and technical education.
According to a recent national survey from American Student Assistance, 35% of U.S. parents now say they favor trade or technical education over a four-year college degree for their children, nearly triple the share who held that view in 2019. The findings point to a broader reassessment of higher education’s return on investment amid rising tuition prices and uneven labor-market outcomes for college graduates.
The shift comes as the cost of attending four-year institutions continues to rise, even as undergraduate enrollment nationwide remains below pre-pandemic levels. Many parents surveyed cited affordability, student debt, and uncertainty about career prospects as key factors shaping their preferences.
At the same time, skilled trades and technical fields - including advanced manufacturing, construction, information technology support, and health care - are experiencing persistent workforce shortages and often offer faster pathways into stable employment. Policymakers and employers have increasingly highlighted these roles as critical to regional and national economic growth.
The change in parental attitudes does not necessarily signal a rejection of postsecondary education altogether. Instead, researchers describe it as growing openness to alternative pathways, such as apprenticeships, industry certifications, and short-term credential programs that are more directly aligned with labor-market needs.
Student perspectives appear to reflect similar ambivalence. Separate research from American Student Assistance found that nearly four in ten teens express interest in trade or technical pathways, even if many still feel social and cultural pressure to pursue a traditional college degree, according to the organization’s Teens’ Next Steps report.
For colleges and universities, the trend presents both a warning sign and a strategic opportunity. Institutions already facing enrollment pressure - particularly regional public universities and tuition-dependent private colleges - may need to more clearly articulate the economic value of their degrees to families increasingly focused on career outcomes. Some campuses are responding by expanding applied bachelor’s programs, strengthening employer partnerships, or investing in workforce-aligned credentials that complement traditional academic offerings.
The shift is also shaping state and federal policy discussions. Several states have increased funding for career and technical education, while federal workforce initiatives continue to emphasize non-degree credentials as tools for economic mobility and talent development.
Higher-education analysts caution that four-year degrees still deliver strong lifetime earnings on average. But they note that families are becoming more selective and pragmatic, weighing multiple postsecondary options rather than defaulting to college as the sole pathway to success.
As institutions head into the next recruitment cycle, the debate may be less about whether students pursue education after high school - and more about which pathways best prepare them for the workforce they are entering.
