Should I Go to Trade School or a Four-Year University?
This article intends to compare the options of a 4-year university degree versus attending trade school. Both are great options for higher education and there is no “one size fits all” solution. The intended audience for this writing is anybody at a crossroads of education and interests, and the best option to move these interests forward into a practical career choice. High school graduates and their guardians, people who want to go back to school, or those looking for a career change can all take something from the statistics mentioned in this article when deciding on enrollment options for their next step in life’s journey. So, should you go to a trade school or pursue a 4-year degree?
The only answer in this article that truly matters is it depends on your interests and career goals. There is no singular solution to if, where, or when a person should pursue higher education. However, college is pushed onto teenagers in this nation much more heavily than encouragement to enroll in a trade school. Many people, myself included, find themselves with a bachelor’s degree that isn’t being utilized and then wind up working in a skilled trade career. Sometimes I kick myself for not enrolling in trade classes from the get-go, especially since I always knew deep down that my economics degree would never convince me to sit in an office crunching numbers all day. This being said, I will keep my personal opinions out of this article and try to stick to statistics and facts when comparing the various options. Lots of people despise the thought of pencil pushing in a cubicle day in and day out until retirement, but there is an odd stigma of trade school students being looked down upon for wanting to work with their hands in a creative and active career.
Stats on trade school tuition cost & 4-year degree tuition cost per year (2 semesters)
This section looks at the national average tuition cost for different school types. Of course, take these numbers with a grain of salt as different tuition costs and cost of living varies wildly from state to state. These numbers show the average cost per year, or 2 semesters because program lengths between these schools vary as well. We will discuss program length in a different section, but here are the per-year tuition cost averages between public and private universities, community colleges, and trade schools.
4-year degree program
Public school in-state student $20,285 [source 1]
Private school in-state student $32,769 [source 1]
Community college program
Public 4 yr in-state student $5,319 [source 2]
Private 4 yr in-state student $15,481 [source 2]
Trade school program
Public in state student (calculated for 4 yrs) $3,588 [source 3]
Private in state (calculated for 4 years) $7,091 [source 3]
Stats on program enrollment length
Enrollment length in a program also varies from education type as well as the person. Many people complete a 4-year bachelor’s degree program in as little as 3 years or can take as long as 6, 7, or 8 years. Trade school programs can be completed in a semester or can take up to 2 years to complete. Community college courses can be taken until a degree is obtained, or can be transferred to many other forms of continuing higher education. This section is included to show clarity in the previous “average cost of higher education” section, as well as to determine a path forward with how long you would like to be in classes before graduating from a program.
A strong bonus for trade schools in this category is the amount of hands-on experience one can get after completing a short program and then going into the workforce. Yes, almost every job will train you, but it is almost assumed in the trades that you have much more to learn in the field than what 1-4 semesters can teach you about real-world applications. In my experience, there are a lot of bosses who hire out-of-trade schools to get a “blank canvas” of an employee. On the contrary, many jobs that require a 4-year degree won’t let you get through the interview without a diploma and work experience on your resume.
Stats on earnings in various trade fields
This is yet another section that needs to be taken with a grain of salt. The article would feel unfinished without mentioning earnings, but I don’t feel that I can give accurate statistics due to the wide range of earnings available depending on trade or career, experience, location, and specialization to name a few of the many factors on how much money one could make at a job. I will say this to break a common stigma- you can earn just as much money with a trade education as you can with a 4-year degree. Your educational background will not hinder you from earning more money in any field if you have the work ethic and eventually the experience to move ahead in your career.
Stats on the drop in tradespeople in the field
These two paragraphs are taken from “Breaking Ground: A First Look at American High School Trades Education” by Lisa Soricone [Source 4].
Demand for skilled trades workers in the United States is not merely high, it is soaring—the highest of any occupational area in the country, as well as globally. Skilled tradespeople— including electricians, welders, mechanics, and others—are in greater demand than sales representatives, engineers, or IT professionals. For the past decade, the trades have ranked among the top five most challenging roles to fill.
The skilled trades include over 11 million workers in the United States. Labor market data show a clear and steady need for many more trades workers over the next decade, with 1.3 million job openings annually through 2028. The trades face an aging workforce. In 2018, fully half of skilled trades workers in the United States were 45 years and older, including almost a quarter over age 55. The need for replacement workers exceeds the need to fill new jobs, as current skilled tradespeople change careers or retire. A JFF analysis shows that, among the 1.3 million annual openings, for each new job in the trades created annually, there are 15 openings due to replacements.
Let’s take welding as an example to limit the scope of this article, and see some potential career routes. Perhaps you’re obsessed with all things welding, and you know that’s your true calling. You could go to a trade school, become a certified welder, and work on D.1.1 structural welding projects. As mentioned before there’s no definite ceiling to your earnings, but the reality of the situation is that companies have a pay threshold. You could be the best welder in the world, but there aren’t many companies that want the best welder in the world for the top dollar. If you land a job at one of these companies then great! You’re set for life. Congrats! You made it, ma. The next best thing would be to get connected with a welding job that has an interest in promoting from within. So you’re a great welder, and your bosses see that and think you’d make a great welding inspector or engineer. Some companies have tuition repayment or scholarship options that could pay for your inspection classes or your four-year engineering degree, or at least chip in.
What I’m trying to say (in more than a few words) is there is always the potential for growth, or a career change if you want that. Those choices depend on what you are willing to sacrifice, this comes to light, especially with free time and finances. The situations described in the previous paragraph are fairly rare. If you’re a 28-year-old welder and want to pursue an engineering degree to stay tangentially in the welding world, more often than not, you’ll be on your own. You’ll have to balance your school and work life to continue paying the bills, and making it through school. If you’re a younger person reading this, another reality is that you’ll change your mind about what you want to do forever. It’s natural and a rising trend among Millennials and Gen-Z. (source 5)
The numbers and statistics will only get you so far, and can only inform you so much. What mattress is what you want, and what do you need to move through your work and your life? Think about it, go job shadowing, and get temp work in a few different places to see if you like it before committing yourself to something that will cost you time and money. Most of all, choose flexibility. It will serve you well in an ever-changing environment.
