Work · Skills and training

College, trade school or work: choosing a path

Start from the job, not the school. Look up two or three jobs in the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook to see the training each needs and what it pays. Compare programs on College Scorecard, look at paid Registered Apprenticeships, and file the FAFSA either way. Then compare each path's cost, time until you're earning, starting pay and odds of finishing.

Moderate2 hours of researchFreeChecked October 2, 2026

You'll need

Two or three jobs you might like
A notebook or spreadsheet with the comparison columns below
Someone who does one of those jobs, for a 15-minute talk

What to know

Look up the jobs first. For more than 300 occupations covering about 4 out of 5 U.S. jobs, the Occupational Outlook Handbook explains what workers do, the work environment, the education and training needed, pay, job outlook and similar occupations. Source: BLS¹
Note the entry-level education each job needs: a degree, a certificate or license, or on-the-job training. You can browse the Handbook by pay range, entry-level education, on-the-job training or projected growth. Source: BLS¹
Check each profile's "State and Area Data" section. Pay and job growth where you'll live can differ from national numbers. Source: BLS¹
Check apprenticeships. A Registered Apprenticeship is a paid job from day one, with a mentor, classroom instruction, wage increases as your skills grow, and a portable, nationally recognized credential. You search the Apprenticeship Job Finder and apply directly to the employer or program sponsor. Source: Apprenticeship.gov⁴
Compare schools and programs. College Scorecard shows costs, student debt, graduation rates and graduates' earnings, and lets you compare up to 10 colleges at once. Source: College Scorecard⁵
File the FAFSA either way. Colleges and career schools both use it to decide your grants, work-study and loans. Source: Federal Student Aid⁶
Fill in one row per path: total cost after grants, months until you're earning, starting pay, debt at the end, the program's graduation rate, and whether you'd enjoy the work. Then talk it over with someone who does that job.

Watch out Read pay charts carefully. The BLS "Education pays" chart sorts people by their highest degree only. It doesn't count apprenticeships or other on-the-job training, which can also affect earnings. Source: BLS² And starting isn't the same as finishing: in 2025, people with some college but no degree had median weekly earnings of $1,062, much closer to the $966 for a high school diploma than to the $1,135 for an associate's degree. Source: BLS³

See it done

Video by CrashCourse Education channel

To College or Not To College

Watch on YouTube: To College or Not To College | Crash Course | How to College

Full title on YouTube: “To College or Not To College | Crash Course | How to College”2022 · Checked October 3, 2026

It's mostly about college, with a quick look at technical schools. Apprenticeships and how to compare the paths are in the steps.

Video won't load at school or work? No problem. Everything you need is in the steps; the video's just a bonus. Watch it on YouTube later.

If it doesn't work

No idea what you want to do? Browse the Handbook by pay, entry-level education or projected growth, and write down anything that sounds interesting. Source: BLS¹
Want help in person? An American Job Center can help you find an apprenticeship. Source: Apprenticeship.gov⁴
Worried about cost? See Reading a financial aid offer and Apprenticeships.
Picked a path and it isn't working? Each Handbook profile lists similar occupations, a good place to look for a nearby option. Source: BLS¹

Good to know

The details, if you want them. Tap a line to open it.

What the national numbers say

BLS figures for 2025, for full-time workers 25 and older: median weekly earnings were $966 with a high school diploma, $1,135 with an associate's degree and $1,578 with a bachelor's degree. Unemployment rates were 4.3%, 3.0% and 2.8%. Source: BLS³ These are medians across all fields. Your field and location matter more.

A worked comparison (made-up example)

Path A: a two-year associate's program in a health field, $9,000 total after grants, earning in 24 months. Path B: a four-year electrician apprenticeship, paid from day one with raises along the way. Path C: a bachelor's in business, $40,000 after grants, earning in 48 months. Write in the program's graduation rate next to each. A cheap program few people finish can cost more than it looks.

Training programs

College Scorecard links to TrainingProviderResults, where you can compare training programs' completion and employment rates. Source: College Scorecard⁵

Questions for someone in the job (made-up example)

"How did you get started? What training actually mattered? What does a first-year person earn around here? What do you wish you'd known?"

Take it with you

Printable card Download card (PDF)

Sources

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook FAQs
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Education pays
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Unemployment rates and earnings by educational attainment, 2025
U.S. Department of Labor Become an apprentice
U.S. Department of Education (Federal Student Aid) College Scorecard
U.S. Department of Education (Federal Student Aid) FAFSA

Lesson W7.1 · Last checked October 2, 2026 against the sources listed.

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