High school graduates shun college for blue-collar jobs: Enrollment falls to 62% as job growth surges in restaurants, theme parks and other hospitality sectors
- About 62 percent of American high school graduates ages 16 to 24 have enrolled in four-year college programs
- The unemployment rate for 16 to 19 year olds was 9.2 percent in April 2023
- Various professionals saw increases in two-year programs this spring
Young people seem to be avoiding traditional universities as enrollments decline and more teenagers take jobs or attend two-year colleges to learn more work-related careers.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, about 62 percent of American high school graduates ages 16 to 24 enrolled in a four-year college this year, up from 66.2 percent in 2019.
While that was the year before the pandemic, numbers have been declining since peaking in 2009, when 70 percent enrolled at a traditional university.
At community colleges, where there has been an increase in enrollment for two-year majors, the figures are reversed.
According to the figures, the youth unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in decades. In April 2023, the rate was 9.2 percent, the lowest level since 1953.
Young people seem to be eschewing traditional universities as enrollments decline and more teenagers take jobs or attend two-year colleges to learn more blue-collar trades
Youth unemployment peaked at 30.2 percent in the early stages of the pandemic but has mostly declined since then.
Entering the workforce, young people taking on leisure and hospitality jobs have seen wages increase by 30 percent for seasonal workers and 20 percent for year-round workers from 2019 to 2023.
Others are opting for two-year programs as costs at traditional universities continue to rise, leaving graduates with declining debt.
After two consecutive years of declining enrollment, community colleges saw a half-percent increase in 2023.
Similar to four-year colleges, two-year schools peaked in enrollment shortly after the market crash in 2010 and have been declining ever since.
Notably, four traditionally employed majors saw sharp increases in enrollments this spring.
Computer and information sciences and supporting services increased 9.7 percent, mechanical and repair technologies/technicians increased 8.2 percent, personal and culinary services increased 9.7 percent, and transportation and material handling grew 11.8 percent.
Years of sharp declines hit community colleges across the country. Community college enrollments increased 0.5 percent year over year after falling 8.2 percent and 10.1 percent in 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Overall enrollments for undergraduate programs fell 1.4 percent this spring.
About 62 percent of American high school graduates ages 16 to 24 enrolled in a four-year college this year, according to the Labor Department
Notably, four traditionally employed majors saw sharp increases in enrollments this spring
“If you can get it [a job] Without a BA and with decent wage growth, why get a BA? asked ZipRecruiter chief economist Pollak.
Pollak suggested that being able to find work during the pandemic allowed young people to put off studying and if they were successful, they might not be able to return.
“The pandemic has impacted college so badly that many people have been procrastinating.” “Once they procrastinate, they become addicted to making money and working and don’t come to college,” Pollak said.
According to the Wall Street Journal, nearly 60 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds said a four-year college degree is not a good investment.
Women remain less skeptical about a four-year college than men: two-thirds of women enrolled last year, but nearly 10 percent fewer men.
Doug Shapiro, research and executive director of the National Student Clearinghouse, said the numbers appear to be a reaction to both inflation and the changing nature of the college.
“The opportunity cost seems to continue to rise for students at all levels,” he told Axios.
“Colleges and universities, like the rest of us, really need to think differently about what types of students they can enroll and what types of programs and services they need to be able to offer to attract those students.”