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College, Trade School, or Gap Year: Gen Z’s Plans After High School

Headlines are suggesting that students are skipping college, but our data shows their actual post-high school plans right now…

Written and Edited by the YPulse Editorial Team
KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • The majority of middle / high school students still plan to go to college after graduation
  • But many plan on getting a job right after high school—whether it’s to save money, gain experience, or take a break before committing to college
  • Some students are exploring hands on career options, and see trade school as a faster, more focused path to success without the four-year commitment
For decades, the traditional path after high school seemed pretty set in stone—at least for most: graduate, go to college, get a degree, start a career. Millennials were certainly told that college was a must to have any kind of success. But headlines have been popping up about Gen Z teens turning away from college—some choosing trade programs, others jumping straight into the workforce, or taking the new ideal path of content creation full-time. And as the years go on, it’s looking less like a phase or fleeting trend. What started during the pandemic—as we explored in YPulse’s Life Plans,...

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