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, Rewritten trend report—has evolved into something much more. Remote learning led many students to question the need for this traditional path, and while finishing high school remained a top priority, we saw earning a bachelor’s degree dropped from their top list of goals. Since then, this pause has sparked a broader rethinking of what education and success can look like. Not to mention, young students have grown up watching...
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