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KEY TAKEAWAYS
- More high school graduates opt to skip college now than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Instead, many choose to work directly after high school or attend a vocational or trade school, which is generally shorter and cheaper than traditional colleges.
- The top ten cities for high school graduates generally have more well-paying jobs that don’t require a degree and a higher number of trade schools.
More high school graduates are foregoing college to start working or get a technical or vocational certificate.
An increasing number of high school graduates are considering options other than a traditional 4-year or 2-year college. College enrollment for recent high school graduates fell during the COVID-19 pandemic and has not picked up much since. College enrollment rates were four percentage points lower in 2024 than in 2019, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Interest in trade and vocational schools, which generally take less time and are cheaper than traditional colleges, has increased. The number of Google searches for the term “trade school” has grown 117% since 2021, and “apprenticeships” searches have increased by 231%, according to analysis by K12, an online homeschool company.
The company ranked 10 cities by how well a high school graduate who doesn’t attend a traditional college would do compared to 99 other major cities. The top cities generally had a higher number of jobs that don’t require a degree, with high hourly salaries for those positions. They also offered more trade schools and had more searches for non-college options.
| The Top Ten Major Cities For Americans Without A College Degree | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | No-College Degree Job Listings Rank | Average Hourly Salary Rank | Search Interest for Non-College Options per Capita Rank | Trade Schools per State Rank |
| Washington, D.C. | 4 | 3 | 16 | 97 |
| Atlanta, Ga. | 5 | 60 | 1 | 47 |
| Dallas, Texas | 2 | 73 | 21 | 16 |
| Irving, Texas | 1 | 49 | 46 | 16 |
| Garland, Texas | 3 | 70 | 43 | 16 |
| Minneapolis, Minn. | 6 | 18 | 9 | 55 |
| Orlando, Fla. | 17 | 64 | 2 | 32 |
| Anaheim, Calif. | 11 | 38 | 32 | 1 |
| Los Angeles, Calif. | 23 | 7 | 33 | 1 |
| Denver, Colo. | 8 | 17 | 18 | 67 |
While spending money on a college degree is still a lucrative investment, an increasing number of Americans don’t think they need a bachelor’s degree to get a good job. About two-thirds of Americans surveyed last year by the University of Chicago agree they can find a well-paying job with only a high school diploma or GED, compared to just half before the pandemic.