![\"Vintage](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2014\/04\/collegeentrance.jpg\")
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So far in this series on whether or not college is truly for everyone, we\u2019ve covered both the history of higher ed<\/a>, and the pros and cons of attending a 4-year university<\/a>. Today, we\u2019re going to look at alternatives to the traditional 4-year degree.<\/p>\n One-quarter of college grads are in jobs that don\u2019t require a degree. And of the 30 jobs projected to grow the fastest in the next decade, only 7 require a standard 4-year degree.<\/p>\n Although it may not seem like it based on what you hear in the media and from the general public, there are a number of very legitimate opportunities other than the traditional 4-year college for graduated high schoolers to take a look at.<\/p>\n Ultimately, you have to think about your life goals. Mary Docken, a prominent voice in education advocacy, says, \u201cStudents need to think about what their interests are, how they like to learn, what motivates them, what financial realities they face, what type of work they see themselves doing \u2013 (sitting behind a desk with a computer in front of them, building things, working with people, etc.).\u201d<\/p>\n For some professions \u2013 like many of those in STEM fields<\/a> \u2013 college is absolutely the right choice. But for many, it ends up being a waste of time and money. For some, college even limits your career options, as you get strapped into thinking you have to go into a certain major (most often business) in order to be successful. That\u2019s just not the reality, however.<\/p>\n Below, we\u2019ve highlighted 10 very legitimate options to consider after high school. Some of them can lead to lifetime careers, and some of them are seen more as transition periods to decide life\u2019s next steps — whether that’s ultimately to go on to college or to take another path. Either way, they should be considered right along with 4-year colleges for every high schooler out there struggling to try to figure out what to do next.<\/p>\n There are over 22 million individuals who are self-employed in the U.S., with no employees other than themselves. That\u2019s about 14% of the entire American workforce. With drive, initiative, and a quality product, it may be more attainable than you think to make it on your own. In fact, some of the most successful men of the 20th<\/sup> and 21st<\/sup> centuries were entrepreneurs without a college degree:<\/p>\n All of these men took the initiative and started businesses they were passionate about, and were sure would change the world.<\/p>\n The barriers to starting a business have never been lower. With a computer and an internet connection, there are a slew of business opportunities that can be launched with even just $100<\/a> from the comfort of your own home (half of those 22 million individuals work from home). Whether selling goods online, or simply using the web as your portfolio, it\u2019s quite simply never been easier to become an entrepreneur. To open a clothier, for a quick example, you no longer need an expensive storefront that has rent costs, utilities, numerous sales employees, etc. With a little bit of drive (okay, a lot of drive) and a quality product, you could be the next Antonio Centeno<\/a>, making and selling quality clothing online from the backwoods of Wisconsin.<\/p>\n Or consider the ease of starting a business selling any kind of handmade good with an Etsy shop<\/a>. You could even become an antiques trader and seller with nothing but an eBay account. With just an internet connection and copious amounts of hustle<\/a>, the possibilities are truly only limited by your own creativity.<\/p>\n One of the great things about starting a business these days is how much information and free education is available. Your local bookstore will have shelves and shelves of business books, and a quick Google search<\/a> can get you started down the road of entrepreneurship in no time. The Art of Manliness was built from the ground-up by Brett and Kate with mostly their own gumption. Using Google, they installed WordPress, designed the website, created an online store, sold advertising, and have now been running a successful business for six years. (Although they would also say that their college and graduate degrees greatly aided in the writing and critical thinking skills so necessary to running a successful blog.)<\/p>\n While it\u2019s certainly true that more small businesses fail than succeed, you\u2019d be hard-pressed to find an entrepreneur who didn\u2019t learn invaluable lessons even amidst their failures. Do you have zeal for something you created as well as good people skills? (Those are two qualities that entrepreneurs say catalyzed their success.) If so, perhaps taking the steps to start your own business is a better idea than spending four years in college.<\/p>\n While community college doesn\u2019t carry the prestige of the 4-year university, there are numerous benefits to this alternate path:<\/p>\n Those are some practical benefits of community college when compared to 4-year colleges. The other major benefit \u2013 perhaps the one the matters more than anything else \u2013 is that in just two years you can earn your associate\u2019s degree, and enter in on a path towards success that you never imagined.<\/p>\n In the next decade, only 7 of the 30 fastest growing jobs require a traditional bachelor\u2019s degree. Most others require mid-level education \u2013 defined as more than a high school degree, but less than a 4-year degree. And believe it or not, these aren\u2019t necessarily low-paying jobs. This list of 40 high-paying careers<\/a> that don\u2019t require a bachelor\u2019s degree is quite diverse. A few particular careers mentioned in that list that require an associate\u2019s degree:<\/p>\n Trade schools offer specific vocational training for a wide variety of skilled careers. Sometimes this means getting an associate\u2019s degree at a community college, but many times it\u2019s simply a year or so at a technical school. These careers are often associated with \u201cblue collar\u201d jobs, and unfortunately often carry some negative stereotypes in today\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n The reality is that there are literally millions of people who work in skilled labor jobs<\/a>, and they\u2019re paid well, especially compared to college graduates. The average starting salary for a college graduate is $45,000, while the average salary of someone who went through trade school is $42,000. Not much of a difference, and the trade school graduate is entering the workforce at least two years sooner.<\/p>\n In addition, you\u2019re almost guaranteed a job coming out of school. There are numerous stories of large energy and construction projects that had to be canceled not due to money shortages, but due to labor shortages. Companies simply can\u2019t find the skills to complete the work needed.<\/p>\n Yet another benefit of skilled labor is that your skills are not as exportable as people who sit at a computer in a cubicle all day. Even work that was formerly done by lawyers and doctors<\/a> is being outsourced. You can\u2019t outsource electrical or plumbing or welding jobs. These careers are truly what makes our nation run on a daily basis.<\/p>\n Mike Rowe<\/a>, former host of Dirty Jobs<\/i>, is doing his best to dispel the stereotypes surrounding blue collar work and is trying revive interest in the skilled trades:<\/p>\n \u201cThere were over 3 million jobs in 2008 that were sitting there, and nobody was really talking about them because they weren\u2019t aspirational. So long-story-shot, I figured lack of appreciation for skilled labor ultimately manifested itself in a kind of disconnect that led us to push kids in one direction, ignore another direction, and that ultimately created a whole lot of jobs that nobody was too enthused about.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n He\u2019s started a foundation<\/a> that provides resources, scholarships, and even a job board for those interested in pursuing skilled trades. It\u2019s really an incredibly handy website, and nearly made me want to pursue a trade myself! He also has a new book out<\/a>, in which all proceeds go towards his foundation \u2013 my copy is on its way and I can\u2019t wait to read it.<\/p>\n So, what are some specific career options? Take a look at the partial list below, and learn more details about these trades over at Rowe\u2019s website.<\/p>\n We\u2019re going to embark on a more detailed series of posts regarding the trades in just a few months. Stay tuned!<\/p>\n If art is your passion \u2013 be it music, painting, sculpting, etc. \u2013 you should strongly consider not attending a 4-year college. While established artists average around $60k a year in earnings, it takes a little longer to get to that point. After getting a degree, you\u2019ll be strapped with debt, and will you have really advanced your craft beyond what you would have anyway?<\/p>\n Getting an associate\u2019s degree as a backup plan is a good idea, but then just put everything you have into your craft through deliberate practice<\/a>, and consider moving to an art-friendly city like Seattle, Austin, TX, or one of these other top cities for artists, where you can find peers and mentors that can help critique and improve your work.<\/p>\n In building your following and clientele, really what you\u2019re doing is starting a business. And you have to treat it like a business. Don\u2019t fall into that \u201cstarving artist\u201d stereotype of the lazy, couch-surfing bum who can only work when inspiration strikes. Even if art is your calling, you\u2019ll have to work your butt off, just like with any other profession.<\/p>\n Online college-level courses have boomed in the last couple years, with Coursera<\/a> and EdX<\/a> leading the way. While YouTube and a variety of websites freely offer lectures for the public to consume, Coursera and EdX offer certificates of completion, and with a small fee, those certificates can be university-verified.<\/p>\n While you won\u2019t get college credit for taking these courses, they are absolutely college-level (trust me, they\u2019re difficult), and will teach you some very valuable and practical skills that can be applied to a number of professions. A selection of class titles includes New Models of Business in Society, Competitive Strategy, Physics 1, Beginning Game Programming, and many more<\/a>. If you don\u2019t have a degree on your resume, being able to show a handful of certificates for specific skills is much better than nothing at all.<\/p>\n One institution making waves in the education world is the University of the People<\/a> (UoPeople). Founded in 2009, it offers tuition-free education to anyone and everyone. Students can receive an associate\u2019s or a bachelor\u2019s degree in business administration or computer science. It\u2019s hard to believe, but UoPeople is no gimmick and there\u2019s really no catch for students \u2013 you get a real degree. Curriculum is put together by volunteers, and the school was recently accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council. Bill Gates has given money, as have many large corporate entities. It has applied for accreditation from the Department of Education, and it\u2019s believed that they\u2019ll meet the requirements.<\/p>\n One drawback is that in attending this university, you really have no skin in the game. While there are over 1,500 students, only about half are active. I\u2019ve noticed this phenomena myself when taking courses on Coursera or EdX; when it\u2019s free, it\u2019s harder to stay motivated to continue when life gets busy or if you simply become disinterested.<\/p>\n Another drawback is the lingering negative perception in general of online-only schools. Employers are sometimes wary about online degrees \u2013 even if those concerns aren\u2019t necessarily warranted. It\u2019s a matter of public perception that will hopefully change over time, but as of yet, online degrees still don\u2019t carry the same prestige as a \u201creal\u201d university.<\/p>\n Having said that, UofPeople is a unique opportunity, and is gaining some public steam<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s only a matter of time before these online learning institutions gain even more credibility and become mainstream options for graduated high schoolers.<\/p>\n One option that every 18-year-old should consider is to simply get a job and work for a year or two before deciding on their college path. Even if you start at minimum wage, things like showing up early and staying late, having integrity in the workplace, and treating customers and coworkers with respect will move you up the chain. Believe it or not, those seemingly simple characteristics are in high demand.<\/p>\n By working full-time at a fast food joint, or as a barista, or doing landscaping, you\u2019ll learn invaluable life lessons. You\u2019ll learn about customer service, about bucking up and working even when you don\u2019t want to, about budgeting your income, about balancing life and work. Those are things that many men don\u2019t learn until they\u2019re out of college.<\/p>\n Beyond slinging burgers at the local diner, there are well-paying and life-long careers that don\u2019t require any formal education beyond high school (keep in mind these positions still need to be worked up to, they just don\u2019t require formal post-secondary education):<\/p>\n If after a couple of years of working you decide to go to college, you\u2019ll be two years more mature, and you\u2019ll have money in the bank to help you pay tuition. While wages are lower and unemployment is higher for those with only a high school degree, a little bit of elbow grease can go a long way. My own mom, for example, didn\u2019t attend any form of college, but worked for a few years in various fast food and retail jobs before getting her real estate license and becoming an executive for multiple real estate companies and earning a wage much higher than the average person. Gumption and grit can in some cases take you further than a college degree. Speaking of real estate . . .<\/p>\n Becoming a real estate agent is one of the best options out there for young men not interested in 4 years of college, but who are interested in high income potential. For generally under $1,000, you can take a couple months of real estate courses, take a state licensing test, and start selling homes.<\/p>\n Real estate agents, on average, make $42k a year, which is on par for those with a degree. But your income potential is much higher than that. You get as much out of the career as you put into it \u2013 so if you work hard and hit the pavement, you\u2019ll make plenty of money to keep you and your family happy. It\u2019s also an appealing career choice because realtors are often home-based, and set their own hours, to a certain extent.<\/p>\n The downside of real estate is that you\u2019ll likely end up working on many nights and weekends. People who work jobs with normal hours can only look at homes when they\u2019re not working, and you\u2019ll often be on the phone and filing contracts late into the evening to make sure your client gets their dream home.<\/p>\n While the housing downturn a few years back may turn off some folks to this career, the market is already starting to rebound, and the job growth is projected at 11% in the next decade, which is in-line with the job market as a whole.<\/p>\n Check out the National Association of Realtors<\/a> for more info on becoming an agent.<\/p>\n Volunteering for a year or two is a great way to not only give back and do some service, but to build your own character at the same time. Many people have dreams of living abroad or doing service for a year, only to realize after college that bills show up, spouses materialize, and soon after, babies start coming. There\u2019s simply no better time than that year or two after high school to capitalize on your desire to have a little adventure and do some good in the world.<\/p>\n The Peace Corps<\/a> is an option for international service, but the majority of assignments go to those with college degrees. If you haven\u2019t attended college, they generally look for commensurate experience in the field you\u2019ll be working in. Having said that, there are options for those with only a high school degree, so look into it.<\/p>\n AmeriCorps is a much better option for high school grads, although you are \u201climited\u201d to service here in the U.S. Particularly, the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) program<\/a> is a good fit for men aged 18-24, who want to serve for about one year. It\u2019s a residential program, and you work in teams of 8-12, so you almost get a college feel, except you\u2019re doing community projects instead of attending classes.<\/p>\n The AmeriCorps VISTA program<\/a> is another good option. The set-up is a little bit different; you work for a year as basically an employee of a non-profit organization. You\u2019re given a small stipend for housing and living costs, and that\u2019s about it. I personally know several people who have done this program, and every single one has had a great experience.<\/p>\n A few other options for volunteer work after high school:<\/p>\n While many folks think of the ROTC program<\/a> when they think of young folks in the military, that\u2019s not the only option (although it is certainly a good one). There are around 100,000 18- and 19-year-olds who join the military right after high school. Beyond being a form of service, the practical benefits of being in the military are another reason to consider joining:<\/p>\n There are a few requirements for joining military service:<\/p>\n The learn more about joining the military, I\u2019d recommend visiting two incredibly helpful websites: www.military.com<\/a> and www.todaysmilitary.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Peter Thiel \u2013 founder of PayPal, entrepreneur, and investor \u2013 has taken an interest in this discussion of the necessity of college. In 2011, he launched the Thiel Fellowship<\/a>. Each year, he chooses 20 young men and women under the age of 20 to give $100,000 to in order to skip college and realize their visions and ideas. He says, \u201cRather than studying, you\u2019re doing<\/i>.\u201d During the two-year program the fellows are mentored by some of the world\u2019s top scientists, researchers, and business leaders. There are no specific definitions of a successful two years in the program, but most graduates of it have invented something or started a company.<\/p>\n Similar programs are popping up all over the country as people begin to realize the benefits of the age-old idea of apprenticeships<\/a>:<\/p>\n This option is close to being just another 4-year college, but with one crucial difference. You are actually required<\/em> to work 10-15 hours a week to help pay your tuition. Because of that, at these work colleges, you pay significantly less in tuition, and in a few cases, you pay no tuition.<\/p>\n In all other regards, it\u2019s a normal college experience, but you aren\u2019t strapped with the debt that cripples so many students and their families. You also get the valuable experience that comes with working a job while also engrossed in your studies. These institutions admit you\u2019ll probably work harder than at other schools, and have a harder time learning how to balance your responsibilities, but you\u2019ll come through the other side stronger than most of your peers.<\/p>\n There are only seven federally recognized work college in the country, so your options are a bit more limited, but they are definitely worth considering. Learn more at www.workcolleges.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve brought you full circle with this series on the necessity and worth of a 4-year college degree. We started with a look at the history of higher ed in America<\/a>, and how that past has informed the current situation. We then discussed the pros and cons of a traditional 4-year college<\/a> and concluded that when you get down to it, there\u2019s no easy yes or no answer as to whether or not one outweighs the other. And finally, today we\u2019ve presented a variety of options for the graduated high schooler who wishes to do something different with his life.<\/p>\n Ultimately, our goal with this series is not to convince you of one side of the argument or the other. There are serious pros and cons no matter what you do, and there are opportunity costs for every choice we\u2019ll ever make in life. College just happens to be one of the biggest decisions you\u2019ll grapple with, so the opportunity cost could well be high.<\/p>\n It\u2019s with that in mind that we ask students to thoughtfully engage with the question of whether or not to attend a 4-year college. As an 18-year-old, that\u2019s admittedly a tough task. You have peer pressure, parental pressure, societal pressure \u2013 it\u2019s almost more than anyone can really sort through and examine clearly. And yet, the college decision will have implications that impact the entirety of your life. Don\u2019t assume that a 4-year school is the best<\/i> option just because that\u2019s what everyone else says.<\/p>\n And that sentiment goes for parents as well. You\u2019ve seen the data in these posts. A college education simply<\/a> isn\u2019t what it used to be. For many students, it will definitely be the right choice. For some, however, it will not. Parents need to consider the fact that a bachelor\u2019s degree may not be what\u2019s right for the course of their child\u2019s life. Help your students engage this topic, and help them understand the weight of debt \u2013 something that\u2019s so hard for young minds to truly grasp.<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re the parent or the high school senior, the one takeaway we hope you have gotten from this series is that education doesn\u2019t have to be a continual conveyer belt that you first step on in pre-k and don\u2019t step off until you\u2019ve gotten a college sheepskin in hand. It\u2019s okay to jump off and explore other paths. We wish all the young men heading out on their own<\/a> this year the best of luck as they decide which way to go.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" So far in this series on whether or not college is truly for everyone, we\u2019ve covered both the history of higher ed, and the pros and cons of attending a 4-year university. Today, we\u2019re going to look at alternatives to the traditional 4-year degree. One-quarter of college grads are in jobs that don\u2019t require a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":39728,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[424,6,42279],"tags":[42287],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-39725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career","category-featured","category-money-wealth","tag-college"],"featured_image_urls":{"large":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2014\/04\/collegeentrance-400x280.jpg","aom":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2014\/04\/collegeentrance-372x230.jpg","reactor-320":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2014\/04\/collegeentrance-320x254.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39725"}],"version-history":[{"count":73,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39725\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39747,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39725\/revisions\/39747"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39725"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=39725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Read the Series<\/em><\/h3>\n
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1. Start a business. <\/b><\/h3>\n
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2. Attend community college. <\/b><\/h3>\n
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3. Get into a trade. <\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"Men](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2014\/04\/weld2.jpg\")
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4. Be an artist. <\/b><\/h3>\n
5. Take online classes. <\/b><\/h3>\n
6. Take a job. Any job. <\/b><\/h3>\n
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7. Sell real estate. <\/b><\/h3>\n
8. Volunteer.<\/b><\/h3>\n
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9. Join the military. <\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2014\/04\/follow.jpg\")
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10. Become an apprentice\/fellow. <\/b><\/h3>\n
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11. Attend a work college.<\/b><\/h3>\n
\u201cIs College for Everyone?\u201d Series Conclusion<\/b><\/h3>\n