Global Free guides · Students and parents
Every path after high school, explained
Most students and parents know a lot about four-year college and very little about the other good paths. Surveys show fewer than one in five students know a lot about options like certificates, apprenticeships or starting a business. Here is a plain comparison.
The main paths
- Four-year college: broad education and a degree many careers require.
- Community college: lower cost, flexible, and a common route to transfer into a four-year college.
- Apprenticeships: paid, on-the-job training with a credential at the end.
- Short certificates: weeks or months of focused training in fields like healthcare, IT and skilled trades. Some now qualify for federal aid.
- Military service: training, pay and education benefits.
- Work: real experience and income, with training on the job.
- Starting a business: high learning, high risk, best tested small first.
How to choose
Compare each path by cost, time, earnings, and how well it fits the student's interests. The right path is the one the student can commit to, not the one that sounds most impressive.
Checklist
Tick as you go. Create a free account to save progress and share it with your family.