Get good grades. Graduate. Go to college. Get a good job.

This narrative has dominated the postsecondary conversation in America for decades. Today, we are seeing it crumble under the combined pressure of technological advances and workforce transformation.  

This college-driven narrative used to be largely true. The more education you had, the more money you could make. Since traditional four-year universities had the monopoly on postsecondary education, attending them became synonymous with success.

All of that is changing. The Internet has democratized access to both information and audiences, leading people to wonder: Do I really need a degree to do what I want in life? Or can I get the necessary training somewhere else?

“Across many communities, students now have greater access to career awareness, exploration, and career connected pathways that naturally lead to postsecondary training and education,” says Marlo Loria, Director of Career and Technical Education and Innovative Partnerships at Mesa Public Schools. “The data reflects this change as well: college enrollment has been declining nationwide, and families are making different choices about whether a traditional college route is the right fit.”

Loria and I connected recently to discuss how postsecondary education is expanding beyond the college degree—and what this means for the next generation of learners. Here’s what we covered.

End goal first

In a society where college is the default path after high school, what to study once there all too easily became an afterthought. College itself became the goal rather than the career it was intended to prepare you for.

But this is changing. “Increasingly, the conversation is moving toward career first, and then identifying the educational options that best support a student’s goals,” says Loria. In other words, start with the end goal and reverse-engineer from there.

These educational options are diverse. Four-year degrees are still on the table, but students can also choose to pursue:

  • Career and technical education (CTE) programs in high school
  • AP, IB, or dual enrollment courses
  • Industry credentials
  • Work-based learning opportunities
  • Technical training
  • Apprenticeships
  • Community college certifications
  • Two-year degrees

Many students opt for the best of all worlds, combining rigorous academics, CTE classes and work-based learning experiences. “They leave with a plan in hand of what their next steps will be when they graduate,” says Loria.

Overcoming the stigmas

While all of these options are on the rise, the cultural expectation of college after high school isn’t quite erased. Nor is the stigma when students choose something else.

“Jobber’s Annual Blue Collar Report shows stigma around vocational school has dropped five points from 2024 to 2025, yet 71% of Gen Z say it still exists,” notes Loria. “In many ways, the stigma now seems more deeply rooted in educational systems than among families or employers.”

Families weighing the cost and benefits of college versus other postsecondary pathways have to make the best choice for their student, stigma or not. “I see parents and students exploring all post-high school options, especially as the cost of college and student debt continues to rise and families weigh the return on that investment,” says Loria. “We’ve seen a huge uptick in student interest in the trades and more employer partners offering internships and apprenticeships to high school students.”

Loria credits social media with challenging prevailing stereotypes about alternatives to college. “I think social media has helped students be more aware that there are multiple ways to reach a career.”

A model of career exploration

Loria, who advises young people and their parents about their postsecondary pathways, stresses the importance of students deeply engaging with career discovery before they graduate high school—not only after.

“In my community, students in our College and Career Academies begin with a Freshman Seminar course, where they explore their interests, strengths, values, and the kind of lifestyle they envision for their future,” she says.

From there, they identify careers that align with those priorities and examine the education or training required to pursue them. “But meaningful career readiness can’t be one dimensional,” says Loria, “as students need real exposure to people actively working in fields they find compelling.”

To support this, career exploration activities are paired with a college and career fair, where employers and colleges come to campus to speak directly with students about various opportunities. “Students ask questions connected to their strengths and interests, then use what they learn to design the rest of their high school experience ensuring they choose the academic and technical courses that will best prepare them for life after graduation.”

Career exploration is not a one-and-done experience at Mesa Public Schools. “Throughout the duration of the student’s high school experience, college and career coaches continue to curate and offer meaningful work-based learning experiences for students to participate in, furthering their interest in future careers,” says Loria. “This includes participating in job shadows, college tours, field trips and internships.

“All of this exploring and preparing leads students to an education career action plan that has tangible next steps already set in motion before they graduate high school.”

Blurring the lines

Often when people think about postsecondary pathways, they believe the choices are sharply delineated from one another: if you choose college, you are actively not choosing any other form of postsecondary training. But does there have to be such a hard line drawn between college and technical training?

“Absolutely not!” says Loria. She points to Mesa Public Schools’ successful partnership with Empire CAT, one of the largest Caterpillar dealerships in the country. Upon completion of an unpaid internship program, high school seniors are either offered a job or placed into a diesel technician associate degree program (offered through the local community college), Think Big.

“Last year 26 interns applied for the Think Big program and 42% were accepted into the program and about 20% were offered jobs,” says Loria. “This is a perfect example of a trades partner that aligns to both college or career opportunities right out of high school.

“We would be doing a disservice to our businesses, students and our community if we continue to draw arbitrary lines in the sand that say students have to choose college or career, it’s actually both.”

A plan for the future

An expanded range of viable postsecondary training choices is great, but it’s not the only thing that students need in this changing landscape. They need help creating a roadmap to reach their perfect intersection of career and lifestyle. 

“What concerns me most is the growing number of students who graduate high school each year without a viable plan that leads them toward economic independence,” Loria says. “Many don’t yet understand their strengths, aptitudes, or the well-paying career opportunities available with the right training and education.

“They’re left navigating postsecondary options without clarity or direction.”

To change this, Loria believes that schools must design intentional learning experiences that focus on career awareness, exploration, and preparation, while clearly illustrating the many on and off ramps available to students after graduation. “Acceleration also happens when students understand the wages associated with various career sectors; seeing the economic potential firsthand can be a powerful motivator in choosing a purposeful path forward,” she says.

The shifting conversation

For those of us working with students, families and educators at the tactical level, it’s exciting to see how the postsecondary conversation is shifting. But there’s still a lot of work to be done.

“I would really like to see the conversation shift from ‘postsecondary equals college’ to a broader vision of post high school training for all,” says Loria. “Regardless of the path a student chooses, ongoing learning is essential.”

Today, families are coming to grips with the reality that there is no longer a ‘one size fits all’ approach to preparing students for their future. “It’s not an either/or conversation between college and career pathways anymore,” says Loria. “It’s both, working together to help students build the lives they envision.”

This article first appeared at Forbes.com on January 13, 2026. Read here.