A New Survey Of Recent High School Graduates Suggests Only Half Are Planning To Attend A Four-Year University Or College
In the past, most high school graduates looked forward to going to college. Higher education was a common goal. But these days, it seems that is no longer the case. A new survey of recent high school graduates shows that only half are planning to attend a four-year college or university.
A total of 2,000 Americans were surveyed, including 1,000 recent high school graduates aged 18 to 19 and 1,000 parents of public high school students. The survey was conducted by a market research company called Talker Research.
The results revealed that only 22 percent of students felt “very prepared” for life after graduation, while 43 percent of parents believed that their child was ready to take on the “real world” after graduating high school. The survey also looked at the graduates’ plans after high school and how they would’ve chosen to design their high school experience.
Nearly a quarter of students plan to enter the workforce right after high school, while 21 percent aim to enroll in a two-year college or university. Nine percent are considering trade school or obtaining a certificate, seven percent want to take a gap year, and four percent are thinking about joining the military.
Even though more and more kids are opting out of the traditional path to a four-year college or university, many public schools are still emphasizing tests and college prep. Of the graduates who were surveyed, 36 percent wished their high school focused more on what life would be like after high school — beyond going to college.
Also, 37 percent wanted to learn more about different job skills, and 20 percent wished that more of the material they learned in the classroom could be applied to real life.
Furthermore, 40 percent would appreciate learning about financial literacy, and 41 percent for mental health support. Overall, the findings reflected a desire for increased exposure to the real world and less time spent on things like test scores and standardized testing.
“Traditional public high schools are built to prepare students for a traditional four-year college/university — but we’re seeing a shift in what students would like and what they plan to pursue post-high school,” Shellie Hanes, Learn4Life Superintendent of Schools, said.
“It’s important that schools adjust, changing their methods and their lesson plans to focus on individual students and what their post-high school plans might be.”
Studio Romantic – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual people
In addition, over a third of the graduates wanted more time in between classes and more flexibility in schedules, as well as for student-athletes and those who had jobs.
The average graduate felt that they only spent about 43 percent of the school day learning about topics they were interested in. Ideally, they would like to spend 65 percent of the day on their interests and passions.
Making time for students to pursue their passions may help them develop a love for learning, thrive in the classroom, and better prepare them for life after graduation.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
More About:Science
Read This Next
