^{The Bottom Line} Fewer Parents Want to Send Their Kids to College

There is a growing demand for alternatives to a traditional education as the return on investment in college is plummeting. Combine ever-increasing tuition prices with the reality that only 62% of students who enter a four-year college graduate within six years, and only 40% secure a career in the field of their degree, and this should not be surprising.

Fewer parents want to send their children to a four-year college. According to a 2025 report published in The Wall Street Journal, “Nearly half of parents say they would prefer not to send their children to a four-year college after high school, even if there were no obstacles, financial or otherwise.”

Furthermore, a growing number of students are not interested in attending college. The Wall Street Journal report also noted that two-thirds of high school students believe “they will be just fine without a college degree.” Yet, a quarter of high school students “cannot name a career they want.”

Change is needed to expose students while in high school to career fields. Students need opportunities that allow them to gain skills and experience while in high school so that when they graduate and do not go to college, they have an on-ramp to high-demand, high-growth career fields, many of which do not require a college degree.

There is a mismatch between college degrees and the technologically advanced workforce needs. More employers are recognizing this and, in turn, eliminating the bachelor’s degree requirement for employment eligibility.

More specifically, a November 2023 survey found that 55% of U.S. companies removed the bachelor’s degree requirement for employment eligibility. Instead, employers want to hire individuals with industry-specific skills, knowledge, and experience, rather than a four-year degree that often is not applicable to the industry and what the job entails.

It’s time to rethink high school, providing students with exciting school choices that will engage, motivate, and prepare them for post-high school career success.

Click HERE to read the full report, “The Case for Industry-Specific High Schools.”