‘Just Try It Out’: What’s Behind a Shift Away From 4-Year College

Why some high school graduates chose not to pursue a bachelor’s degree

College has long been the most popular choice for graduating high school seniors, but these days, a growing number of recent graduates are choosing alternative pathways instead.

Enrollments in undergraduate certificate programs—which are designed for students who want to develop technical skills in lieu of traditional higher education—increased by almost 10 percent from fall 2022 to fall 2023, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s 2023 higher education enrollment update. Meanwhile, enrollment in bachelor’s programs increased by 0.9 percent in the same time period.