Contrary to popular belief, only half of recent high-school graduates are planning to attend a four-year college or university, according to new research.
A survey of 1,000 recent public high school graduates (ages 18 and 19) and 1,000 parents of public high school students found that just 22% felt “very prepared” for life after graduation.
And parents agree: less than half of parents surveyed (43%) believe their child is ready for the “real world” after graduating high school.
Results found one in two students are taking a, perhaps, less traditional route. About a quarter (24%) plan to immediately enter the job force after high school, while a fifth (21%) are planning for a two-year college or university, like a community college.
Others are looking to go to a trade school or get a certificate (9%), take a gap year (7%) or join the military (4%).
Still, public schools predominantly teach the test and college prep, without focusing enough on careers and life skills. Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Learn4Life for Personalized Learning Month in August, the survey looked at graduates’ post-high school plans and how they’d design their high school experience if given the chance.
When asked what they wished their high school focused more on, 36% said they would have liked to learn about post-high school life — beyond going to college or university. And with so many opting for less traditional next steps, 37% vied for more exposure to job skills and 20% desired more application of classroom material, outside of testing.
This was in addition to learning about real-world skills (49%), mental health support (41%) and life skills like conflict resolution or stress relievers (41%).
Not only would recent grads like more education focused on “real-world skills,” but they’d also appreciate courses on financial literacy (40%) to be incorporated into their high school education.
That’s as well as mental health courses (36%), passions and interests beyond the lesson plans (29%) — and they want their school to do a better job understanding each student’s individual needs (25%).
The desire for real-world exposure is also echoed by what recent graduates feel schools should spend less time focusing on; standardized testing (30%) and overall scores (28%).
“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,” said Shellie Hanes, Learn4Life Superintendent of Schools. “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.”
Originally published by Talker News