Alternatives to College: Find Your Next Step
Practical resources for students, parents, and career changers
You have more than one way to build a working life. The useful question is: What work do you want to do, and what will prepare you to do it well?
Some careers require a degree. Others offer routes through apprenticeships, technical training, certifications, work experience, or self-employment. Start by exploring the work itself, then compare the paths that can get you there.
This companion resource to The Higher Education Scam brings together U.S. career and training tools to help you take that next step.
1. Explore careers before choosing a program
My Next Move
Search careers by keyword, browse industries, or explore your interests through its career-interest tool. Useful when you know what you enjoy but haven't connected it to a particular job.
Try this: Identify three occupations that interest you. Write down what people actually do in each one.
Explore careers at My Next Move
Occupational Outlook Handbook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides occupation profiles covering typical entry-level education, pay, training, and employment outlook. Use it to compare your options, then look at current job advertisements in your area. A national median wage is not a starting-salary promise.
Try this: Compare the preparation required for your three occupations with the qualifications local employers request.
Compare careers in the Occupational Outlook Handbook
2. Explore paid apprenticeships
Apprenticeship.gov
Registered Apprenticeship combines a paid job, mentoring, related instruction, and a recognized credential. The federal Apprenticeship Finder lets you search opportunities by occupation and location and apply through the employer or program sponsor.
Try this: Search your area, then ask a program about starting pay, training costs, schedule, entry requirements, and its registered status. Finder labels can refer to a registered partner or an occupation; confirm the specific opportunity with the sponsor.
Find apprenticeship opportunities
Understand Registered Apprenticeship
3. Compare technical training and certificates
CareerOneStop training tools
CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, offers tools for locating training programs, exploring occupational certifications, and checking state licensing information. Its Training page brings these tools together.
Try this: Use Local Training Finder to identify nearby options, including technical schools and community-college programs. Use Certification Finder to investigate credentials relevant to your chosen occupation. Ask employers which credentials they recognize before paying for a course or exam.
Explore CareerOneStop training tools
When comparing programs, ask exactly what you earn: a school completion certificate, an industry certification, or preparation for a licensing exam. Ask whether additional exams, experience, or fees are required before you can do the work you want.
4. Try a skill before making a larger commitment
Microsoft Learn
For people considering technology work, Microsoft Learn offers self-paced modules and learning paths on Microsoft technologies. It can be a starting point for exploring a subject and building practical familiarity.
Try this: Complete one introductory learning path, then use what you learned in a small practice project. Check the requirements and costs of any separate certification exam before enrolling.
Explore Microsoft Learn training
For other fields, look for introductory learning from the relevant industry association, equipment manufacturer, local training provider, or employer. Ask how you can observe the work or try a supervised beginner activity. Completing a course is a starting point; look for ways to demonstrate what you can do.
5. Explore starting a small business
SBA resource partners: SBDC and SCORE
The U.S. Small Business Administration connects prospective and current business owners with Small Business Development Centers and SCORE mentors. These organizations offer guidance on planning, starting, and operating a business.
Try this: Describe one service you could offer, the customer who would need it, and the problem it solves. Bring those notes to a mentoring conversation before spending heavily on equipment or advertising.
Find small-business guidance through the SBA
Self-employment takes skills in serving customers as well as doing the work. Start by testing whether people need what you plan to offer and what it would take to deliver it reliably.
Before you enroll: seven questions to ask
- What job am I preparing for? Find actual job postings and talk with people who do the work.
- What do employers require? Ask about education, experience, credentials, and any applicable licensing requirements.
- What is the full cost? Include tuition, tools, exams, supplies, transportation, and time away from paid work.
- What will I be able to demonstrate? Look for supervised practice, projects, or work experience connected to the skills employers need.
- What do the outcomes mean? Ask how completion and job-placement figures are calculated, how recent they are, and whether jobs are in the field studied.
- What happens if plans change? Get withdrawal, refund, and any repayment terms in writing before committing.
- What are my other routes? Compare an apprenticeship, employer training, a shorter certificate, and a degree where relevant to the occupation.
A first step you can take this week
Choose one occupation. Read its profile, find three local job postings, and contact one employer or training provider with your questions. You do not need to map out your entire life before taking a useful next step.
Keep exploring
The Higher Education Scam: Debunking the Myth that Everyone Needs a College Degree invites readers to examine their education choices and consider different paths to meaningful work.
Visit Duane McHodgkins's author website
Resources reviewed October 8, 2026. These links are starting points for your research, not endorsements of individual programs. Confirm current program details directly with the provider.