Here is an example directly from my world as a mechanical contractor. I can cite these numbers from direct knowledge.
A kid who puts 5 years into getting an engineering degree starts among the top of the college grads...probably a first digit of a 7, more or less, depending upon where you live and which flavor of engineering. To get that degree in the typical 4.5-5 years, what is the average debt amount? Even working some combination of summers and during school, gotta be at least $50-75K...maybe more. In our current interest rate environment, that will take a long time to pay down, even though after 5 years they are knocking on a six figure income. On the other hand, it takes a 5 year apprenticeship to become a pipe fitter or sheet metal worker. Depending upon where in the USA you live, a base level journeyman is in the $40-$55/hr range with full benefits and a pension. That apprenticeship is 5 years of night school, 2 nights per week, 3 hours per night, on top of a full time job. At least as much time investment as an engineering degree, but no college debt. With some weekend overtime, most base journeymen are six figures plus income. At my company, our office engineers and project managers make roughly the same money as our field fitters and sheet metal workers. And the better/more experienced guys in the office are comparable income to the foremen/superintendents in the field.
The demographic changes that are bringing fewer students to college are also providing fewer kids into the trades. Supply and demand is a powerful thing. We have to have a minimum number of tradespeople for the economy to function. We have less need of a minimum number of college students for the economy to function (sure, you would reach that minimum number of students eventually, but the immediate pressing need is less than for people who are actually directly contributing). Those degrees with little career value are having a hard time justifying student loan debt. This is not the entire reason for declining college enrollment, but it is one of probably 4 or 5 significant reasons. Most of those 4 or 5 reasons have been building for the past 25 years. Some were accelerated by Covid. The Covid aspect will ease, but the fundamental issues that Covid magnified will still be there, and a shrinking age demographic will continue that trend.
Degree programs as well as entire small colleges that do little to prepare a kid for a career will all face continuing enrollment pressure. WSU is not alone. This is a societal issue, not a Pullman issue. As the costs of a university education continue to climb without reason or control and the student debt follows the costs, while trades-oriented options continue to pay as well and are well suited to trading sweat equity for student debt, the trend will continue.
A kid who puts 5 years into getting an engineering degree starts among the top of the college grads...probably a first digit of a 7, more or less, depending upon where you live and which flavor of engineering. To get that degree in the typical 4.5-5 years, what is the average debt amount? Even working some combination of summers and during school, gotta be at least $50-75K...maybe more. In our current interest rate environment, that will take a long time to pay down, even though after 5 years they are knocking on a six figure income. On the other hand, it takes a 5 year apprenticeship to become a pipe fitter or sheet metal worker. Depending upon where in the USA you live, a base level journeyman is in the $40-$55/hr range with full benefits and a pension. That apprenticeship is 5 years of night school, 2 nights per week, 3 hours per night, on top of a full time job. At least as much time investment as an engineering degree, but no college debt. With some weekend overtime, most base journeymen are six figures plus income. At my company, our office engineers and project managers make roughly the same money as our field fitters and sheet metal workers. And the better/more experienced guys in the office are comparable income to the foremen/superintendents in the field.
The demographic changes that are bringing fewer students to college are also providing fewer kids into the trades. Supply and demand is a powerful thing. We have to have a minimum number of tradespeople for the economy to function. We have less need of a minimum number of college students for the economy to function (sure, you would reach that minimum number of students eventually, but the immediate pressing need is less than for people who are actually directly contributing). Those degrees with little career value are having a hard time justifying student loan debt. This is not the entire reason for declining college enrollment, but it is one of probably 4 or 5 significant reasons. Most of those 4 or 5 reasons have been building for the past 25 years. Some were accelerated by Covid. The Covid aspect will ease, but the fundamental issues that Covid magnified will still be there, and a shrinking age demographic will continue that trend.
Degree programs as well as entire small colleges that do little to prepare a kid for a career will all face continuing enrollment pressure. WSU is not alone. This is a societal issue, not a Pullman issue. As the costs of a university education continue to climb without reason or control and the student debt follows the costs, while trades-oriented options continue to pay as well and are well suited to trading sweat equity for student debt, the trend will continue.
