Key Takeaways
- A seven-month trade program can put a graduate in the workforce more than three years before a four-year classmate finishes.
- Grant aid cuts the actual price of a public university well below its sticker price, so net cost matters more than published tuition.
- About 61% of students who start college earn a credential within six years, which adds risk to the four-year investment.
- Several careers that don’t require a degree pay more than $90,000 a year, while bachelor’s degree holders still earn more on average across all fields.
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Careers that don’t require a degree are getting a second look as more students and families question whether a four-year university is the only road to a well-paying career. For a growing list of skilled trades, it isn’t. Elevator and escalator installers earned a median of $109,910 in May 2025, and the job typically starts with a high school diploma.
Students look beyond college for different reasons. Some learn best with hands-on practice in a lab or shop instead of four more years of lecture halls. Others want to start earning a solid income sooner, or they’re drawn to fields where a degree was never part of the path.
Trade School vs. a Four-Year Degree at a Glance
Training time and upfront cost separate the two paths more than anything else. Using a seven-month electrical program at Tulsa Welding School (TWS) as one example of trade school pricing, the two paths compare like this:
| Factor | Trade school (7-month electrical program) | Four-year degree (public, in-state) |
|---|---|---|
| Time to finish | About 7 months | 4 years on paper, with many students taking longer |
| Published cost | $23,525 total program | $11,950 tuition per year, $30,990 full annual budget |
| Average debt among borrowers | Depends on aid eligibility | $29,560 borrowed on average by 2023-24 bachelor’s recipients |
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In practical terms, a trade student who starts in the fall can finish training and start earning before a college classmate completes freshman year. The total price of that trade program also comes in below two years of in-state tuition alone, before housing and food.
What Each Path Costs Beyond the Sticker Price
Grant aid lowers the bill at public universities more than most sticker prices suggest. Average net tuition and fees for first-time, full-time in-state students at public four-year schools came to an estimated $2,300 in 2025-26 after grants. At that rate, four years of tuition totals about $9,200, far below the sticker price of nearly $48,000. Housing, food, books, and transportation still push the full cost of each year much higher. Tuition accounts for less than 40% of the $30,990 in-state budget, so living costs drive most of what a four-year degree actually costs.
Federal grant aid covers trade school, too. Students in eligible trade programs can qualify for the Federal Pell Grant, the same need-based grant many college students use toward tuition. Schools that accept federal aid publish a net cost calculator that estimates a specific program’s price after grants and scholarships.
Time carries a cost that tuition tables leave out. A seven-month program puts a graduate in the workforce more than three years before a four-year classmate finishes, and those years of wages belong in any honest comparison.
Four numbers decide which path costs less for a specific student:
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- Net price. Subtract grants and scholarships from the full cost of attendance, including living expenses.
- Total time. Multiply the annual cost by the realistic number of years to finish, including the chance of a fifth or sixth year.
- Expected debt. Estimate how much the student would borrow and what the monthly payment would look like on a starting salary.
- Lost earnings. Count the wages a working graduate would earn during the years a college student is still enrolled.
Time to Finish and Time to First Paycheck
A four-year degree often takes longer than four years, and some students never finish. Only 61% of students who started college in fall 2019 earned a credential within six years. A family that pays for college without a finished degree carries the cost without the credential. Every extra semester also adds tuition, fees, and living costs while pushing back a full-time paycheck.
Trade programs run on a shorter clock, and many fit around a job or family schedule. Students who need to keep working can look for programs with flexible class times and hybrid formats. Some welding programs, including the one at TWS, run morning, afternoon, evening, and overnight classes, with theory completed online and campus time spent in hands-on labs.
A shorter program also shortens the distance between enrolling and earning. Graduates move into entry-level roles, and many trades then add paid apprenticeships or on-the-job training that raise pay as skills grow.
High-Paying Jobs Without a Degree
The trades include several high-paying jobs without a degree requirement. The median wage across all U.S. occupations was $50,980 in May 2025, and welders alone earned a median of $53,750.
Each of these careers that don’t require a degree lists a high school diploma or equivalent as its typical entry-level education, with training or apprenticeship completing the path:
| Career | Median pay, May 2025 |
|---|---|
| Elevator and escalator installers | $109,910 |
| Power plant operators | $105,080 |
| Electrical power-line installers | $95,320 |
| Boilermakers | $76,410 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $63,800 |
| Electricians | $63,190 |
| Welders | $53,750 |
Most of these careers pair a high school diploma with an apprenticeship or long-term on-the-job training. That structure lets workers earn a paycheck while they build skills, instead of paying tuition for years before their first full-time job.
Pay climbs well above those medians with experience and specialization, and the top 10% of welders earned more than $77,530 in May 2025. In licensed trades like electrical and plumbing work, pay typically rises as apprentices complete their training and earn journey-level licenses.
When a Four-Year Degree Is the Better Fit
A bachelor’s degree still pays off for many students, and the data shows it. Workers with a bachelor’s degree earned a median of $1,578 a week in 2025 with a 2.8% unemployment rate, compared with $966 a week and 4.3% for high school graduates. That high school group includes workers with no technical training, so it understates what a skilled trade can earn.
Some careers can’t be entered without a bachelor’s degree. Electrical and electronics engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree and earned a $125,040 median in May 2025.
The payoff isn’t automatic, though. About 42% of recent graduates were underemployed in the second quarter of 2026, working in jobs that typically don’t require a degree. Choosing a major with a specific career in mind lowers that risk.
The best choice starts with the career a student wants and works backward to the training it requires. If that career sits in the skilled trades, a short, hands-on program can be the faster and less expensive route.
For more information on trade programs, total costs, class schedules, and financial aid, reach out to TWS and connect with an admissions representative.
