For high school students and the adults helping them
Your next step after high school.
There is more than one good road after high school. Here is each one with real numbers, so you can pick a smart next step this year.
Every path below can lead to a good life.
Six good roads
Not sure what you like yet?
Take the free interest quiz.
A short quiz from the US Department of Labor. It suggests careers to look at →
The paths after high school
Look at each one, then ask which fits you.
About 4 years
Four-year college
A bachelor's degree. Average in-state public tuition is $11,950 a year. After grants, first-year in-state students paid about $2,300 in tuition on average.
People with a bachelor's earned a median $1,578 a week in 2025, against $966 with a high school diploma.
Suits you if you like school and want a field that needs a degree, like teaching or engineering.
First step: look up any college on College Scorecard for its graduation rate and what its graduates earn.
College Board, 2025-26 prices · BLS, Education pays 2025
About 2 years
Community college
An associate degree, or a cheaper start toward a bachelor's. Average tuition is $4,150 a year, and for years grant aid has covered tuition and fees for the average new full-time student.
People with an associate degree earned a median $1,135 a week in 2025.
Suits you if you want to save money or try classes before you pick a major.
First step: ask your counselor about dual enrollment, college classes you can take while still in high school.
College Board, 2025-26 · BLS, Education pays 2025
Several years, paid
Registered apprenticeship
A paid job with training. You learn from experienced workers and take classes. Most electricians train for 4 or 5 years, about 2,000 paid hours a year.
The Department of Labor reports an $86,000 average starting salary after finishing. BLS projects electrician jobs to grow 9% by 2035, against 3.5% for all jobs.
Suits you if you learn by doing and want a paycheck right away.
First step: search the Apprenticeship Finder by your zip code.
Apprenticeship.gov, data to Dec 2025 · BLS, Aug 2026
Often under 2 years
Trade or technical certificate
A short program for one job, like HVAC technician, welder or medical assistant. HVAC programs run 6 months to 2 years.
HVAC technicians earned a median $61,010 in May 2025, and BLS expects those jobs to grow 11% by 2035.
Suits you if you want to start working fast in a skilled job.
First step: check whether your school offers career and technical (CTE) classes in a trade you like.
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Aug 2026
Usually 4 years
Military
Serving in one of the six branches. You need a high school diploma or equivalent and must be at least 17. Pay is based on rank and time served.
After 90 days of active duty, the Post-9/11 GI Bill can help pay for college later. The full benefit covers public in-state tuition and fees.
Suits you if you want structure, service and help paying for school later.
First step: talk with a recruiter and a veteran you trust. Ask both the same questions.
BLS, Military careers, Aug 2026 · US Department of Veterans Affairs
Your choice
Working first or a gap year
A job or a planned year of work or service before more school. Many people go back later.
In October 2024, 20.4% of recent graduates who were not in college and wanted work couldn't find a job. A plan makes this path work.
Suits you if you need to earn now, or want time to learn what you like.
First step: pick a job that teaches a skill you can name, like customer service, a trade or a tool.
BLS, October 2024 data
What to do this year
Small steps that help on every path.
9th and 10th grade
- Take the free interest quiz. It suggests careers to look at.
- Try a CTE class or club that sounds fun.
- Ask an adult you know if you can shadow them at work.
- Ask your counselor about dual enrollment.
11th grade
- Get a part-time or summer job. Every path values it.
- Take the PSAT, SAT or ACT only if the schools you like ask for it.
- Look up three careers in the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Write down the pay and training for each.
12th grade
- Fill out the FAFSA as soon as it opens in the fall. It helps with many paths, not only college.
- Apply to more than one path. A college and an apprenticeship can both be on your list.
- Thinking about an apprenticeship? Ask about pre-apprenticeship programs near you.
Skills that hold up as AI grows
What employers expect
- Human skills. Creative thinking, resilience, flexibility and agility stay critical. Employers expect nearly 40% of job skills to change by 2030.
- Tech basics. AI, big data and cybersecurity skills are expected to grow fastest. Free courses are a fine start.
- Career readiness. Employers look for communication, critical thinking, teamwork and comfort with technology.
World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs 2025 · NACE career readiness
Use AI to learn
Try the problem first. Then ask AI for hints.
In one study of about 1,000 high school math students, those who practiced with a plain chatbot later scored 17% worse on a test without it. A version that gave hints instead of answers avoided most of that drop.
Bastani and others, PNAS 2025 (study in Turkey, data before 2024)
The hard truths
Each one comes with something you can do.
Finishing
Starting college doesn't always mean finishing.
Of students who started in fall 2019, 61.1% had a degree or certificate six years later. Some college with no degree paid $1,062 a week in 2025, closer to high school pay than to a bachelor's.
What you can do: pick a school with a strong graduation rate, and take dual enrollment classes now.
National Student Clearinghouse, Dec 2025 · BLS 2025
Debt
About half of graduates borrow.
Of 2023-24 bachelor's graduates, 47% left with debt. The average borrower owed $29,560.
What you can do: file the FAFSA every year, and compare the net price, the price after grants, before you choose.
College Board, Trends in Student Aid 2025
First jobs
The first job after college is harder to find right now.
In spring 2026, about 5.6% of recent college graduates were unemployed, and about 42% worked in jobs that don't usually need a degree.
What you can do: get work experience before you graduate. Internships and part-time jobs help you stand out.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 2026 Q2
Free tools we trust
All free, from the government or nonprofits.
US Department of Labor
My Next Move
A short interest quiz that suggests careers.
US Department of Labor
CareerOneStop
Career videos, pay and training near you.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Occupational Outlook Handbook
Pay, training and job growth for hundreds of jobs.
US Department of Labor
Apprenticeship Finder
Paid apprenticeships near you.
US Department of Education
College Scorecard
Cost, graduation rate and graduate earnings for each school.
US Department of Education
Federal Student Aid
The FAFSA and help paying for any path after high school.
Look up a career
See what AI changes in 100 jobs and fields of study.
Each one has the hard truth, ways to grow and a plan B →
For parents and counselors
How to use Pathcast together.
A half hour, side by side, and one small step to try →
Sources
- BLS, Education pays, 2025 (people 25 and over, full-time)
- College Board, Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2025
- BLS Employment Projections, by entry-level education, 2025 to 2035
- BLS, College enrollment and work activity of recent high school graduates, October 2024
- Apprenticeship.gov (data retrieved December 31, 2025)
- BLS OOH, Electricians and HVAC mechanics and installers, August 2026
- BLS OOH, Military careers and VA, Post-9/11 GI Bill
- World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs 2025
- NACE, What is career readiness
- Knowledge at Wharton on Bastani and others, published in PNAS 2025
- National Student Clearinghouse, Yearly progress and completion, December 2025
- Federal Reserve Bank of New York, The labor market for recent college graduates, 2026 Q2