Trade School Enrollments Spike During and After Pandemic
Mark J. Drozdowski
December 4, 2024
College leaders wondering where all their prospective students are going should take a closer look at trade schools.
Enrollments in trade programs have increased since the pandemic as those for traditional colleges have generally declined.
Growth has been uneven among trade school specialties.
Healthcare and culinary arts programs have experienced especially high growth rates.
Overall, 60% of trade school students aren’t pursuing degrees.
While traditional colleges and universities struggle to regain enrollment losses, trade schools are doing just fine.
That’s the essential message of a new report from Validated Insights, a higher education marketing firm, that examines enrollment trends in both sectors before, during, and after the pandemic.
