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July 22, 2025
For decades, the value of a four-year college degree was indisputable. In fact, it was one of the few things Republicans and Democrats seemed to agree on.
In recent years, however, that bipartisan agreement about the traditional college experience has shifted toward a different type of post-high school education: trade schools.
“Our workers deserve more postsecondary pathways, career-aligned programs, apprenticeships and on-the-job learning,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon, a Republican, said during her confirmation hearing in February.
A year prior, Miguel Cardona, a Democrat who served as education secretary under former President Joe Biden, made similar remarks during a visit to his old high school.
