Why it is good that fewer people are going to college

Many of us grew up hearing about the need to go to college. Parents, teachers, and neighbors tended to reinforce that a bachelor’s degree would open the doors to career and personal success. Lack of a college degree, by contrast, would limit our ability to make a good wage, live in a good neighborhood, and experience the upward mobility that has become an important element of the American dream.

Yet an increasing number of young persons reject this paradigm. Recent reports show a massive increase in men and women forgoing college to enter vocational training programs. They are training to become welders, electricians, plumbers, and other like trades.