Maggie Bowen said she got both two-year and four-year degrees, but since those grueling hours of hitting the books, she's learned that her vocational degree is worth more in the long run.
"I wish I knew then what I know now," the Fayetteville Technical Community College graduate said Thursday.
Recent data indicates a shift in student enrollment since the pandemic, with more students opting for vocational programs over traditional four-year degrees. Community colleges that focus on vocational training saw a 16% increase in enrollment in fall 2023 compared to 2022, with undergraduate enrollment growing 1.2% and graduate enrollment growing 0.6%, a January report states.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, postsecondary enrollments declined by 2.5% in fall 2020 — almost twice the decline seen in 2019. Since then, enrollment trends have reversed. This year's spring estimates show an increase of 2.5%, with 55.7% of the increase due to community college growth, a May report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center said.
Things to consider before enrolling
Though Bowen earned a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, she said that with her two-year degree from Fayetteville Technical Community College in medical sonography, she began working in the field and making money faster.
She said that four-year degrees often require more schooling and training to attain a high-paying job, which often means accumulating more debt.
"You need to research what kind of career you want to go into and know that's what you want to do," Bowen said, "If I would've researched, I probably would've done just two years."
Mark Sorrells, president of Fayetteville Technical Community College, which offers more than 300 course programs, said Wednesday that students are increasingly seeking practical, career-oriented education that provides immediate job skills.
"The trades, as I call it, are in high demand and the trades cover a variety of programs from the building trades to welding, to machining, all the way through technical programs," Sorrells said. "One of the areas where there's high demand for in jobs right now is cyber security, computer programming and networking, as well as all of the healthcare programs from nursing all the way through."
Maria Holcomb, a student enrolled in the two-year medical sonography program at FTCC, said she spent four years earning a bachelor's degree in psychology from North Carolina A&T State University. She said there are benefits to both education paths depending on what the individual is seeking.
"When it comes to your social life when you're young if you want that sorority or fraternity life, I can understand the appeal of a four-year college," Holcomb said Friday. "The one thing that I wish I would've known back then ... is don't sign up for a four-year program without doing your research about what you're looking for in your future."
Holcomb said that after witnessing highly qualified and educated people get laid off during the pandemic, regardless of degree type or university background, she wanted to secure stable employment and so she went back to school. She said the main reason she chose vocational education was because it was affordable and she could get a degree faster.
"I think the biggest thing during COVID was an awareness in how quickly our economy and workforce in general, how it diminishes something like your degrees," Holcomb said. "A lot of people lost their jobs and then they had to restart."
Holcomb said it's been her experience that a degree from a community college is more valuable as it allows her two years of work experience compared to a four-year program.
FTCC's trade programs
One industry seeing significant enrollment growth is mechanic and repair trade programs. Enrollment rose by 11.5% from spring 2021 to spring 2022, according to the National Student Clearinghouse.
Sorrells said that jobs like welding and ultrasound technicians, which can come from a two-year degree, are becoming more attractive to students because they allow graduates to secure good-paying positions without attending school for four years, or in some cases, even two years. He said that by obtaining a credential or diploma with certificates and competencies that industries value, students can start their careers and progress towards higher-paying jobs.
"Welding students can get out and get started in jobs at $18-plus an hour, and if they're willing to work overtime and things of that nature, they could be making a six-figure income," Sorrells said. "It's one of the fastest ways now to a high-wage job because there's such demand for those jobs and they are also attractive to students because they can get in ... and not have to assume debt in many cases."
Bowen and Holcomb both stressed the importance of researching and keeping options open when considering which educational path to take after secondary school.
"Getting a four-year degree, I wouldn't like to deter anyone from that either because the career you want to choose obviously has different paths," Bowen said. "But for me, I can get a good job now just doing my little two-year degree."
Reporter Lizmary Evans covers growth and development for The Fayetteville Observer. You can reach her atLEvans@gannett.com
