8 Types of Schools
Ideally, you’ve read “Speed to Degree” & “Cost Cutting Tricks” already...which kinda helps
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​So, we’re finally here! It's time to talk about the OFFICIAL “8 Types of Schools”!
Lesson #1: there is no such thing. Sorry about that---there’s really like 35+ variations in the US today--but there is a ton of overlap.
So, what CollegeDawg did was boil down those 35+ variations and put them into 8 simple and easily understandable "groupings" regarding Colleges & Career Training. This way you'd get the basics of what's offered, and the Pro's & Con's of the different types. Yeah----we've used lots of generalities to take out the complexity and paint a "Clearer Picture" for all involved (hopefully it will get the desired effect!). In a perfect world this would help you decide which "ONEs" might be a good fit for you personally---or at least give you the ammo to point others in the right direction.
Believe it or not---each of these "8 Types" have some considerable benefits and distinct advantages---with very few trade-offs in regard to employment opportunities long term.
You will be VERY SURPRISED by what’s actually out there---and what you thought to be true, maybe isn’t so!
Some of the Important Things You Should Pick Up:
*At least 4-5 New School Variations an Aspiring Student can choose for a Great Career
*The Difference between Public and Private Universities (is there really ANY?)
*Does the ACTUAL SCHOOL MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE to Most Employers?
*The Advantages of Career Schools, Professional Licensing Programs, & Career Colleges
*The Benefits of Online Schools, Their Various Forms, and Why You Might Consider Them
*Community Colleges – The “Big Time” Advantages vs Some Important Downsides (includes most Jr. Colleges and Technical Schools)
*The 100% Covered Colleges Available to Military Newbies (almost immediately)
*Are those Partial Scholarships from smaller Expensive Private Universities REALLY Scholarships, or just Ego-Boosting Coupons?
*Are the Academics, School Status, & “Networks” really worth $150k-$250k, or should it be more about the Overall Cost, Time Investment Required, and the EMPLOYERS THAT HIRE from them at a high percentage (each and every year)?
*This one will hurt a tad (Parents). MANY of you are allowing yourself to be sold on terms like “My Dream School”, “Getting into The Best School” and “I Want the College Experience”. I hate to say it, but it’s the equivalent of De Beers (and other Jewelers) telling us we should spend 3 MONTHS SALARY on an engagement ring! Don’t let us get started on Weddings…
*Remember, Brian H has either worked as an Executive at some of these, networked with others, attended a few as a Student, or had a mentee/relative attend one and worked with their School Personnel----(8 of the 8 Types actually). During his Career he’s been involved with HIRING HUNDREDS of college-educated people (after sifting through THOUSANDS of Resumes). But of course, WE KNOW----there is still plenty of room for oversights/inaccuracies, differing opinions, and ongoing learning opportunities here! Just keep an open mind---and let us know if you've got anything that helps!
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Side Note With That in Mind: When you get done reviewing these school types, there is an additional section at the bottom of this page that provides an overview of all the Grad and Career related statistics we've shown. It also touches on the "perceived" importance regarding Individual School Names, Majors, and Degree Types as related to Employment in the US collectively. It's definitely not necessary reading for CD Strategies---but might be interesting to you "inquisitive types".
OK, with that out of the way this is a VERY GOOD TIME to remind you that
The Higher Education Industry is a BUSINESS---
as demonstrated throughout the CollegeDawg site.
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Don’t let the words “Non-Profit” fool you. For the most part these Colleges are not "Charity" nor "Virtuous" in nature regarding the Overwhelming Majority of their students. This should be obvious based on the crazy College Costs and the non-proportional increases over the years (not to mention Executive & Upper Management Pay). Are there a few TRULY NOT-FOR-PROFIT schools that are “just making overhead” and focused purely on student success and serving the greater good---sure there are. But just understand 80%+ are a Business. This is not to slam Schools. Once again---it just is what it is. We just want to make sure we're all on the same page regarding this whole "They're a Business Thing". Does a Business obsess about Cash Flow, P&L, Generating New Business, Keeping Existing Customers, Investing Profits, Minimizing Tax Burdens, Expanding Revenue Streams, & Overall Reputation? You Bet. So, if these guys don’t meet their ENROLLMENT or STUDENT RETENTION numbers, people get fired---just like in the real world.
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Anyway, now that you know they NEED YOU (& your business)-----
you can figure out which School Type YOU NEED...
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Career Schools
Plus Licensing Only Professions & Career Colleges
OK, clear your mind. These are not "trade schools". These options include TONs of high-paying Professional Jobs in the white-collar, blue-collar, & healthcare worlds. These Schools, or "Paths to Licensing" are some of the most misunderstood, yet MOST VALUABLE to many students. They are usually affiliated with specific Employers and quickly adjust curriculum based upon the input of those Partners. The programs can go from 6-8 month Certifications, to Professional Associate Degrees. Ex. Careers include: Commercial Pilot, Registered Nurse, Computer Networking, Investment Advisor, Diesel Mechanic., Veterinary Tech., Robotics, Paralegal, Surgical Tech, Air Traffic Controller, & Sonographer. Prepare yourself...
Public Universities
“Football Schools” vs. Regional Options
These 2 University “Types” are often grouped together for some, while others believe there is
a vast divide in Prestige and Success. Here we will keep things basic, and refer to them as:
(Group 1) "Flagship Colleges or Football Schools” & (Group 2) The “Branch or Regional” Universities. Each State's "Power 4 Football Schools" or More Prestigious Public Univ. are very well known, while Regional or Branch Colleges are kinda left in their shadows more often.
In this section, you’ll hear about all the advantages you might find at the less well-known schools vs the “Big Players”. Many find the Academic Flexibility, Cost, Institutional Scholarships, Smaller Environment & Regional Employment Opportunities (w/ reduced competition) to be very attractive.
Private Universities
Campus-Based vs
Accelerated-Career Universities
Private Universities have vast differences in focus & purpose within this one category. The Schools most people think of are the Campus-Based version, with many seeing them as more Prestigious or Exclusive. Others might think Over-Priced and Over-Hyped. Both can be true about these (and I graduated from one). In contrast, there are some that are VERY Accelerated, go year-round, typically offer daytime, weeknight, or even weekend classes to allow students to knock out a Bachelor's in 2-2.5 years starting from zero. These are the ones you'll see locally, and often have the lights on until 11:00 at night helping get students quickly into a new Career Field or assisting others in their quest to take their current Career to the next level!
Community Colleges
Also 2 yr Technical Colleges (& Jr. Colleges)
ALMOST ALWAYS the most cost-effective option. Community Colleges—often referred to
interchangeably as Technical Colleges (or sometimes Junior Colleges in certain cases)—are great options to knock out your first 2 years of college if you eventually want to graduate from a specific University. They allow you to get almost all Gen Eds & Electives done, along with some Pre-reqs, at a greatly reduced cost. Nowadays (perhaps even more importantly), THEY ARE ALSO excellent at 2-year "Applied Associate Degrees" with the Student going right into a Professional Career afterward--some paying more than MANY Bachelor’s Degrees.
Online Universities
Are They Now Considered Equal?
Back in the day, any College that wasn’t “on a campus” was thought to be greatly inferior. The pioneers of this degree method (although not treated well), laid a foundation that has been built upon for the last 25 years. NOW, almost all schools have Online options--even the “Football Schools”. There are “Online Universities” that specialize in it exclusively; and others that offer it as an option on some degrees or as a “Hybrid” alternative for specific classes. Either way, if you have an internet connection, school is always an option these days!
PS: We'll also show you ways to get that degree for FREE!
100% Funded
Military – All School Types Avail.
On this--just know, Brian had ZERO intention of going into the Marines at 18, but left with a
Master’s Degree, awesome skills, job opportunities, and a TRUE NETWORK. So, what do these guys get now? Well, 100% Tuition Assistance is available with most branches after your “Career Field” training is over. Typically, most Online Univ.’s are available, but also there are several mainstream Colleges & Universities on most bases (small satellite or extension locations) offering live classes. MOST of the Online/On-base stuff is set up as “accelerated”. So, check em’ out!
Career & Grad Statistics and a few "Touchy" Subjects:
-Does the School Name Matter?
-Does the Degree Major Matter for most US Jobs?
-Is a Bachelor's Degree Even Required These Days?
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So----We've thrown a few "Stats" and "Survey Results" at you regarding Degrees, Careers, Graduate Info, & Employment Data to illustrate certain points throughout our site. Basically, they've involved info from industry, organizational, or governmental research or surveys. Although,
EVEN WE DON'T BELIEVE these percentages have pin-point accuracy--they really seem to be fairly representative on each subject when looking across multiple sources. We just look at them as baselines from the Data that's out there---along with using a little Common Sense & Experience.​
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Anyway----here's some of the stuff you've seen on our site.
Believe them or not, we'll follow them up with a little perspective.
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* 54% of Grads Don't Work in the Field of Their Degree (NSCG/Census Bureau & Strada Institute)
* 45% of College Grads remain "Underemployed" after 10 years (NSCG/Census Bureau & Strada Institute)
* 70-75% of jobs in the US today do not REQUIRE a Bachelor's Degree (Bureau of Labor Statistics - BLS)
* 60% of Jobs that DO REQUIRE a Bachelor's don't care what your Major was (Synthesis of findings: Burning Glass Institute, Harvard Business School, Bureau of Labor Statistics & Georgetown Center on Education & the Workforce)
* 35% of Grads Regret Their Degree Choice (this moves up to 44% once STEM & Healthcare are removed) - (USA Today & The Fed)
* Only 9% of Companies said University/College Name was "Very Important" to Them - (Strada Education Network)
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So, to Summarize the 3 Main Questions from Above:
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1. Does the School Name Matter? In the great majority of jobs, it does not. But...
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2. Does your Degree Major Matter for Most Positions out there? It does not. But...
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3. Is a Bachelor's Degree necessary to get a High-Paying, In-Demand, & Professional Job in America today? It is not. But...
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​OK, So we'll go in reverse order here!
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We've already answered #3 (Are Bachelor's Degrees Necessary?) in other sections. You can find indisputable info related to this in our Career School section, the Community & Technical College overview, and in the last box called "100% Funded". Simply put, there ARE MANY Career Fields requiring far less classroom time, that are way more in-demand, with higher average pay, & with more forecasted growth than the AVERAGE Bachelor's Major. It's just a fact. There are tons of Careers you can do with an Applied Associate of Science Degree, Certifications & Licensing Specialties, or Specific Careers in the Military (with clear cross-over to Civilian Life later). Simply put----don't believe the hype, the Bachelor's are no longer necessary in MANY CASES
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Now, #2. Does the Degree Major Matter for most Positions out there? No, but. We now know that most US jobs that require a Bachelor's degree pretty much need just that. ANY Bachelor's Degree. Just look around you. Ask your Co-workers, your FB Friends, and your Neighbors. You WILL find that more than 1/2 are not working in the field of their degree (if your sample size is large enough and diverse enough)! The percentage would be even higher if you took some General "Business" Degrees out----as pretty much everything is a Business. No offense---my Bachelor's is in Business Administration---and I'm technically using it now. Get the point?
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Now, The BIG "HOWEVER" on #2. If you were working with CollegeDawg----we absolutely would be recommending Career Fields that had Specific Degrees that were needed for SPECIFIC CAREERS. Our over-arching rule is "In-Demand", "Above Median Pay", some "Projected Growth" (or at least maintaining), and "YOUR DEGREE is almost always necessary for the field". The easiest examples are STEM Careers, Healthcare Positions, or specific Business-related Professions. Of course, there are some other great examples--- but we're not gonna go through them individually.
Also, there are plenty of degrees that are very focused and meet SOME of those qualifications we outlined. Anything Education related is Specific, as is Theology, Counseling, Social Work, Interior Design, & Journalism. But do they meet ALL OF THE CRITERIA? That's your call...
However, we get it...it's not all about the money or the ability to readily job-hop for some. And in ALL OF THOSE FIELDS, the top 10-20%-er's are certainly above the US Median Income for jobs requiring Degrees---some well above. It's just not the norm. I'm just telling you if it was my kid (or me doing it over again)---there is little chance I would recommend something non-specific or outside of our criteria. The one exception would be if "your passion" or "the mission" was most important. Just go in with your eyes wide open regarding employment opportunities & income levels...
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So lastly, #1. Does the School Name Matter? Yeah, I hate this topic. Because my answers are always the same----as are the general arguments.
But to answer the question---for the most part the College's Name doesn't matter much for 85-90% of US Jobs out there. It's just statistically correct in almost all unbiased research.
Of course, a lot of that 10-15% (where School Name DOES MATTER) include the High-Level Professions, we call the Grad School+ Careers. With those, if you're trying to get into heavily IN-DEMAND Grad Schools, then undergrad University Name usually matters a lot. Obviously, this carries over to many Employers in those types of fields---it's definitely understandable.
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Similarly, on the Bachelor's Level there may be fields related to STEM, Healthcare, Business etc... where Individual Companies ONLY recruit from certain Schools (at least as an initial hire out of college). But in the grand scheme of things, they're just kinda like one-offs vs. Mainstream America. It just doesn't matter as much as it's portrayed...
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Think of it this way---if you get a Literature degree from an Ivy League School----that's wonderful. But I assure you, a STEM degree from Lander University (a Public Univ. here in SC) will be way more in-demand, have more employer options, and on average make far more money. And even if you randomly selected and compared similar degrees at both schools-----in Mainstream America (ie... the majority of jobs), you're gonna get hired and paid at relatively the same rates. These companies don't have 2 different pay scales. Hopefully that makes the point fairly simple.
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To close---------originally, I had another 1000 words prepared for this section discussing my experience hiring and the rare occasions where a College's Name mattered. I also discussed the 90% of positions that I worked with that required JUST A DEGREE---any Degree. Lastly, I reflected on the Colleges I've worked at, and watching Grads with Specific STEM & Healthcare Degrees leave in great demand. But I think that's enough.​​
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​​CollegeDawg is certainly not the end-all, be-all on this stuff. Regarding Bachelor's Degrees---we're sure you could be the World's Best Professional at Art History, Philosophy, Gender Studies, Psychology, Pre-Law, Astronomy, Nutrition, Political Science, Fashion Design, Liberal Arts, Ethnic Studies, Anthropology, Literature, Interior Design, Ancient History, Geography, Music, or a Specific Foreign Language. They're just not what we would call "In-Demand, Mainstream, & with Above Average Pay".
But hey----60% of Jobs are "Degree Agnostic", so your "safety net" is pretty wide!
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However, we don't think that's what most students envision when they head off to College...​
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Bottom Line----CollegeDawg Favors Specific Degrees
for SPECIFIC JOBS where you've done the research on
Current Demand, Income Levels, and Forecasted Growth
Nationwide, Regionally, or in Your Area.
It's really not all that complicated...
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