As a high school student, teachers and guidance counselors are constantly getting you ready for whenever you go to college. While this may have good intentions to give every student an opportunity to figure out what they want to do with their life, college isn’t exactly an option that everyone needs to consider.

Not all students have to go to college in order to be successful in life. Around nine million young adults in the United States are a part of the workforce while not having any degrees from college. A college degree isn’t always needed in order to have a job.

One alternative to going to college is to learn a trade. There are several ways that this can be accomplished. One such way is by attending a trade school. These schools help to provide technical skills that students use in different trades that they may want to go into. Most trade schools offer degrees that take at most two years to finish. On average, a certification from a trade school costs $33,000, while the average bachelor’s degree costs around $127,000. Trade school is a cheaper alternative to college and can help young adults enter the workforce earlier and with more skills.

“Trade schools typically take a lot less time to complete, have smaller class sizes, and the majority of the training is hands-on, which is an ideal environment for many types of learners. Vocational degrees can lead to well-paying jobs like electrician, mechanic, machinist, pharmacy technician, nuclear technician, and dental hygienist, with room for growth and managerial potential in each field,” journalist Trent Hamm said.

Another alternative to going to college is to join the military. Around 500,000 young adults choose to join the military after finishing high school. Many people who join the military make a career out of it by staying in the service their whole life or save up money that can be used at another time.

While college isn’t for everyone, the cost of college definitely is not. While most colleges offer financial aid in some way and a plethora of scholarships are available, more than 70 percent of Americans graduate college with student debt. More than 44 million americans today hold over 1.4 trillion dollars worth of student debt from having to pay for college. The average young adult who borrows for student loans pays back $203 per month.

Most students who enroll in college apply for student loans to help pay for their education. However, students who drop out are stuck with these debts that they have to pay off even though they did not get their full college education. 28 percent of college students drop out after their first year in college. At community colleges, the rate of graduation is even lower. Only 57 percent of people in community college graduate with a degree.

People who do end up graduating with a college degree don’t always end up using their degree in the field that they go into. Only 62 percent of college graduates work in a field where a degree is required. According to the Washington Post, a survey found only 27.3 percent of people with a degree actually work in a field that relates to their major. Overall, it’s not really necessary to have a degree to work certain jobs and the job that someone gets doesn’t always have to relate to what they went to college for.

While college is the right decision for some young adults, it isn’t the option for everyone. There any many other fields of work that don’t require a college degree and even if someone has a college degree, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are using it. Instead, look into other options that are out there and see which one is the best for what you want to do, whether it be a trade school or the military, there is always a correct option for everyone.