SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Are young people saying no to college debt and saying yes to technical certificates, which are more affordable and take less time to earn?

Nationwide enrollment in mechanic and repair trade programs grew by more than 11% in 2021 and 2022. Enrollment at two- and four-year universities is on the decline, though.

More than half of university students drop out, and around 79% of university students delay graduation because they can’t afford to pay for school. The days of Americans believing that graduating from a university is the only path to success may be coming to an end.

Here’s how it happened.

Most college students never finish

Did you know that up to 40% of all students that begin college never graduate? Or that more than a million college students drop out of school every year?

The cost of college tuition is astounding, with the average college student acquiring more than $36,000 in debt before graduation. It’s such an American problem that in 2020, the total student loan debt in the United States reached more than $1.7 trillion.

Many college dropouts have the debt to show for their efforts but not the degree.

Meanwhile, the average trade school graduate owes only $10,000 in debt on his or her graduation day. Trade schools are half to one-tenth the cost of traditional colleges.

College dropouts have an unemployment rate 17% higher than the national average, while

Could you find a career match with one of these technical schools near Shreveport?

If you’re one of the students struggling to find the training you need to get a good job without paying more for that training than you will make at that job, then perhaps a technical school might be a perfect fit for you.

And it just so happens that there is a large selection of trade schools in or near Shreveport.

Which degree sounds good to you? Just click on the links below to learn more about your potential new school, degree, and career.

Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College

At the three Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College campuses (Minden, Mansfield, and Shreveport) students are given a wide variety of options! The price to attend this school averages out to $11,244 a year per student. Most students receive almost $6,500 in financial aid.

Major in:

Rock Bridge Training Institute

Rock Bridge Training Institute is located in Shreveport, and you can major in:

Ayers Career College

Ayers Career College in Shreveport can provide you with one of these four degree plans:

Caddo Career & Technology

Caddo Career & Technology Center, located in Shreveport, can get you into these fields:

Remington College Shreveport Campus

Remington College Shreveport Campus offers degrees in:

Louisiana Delta Community College

Southern Arkansas University Tech

Southern Arkansas University Tech is located in Camden, Arkansas, but student housing is available. Imagine paying only $2500 per semester for housing and food!

Here are their available degree programs:

Texas State Technical College

These degrees are available at Texas State Technical College, Marshall:

Northeast Texas Community College

Check out these degrees available at Northeast Texas Community College:

  • Auto Body Repair
  • Automotive Service Tech
  • Cosmetology Instructor Training
  • Cosmetology Operator
  • Criminal Justice with Law Enforcement Cert
  • Criminal Justice
  • Culinary Arts
  • Electrical Technology
  • Industrial Technology
  • Welding
  • Accounting
  • Advanced Computer Applications
  • Agriculture
  • Applications Specialization
  • Art/Graphic Arts
  • Nursing
  • Auto Maintenance and Light Repair
  • Auto Maintenance Specialist
  • Auto Service Technician Specialization
  • Biology
  • Biomedical Science
  • Business Administration
  • Business Management degrees
  • Carroll Shelby Performance Academy
  • Chemistry
  • CNC Operator
  • Communications
  • Computer and Information Sciences
  • Computer Maintenance & Repair
  • Computer Programming
  • Emergency Medical Services
  • EMS Paramedic
  • English
  • Computer Applications
  • Farm and Ranch Management
  • Funeral Service
  • Government
  • Healthcare Management
  • History
  • Human Performance
  • Industrial Electro-Mechanical Technology
  • Human Performance
  • Industrial Technician
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Assistant–Medical Coding Specialist
  • Medical Assistant
  • Medical Laboratory Technology
  • Music
  • Networking Specialization
  • Patient Care Technician
  • Physical Education
  • Physical Therapist Assistant
  • Physics
  • Pipe Welding Fabrication
  • Pre-BS Nursing
  • Psychology
  • Robotics/Automation Operations Emphasis
  • Social Work
  • Sociology
  • Spanish
  • Sustainable Agriculture
  • Teacher Education
  • Theatre
  • Vocational Nursing

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