Only 55% of Woodgrove’s 2025 graduating class have applied to a traditional four-year college as of the beginning of December. While these numbers are self-reported, there is a concrete trend of college enrollment rates decreasing not only in Woodgrove, but also the entire country. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, 99 institutions across the United States have closed between the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years due to decreasing enrollment rates.
While the reasons for reduced college enrollment and increased institutional closures across America vary, Business Insider states that the rise in tuition costs, increased polarization of campus politics, and a hot labor market are the main contributors to the enrollment decline in traditional four-year colleges. However, at Woodgrove High School, the leading suspect to the unfulfillment of a four-year degree can be traced back to the rise of Career and Technical Education classes and specialized schools in Loudoun County.
Woodgrove offers a variety of Career and Technical Education (CTE) electives. The mission statement of the CTE department can be found on the school website, declaring, “Our mission is to ensure that every graduate is prepared for life beyond high school whether it is through joining the military, continuing with their post-secondary education, or by directly entering the workforce.”
Career and Technical Education teachers at Woodgrove, Ms. Georgina Bingaman and Ms. Mary Duvall are passionate about teaching CTE and encourage their students to take the post-graduation pathway that best suits their respective needs. “I encourage them [students] to attend a traditional 4-year college if it applies to what they want to do in the future,” Duvall voiced. Duvall attended Shepherd University for four years, majoring in communications and minoring in economics. Duvall motivates her students to consistently stay educated, no matter the path they take out of high school. She communicated, “Always take classes. Pursue what your interest is.”
Bingaman, on the other hand, did not attend college. Instead, she was active duty in the Air Force and obtained a range of degrees, but has never done so in a conventional way. “I don’t think there’s one thing I’ve ever been traditional about in my whole entire life,” she said. Bingaman and Duvall are interested in helping students bridge the gap between graduating high school and taking the pathway that best suits them beyond graduation.
Ms. Jennie Hill, the Career and College Advisor at Woodgrove, advises students to understand their options post-graduation. “There are trade schools, there are two-year associate degrees, there are apprenticeships, there’s the military…there’s just a million options,” she stated. Through one-on-one discussions, Hill can help students formulate a plan for post-high school, which is her goal for every student. Hill expressed, “You just have to have a plan. Whatever that plan is, I’m supportive. You just have to know you’re doing something when you graduate.” Hill also touched on the importance of CTE classes and specialized schooling, explaining that through certifications and skills emphasized in respective classrooms, CTE is a helpful tool that prepares students for their future careers.
Senior Sam Parsons takes an automotive service class at the Monroe Advanced Technical Academy (MATA), a specialized Career and Technical Education school offered through the Loudoun County Public School system. His post-graduate plan is to attend a four-year trade school and focus on heavy-duty diesel mechanics to pursue his passion for working on semi-trucks. “The biggest reason why I wanted to go to a trade school over a regular college is because I can gain the business and the working aspect from the trade school, as well as learn the management part. Overall, the price is just way lower than your traditional four-year tuition,” Parsons explained. Parsons plans to attend the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH), a top trade school of automotive and diesel technology and industries.
Junior Joseph Shankin also shares an interest in UNOH. Shankin claimed he does not plan to attend a traditional four-year college because it does not align with his future plans. For him, some aspects of traditional four year colleges are “a waste of money and time.” Shankin takes a shop class, one of the most well-known CTE classes offered in high schools around the country, where he works on engines and does welding. Shankin has loved working on small engines ever since he was little, and even works on his teacher’s truck during class time.
Currently taking an auto collision class at MATA, Junior Rylee Mahzoun plans to attend Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (PIA), a trade school known for its aviation maintenance and electronics technology programs. While she has learned a variety of technical skills through taking CTE classes at Woodgrove and MATA, Mahzoun explained her biggest takeaways from the classes have been life and job skills. “When you’re a girl working in a male-dominated field, you have to get a stand for yourself, you can’t just be a pushover. It has definitely helped me learn a lot of personal skills, like how to stand up for myself and not be scared to do what I want to do,” she emphasized.
Career and Technical Education classes offered by Woodgrove and MATA have provided students with various opportunities following high school graduation. While enrollment in traditional four-year colleges is decreasing, the utilization of copious skills that CTE classes have taught high school students, whether technical or soft, is on the rise.