All throughout high school, students are prepared for college and are told that college is the main goal to a successful future. But for many, that is not true.  Many people such as Steve Jobs and even Bill Gates are some of the most successful people in the United States that did not finish college. There are many jobs that you can work towards without having to spend thousands on a college degree. These jobs have a wide range from low to high incomes per year and can be found in any industry that you are interested in ranging from art, medical, cosmetology, etc. 

Without a college degree, you can become a medical assistant which only requires a highschool diploma and a completed medical assistant certificate from a program like the medical assistant training program that Florida Career College offers. You can complete this program in as few as 10 months according to Florida Career College. There are a range of many different options in being a medical assistant such as becoming a fertility medical assistant to becoming a medical assistant in podiatry. According to Health job they state that with more experience the higher your pay is and one of the highest paying medical assistant jobs is a cardiology and podiatry medical assistant.

If you are not interested in being a medical assistant but you want to do something in the medical field, you can also look at becoming an EMT(Emergency Medical Technician) which only requires you to go through the EMT program that can take up to 15 weeks to complete according to CF. But you can also become a pharmacy technician which requires a high school diploma and certificate earned from a pharmacy technician program. The process to become a pharmacy technician may take up to 10 months and you must be a minimum of 17 years old to become an applicant according to Florida Career College. This approach helps you also achieve hands-on learning which is what some people prefer.

As a matter of fact, a college student I know who attends Broward College states that she struggles with her classes because she is best with a hands-on approach to learning. With college you have to go through a lot of studying and learning from books which is hard for students like her to find the motivation and interest in their intended major which can be really hard on a student’s performance in school. Thus, if you find yourself in this position maybe it is time to consider an approach to your career that works for you. Such as joining programs that offer a hands-on learning experience.

If you are interested in cosmetology you can become a nail technician, makeup artist, or hair stylist. None of these jobs require a college degree and offer you a more hands-on experience with schooling. People may become intimidated by cosmetology because they believe it requires talent and art skills, but in reality through cosmetology school programs you learn these skills yourself and you improve with practice. FTC states that for these jobs they may require you to be a minimum of 16 years old, with a high school diploma, and be certified through a state certified program.  FTC also states that to become a licensed cosmetologist you must complete 1,200 hours of training and to become a  nail specialist you must complete 240 school hours in nail tech coursework. The programs are great for your future in cosmetology and allow you to learn hands on. 

There are also jobs that even take you around the world such as becoming a flight attendant which requires you to be a minimum of 18 years old with a high school diploma, a valid passport, vision correctable to at least 20/40, meet height requirements, and be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration according to U.S Bureau of labor statistics. The program may take 3 to 6 weeks to finish according to Indeed. Furthermore, you can also become a commercial pilot through certification and training through FAA(Federal Aviation Administration) and ATP(Airline Pilot Transport) which can take up to 2 years to achieve according to ATP flight school.

There are many jobs in the art industry that do not require a degree as well, such as becoming a choreographer, graphic designer, photographer, musician, and dancer. This is great for people with not only talent but also with a broad imagination. But these jobs can be very competitive and require a lot of time and creativity. According to the Academy of Animated Art the highest paying jobs in the art industry without a college degree can range from game designers, web developers, social media strategists, and copywriters.

But if you want to pursue your career through college but are worried because of  financial reasons, you may want to consider joining the U.S military because you can pursue your career in medicine, engineering, dentistry, etc. and have your education paid for by the military. Many students find it as a great opportunity to get out into the world and begin their career. The military can cover up to 100% of your tuition, money for housing, and money for books or supplies according to the USArmy, depending on your time served in the military. There are also different programs that they offer when you are on active duty.

Based on these job opportunities it is possible to become successful without a college degree. Whether you want to pursue something in medical, cosmetology, traveling, mechanics, etc. Although there are some limiting factors to this wide range of different job opportunities it is not impossible to pursue your career without a degree. Outside of what I listed, you can also pursue becoming an electrician, patrol officer, firefighter, Marketing representative, etc. without a college degree. Thus, if you find yourself struggling to continue in college or even attending college for whatever reason that may be, there are still many opportunities for you and your career outside of a college degree.