The college degree just had its worst year on record. Here's who's winning instead.

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Can I be honest with you for a second?

The class of 2026 just graduated into the worst job market for college grads in over a decade.

Let that sink in.

6.8% unemployment for recent college grads. Up from 4.6% last year.

And here's the stat that should make every single person reading this newsletter feel vindicated:

Over 40% of new college graduates are currently working jobs that don't even require a degree.

40%.

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They spent 4 years and $40,000+ in debt. And they're doing work a high school diploma covers.

Meanwhile, trade school students are coming out of a 6- to 12-week program and walking into $60K, $70K, or $80K jobs.

No debt. Day one income. Employers are begging for them.

This isn't a trade school talking point anymore. This is the data.

Here's what nobody's saying out loud yet.

The college premium — the idea that a degree automatically means more money is shrinking fast.

47% of skilled trades workers now out-earn the median college graduate.

Read that again. Nearly HALF of tradespeople make more than the average person who went to college.

And the trades workers? They didn't start $40K in the hole. They started earning on day one.

So why does this matter for your school right now?

Because parents are watching this happen to their kids and neighbors.

Because laid-off workers are doing the math and the trades are winning.

Because a 22 year old with a communications degree and $40K in debt is now your best enrollment prospect.

The narrative is shifting in real time and it's shifting in your direction.

The question isn't whether people are going to start choosing trades over college.

They already are.

The question is whether they find YOUR school when they go looking.

If you're not telling this story in your marketing right now you are leaving enrollment on the table.

Not next quarter. Right now.

This is the moment your school was built for.

P.S. — Forward this to someone who still thinks college is the only path. Let the numbers do the talking.

Until next time — control what YOU can control, take action on something, and don't forget to smile.

Hector Resendez