Ballard High School has seen a drop in student interest in applying to university for the current senior class. Teachers have noted that the decline is more prominent in honors classes. In a survey collected by Between the Lines, around 37.2% of the class of 2026 are not interested in a four-year university (note that this information was taken from around 90 seniors; numbers could vary with a higher sample size).
While the percentage of students who still plan on attending college for at least pre-grad, the student-wide shift into wanting a less college-centered education is noticeable. Teachers have noted that fewer students have a strong interest in college applications. However, more students are open to alternative career paths. Many of them wanted to go to Military School, some even wanted to go to university after training. Around 6.5% of the respondents seemed more inclined to trade schools.
These shifts could indicate Ballard students’ desire to have more options for post-grad classes. Many pathways that are offered tend to lead to college. Where does that leave the students who may not know what they want to do? Students feel as if college may not be worth the cost, so should we offer more options to suit the potential downward trend in college applications?
