Our goal at American Student Assistance (ASA) is to foster a generation of confident, crisis-proof young people who are ready for whatever path comes next after high school. For some students, it might be a two- or four-year college degree but for others, a nontraditional education pathway (e.g., vocational/technical schools, apprenticeships, technology bootcamps/certifications) may be a better fit for their individual circumstances.

But are young people aware of all of their options? Do they have access to the right resources so that they can plan their next steps after high school? And are they getting that information early enough to make a decision?

To answer these questions and more, ASA conducted a nationwide survey with over 3,000 7th-12th graders in 2024. Below, we’ll share their responses and the implications for policy makers, educators, and workforce development stakeholders.

Schools are providing the right resources

Students gave their schools high marks for the career readiness resources they provide. Eighty-two percent of students surveyed agreed with the statement “my school provides me with the right resources to plan for my next steps after high school.” This vote of confidence in their schools has increased over time, from 59% in 2018 and 63% in 2021.

It’s interesting to note that the greatest increase in confidence occurred for students in middle school. In 2018 only 60% of 7^th and 8^th graders agreed their schools provided them with the right resources compared to 90% in 2024.

One reason for this increase is that federal funding has begun opening up to include middle school career exploration programs, which has also influenced states and local governments to focus more resources on career planning in earlier grades.

Middle school students are eager to explore their career options and educational pathways. In a study by ASA and the Education Strategy Group (ESG), an 8^th grade girl from Virginia summed it up when she said, “I feel like we should get to explore the careers and find out what you would do in the careers and how you need to get there…I feel like we don’t really do that a lot. And we need more of that.”

It's important to note that while students’ confidence in their school’s career resources is high, it varies by race/ethnicity as well as age. Eighty-eight percent of white students agreed that their school provides them with the right resources, while only 73% of students of color said the same. And while 90% of middle school students have confidence in their school’s resources, only 75% of late high school students shared that sentiment.

Career resources outside of schools receive high marks

Outside of schools, community-based organizations, federal and state governments, and the private sector also provide career planning resources to young people. For example, the US Department of Labor’s O*Net offers students self-directed career exploration and assessment tools, Kentucky’s Students’ Right to Know dashboard links college majors to the most in-demand jobs and their salaries, and ASA’s EvolveMe® engages teens in career exploration activities.

When asked if they had the right resources outside of school to prepare them for life after high school, students responded at similar levels as they did about school resources.

Middle school career exploration programs are making an impact

Teens’ confidence in the resources they receive in and out of school to plan their next steps after high school is promising. For ASA, it’s even more exciting to see that 7^th and 8^th graders expressed the most confidence (90%) since middle school career exploration programs are still in a nascent stage. By working together to grow and enhance career resources in earlier grades, we can raise a generation of young people who are ready for whatever comes after high school.

This concludes our three-part series on Next Steps: An Analysis of Teens’ Post-High School Plans. To learn more about the results, read our previous articles on teen attitudes, perceptions, and intentions after graduation and how parents are influencing their children’s postsecondary plans.