Most high school students think that enrolling in a four-year college or university is the best way to find a good job that pays well.  However, they should consider going to a technical school or a community college with an automotive technician program.

First of all, automotive programs are usually only two years and can be only one year if a student has credit from a high school program.  Second, the cost of attending a technical school or community college is a fraction of what a student will pay at even the cheapest universities.  Third, when the student graduates, he or she will know that they have a career waiting for them.
Automotive technicians are in such high demand precisely because so few high school students enroll in auto technology programs.  Many college students major in something very general like business administration or English, and neither of these majors have a clear career path and thus students have a hard time finding an entry-level job.  Also, if a student does find an entry level job, it is very low paying and does not have much room for upward mobility.

An automotive technician, on the other hand, has a career set up for him or her, is in high demand, and can make as much as six figures with the right experience.  An automotive technician may be involved in hands on work when beginning his or her career, but by the end he or she should have moved up to a supervisor position.  Once an automotive technician is a supervisor, he or she does not do hands on work and simply diagnoses the problems and tells someone else how to handle it.  Also, supervisors at moderate to large shops nearly all make six figures or near that.

Therefore, instead of going the same old route to an expensive four year college, where you probably will not have a job waiting for you, consider enrolling in an automotive technical program where you can make good money and go to school for half the time.