When deciding between a traditional four-year college or university and a trade school, one of the biggest deciding factors will be what type of work you want to do in your future career. Some career paths make it easy for you to decide. For example, future teachers need to attend a four-year school, but future mechanics would learn their skills better at a trade school. Other options though, are less obvious. Talk to professionals in your field, particularly those who are in charge of hiring for the types of companies or organizations where you would like to work. You can find out what types of candidates hiring managers prefer to hire and what they would suggest for you to do in hindsight of their own decisions.
Four-year schools and vocational schools offer very different certifications to students upon graduation. At a four-year school, you'll earn a bachelor's degree, but at a vocational school, you'll receive a specialized certificate in your new area of expertise. For example, if you want to be a technical writer, you could get a bachelor's degree in English, or you could earn a technical writing certificate. The degree offers a broader education with greater job versatility if you change your mind about your work in the future, but you may find it easier to land a technical writing job straight out of school with a specialized certificate.
Think about the way you learn best and what type of learning environment you prefer. As a rule of thumb, four-year schools offer more of a lecture, visual, academic learning environment and vocational schools offer a hands-on approach. Vocational schools are also more likely to reflect your future workplace to get you well-accustomed to the job you'll be doing. Keep in mind that this isn't always the case, and you should look into the specific schools you're considering to find out for sure.
Assess your time and financial resources to help figure out which type of further education is best for you. The main resources you'll need to complete your education are money and time. A traditional college or university can take anywhere from three to five years to earn a Bachelor's degree, while a vocational school usually takes one to two years. Look up semester or year-long tuition costs, since these vary greatly among both four-year and vocational schools. As a rule of thumb, the less time (fewer semesters) you spend in school, the less you'll have to pay in tuition. If you want to attend a four-year university but don't have the cash to pay the bill up front, look into available scholarships, grants and loans.