What is causing this trend?

Star News reports.

More high school grads choosing two-year college

SOUTHEASTERN N.C. | Since 2003, the number of high school graduates in North Carolina choosing a two-year institution has been slowly increasing.

According to N.C.’s Department of Public Instruction, 33.6 percent of high school graduates from 2002-03 were enrolling in two-year colleges. From 2007-08, 36.3 percent were choosing two-year programs, and from 2011-12, that number rose to 38 percent.

Dean Heath, Cape Fear Community College’s high school recruiter, said the numbers are pretty powerful, and he has seen a lot of interest from students in the area.

“A lot of students are interested in a two-year vocational program, and a lot are interested in completing two years and then transferring,” he said. “I think a lot of it has to do with economics.”

Going into the 2014-15 year, according to CFCC’s in-state tuition numbers, for a student completing 12 credit hours over two years, a full course load, a student would pay about $3,864 including tuition, student activity fees, parking and technology fees. According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition at a private college for the 2014-15 school year was $31,231 and for in-state residents at public colleges, the average cost was $9,139.