By Bruno V. Manno

Deciding what—if any—education to pursue after high school is more complicated than ever. And it’s not just high school graduates who worry about further education. Many adults are “upskilling,” and looking for the right educational environment to do that.

These decisions have lasting consequences. For example, the average 2017 college loan borrower will have more than $38,000 in debt after graduation, with the average bachelor’s degree holder taking 21 years to repay federal student loans.

Why seek further education, whether in a 4-year university, 2-year community college, vocational or other training program? How can these learners make better decisions about what’s right for them?

Michael Horn and Bob Moesta, both fellows at the Clayton Christensen Institute, tackle these issues in their new book Choosing College: How to Make Better Learning Decisions Throughout Your Life. They interviewed more than 200 individuals and surveyed more than 1,000 students, collecting detailed stories on their motivations for pursuing post-secondary education.