The pie charts illustrate the distribution of career and academic choices made by high school graduates in Lakeside County in 2010 and 2020.
Overall, attending college remained the most popular choice in both years despite experiencing a considerable decline. In contrast, the proportion of graduates starting a business increased dramatically over the decade. Meanwhile, the percentage of graduates with no clear career plan also rose, whereas the shares of those entering employment and freelance or informal work changed only modestly.
In 2010, going to college was by far the most common destination, accounting for 55% of graduates. By comparison, 24% chose to enter the workforce immediately after graduation. Starting a business and having no definite career plan were the least popular options, with each representing just 5% of graduates. The remaining 11% worked in freelance or informal sectors.
By 2020, the distribution had become considerably more balanced. Although the proportion of graduates going to college fell significantly to 38%, it remained the largest category. In contrast, the figure for starting a business rose sharply to 24%, making it the second most common choice. Together, these two categories accounted for 62% of all graduates, suggesting that most students continued to favour either higher education or entrepreneurship. Meanwhile, the percentage of graduates with no clear career plan increased threefold to 15%. By comparison, the proportion entering regular employment declined substantially from 24% to 10%, falling from the second-largest category to the smallest. Finally, the share of graduates working in freelance or informal sectors increased only slightly, from 11% to 13%, indicating relative stability over the period.