DENVER — As the cost of a four-year degree rises, technical schools are becoming an increasingly attractive option for those considering postgraduate studies.

According to Randy Johnson, executive director of Emily Griffith Technical College (EGTC), enrollment is up 6% this year.

He said the “immediate relevance” of a technical education was becoming increasingly attractive to students like Aly Gombos.

She graduated from high school in 2007 and took a two-year break before enrolling at Central Connecticut State University.

“I was working in the restaurant industry, really on my own, struggling to make ends meet,” Gombos said. “The only career advice anyone would give me was, ‘Go to college. Get a four-year degree. It doesn’t matter what you get your degree in.'”

So she majored in English and graduated in 2014. And views on the usefulness of her four-year degree changed, she said.

This year she decided to change careers.

“I looked at one program after another in all different price ranges. And this was the one I chose,” she said.

Gombos enrolled in EGTC’s Multimedia and Video Production program, an 11-month, part-time program that cost her less than $7,000.

She said it was only a fifth of the cost of her bachelor’s degree.

“I’ve only been doing this for a week, but so far I feel like it’s absolutely worth the financial investment,” Gombos said.

With her English degree, Gombos felt like she was living paycheck to paycheck. EGTC prides itself on offering programs that result in “living wages.”

“85% of our students who start a program with us will complete that program. 93% of our students will get a job in their field and we expect 100% of our students who take a professional exam to pass that exam,” Johnson said.

According to Johnson, the return on investment is clear.

“Every one of our students that comes through the doors here finds employment. And they find not only a living wage, but a wage that will enable them to build their own families and communities,” he said. “Here we take the first step in the journey to higher education. The salary ranges, all of our salaries, we don’t offer a program that doesn’t offer a living wage.”

According to Gombos, it’s not just the salary that matters. The biggest difference is the specific skills she can demonstrate.

“I truly believe that the entire trajectory of my career would have been different if I had had access to this program at 18,” she said.

EGTC offers 19 different career paths and there is no age limit for enrollment.

“This is a really doable, really important and really clear next step in her career, in her life’s journey,” Johnson said.

Interest in technical universities is increasing as the costs of 4-year degree programs rise