Assess students' ability to evaluate and compare six post-secondary pathways—trade school, apprenticeship, community college, four-year university, gap year, and immediate workforce entry—by analyzing personal goals and values, financial constraints (tuition, living costs, aid, debt), labor-market data (regional demand, wage trajectories, job stability), and opportunity costs (time-to-credential, foregone earnings). Tasks include interpreting basic labor-market tables, estimating short- and long-term net benefits, identifying trade-offs and risks, and producing a justified, evidence-based recommendation for a given student profile.