Three Routes Start
Free, for students finishing Grade 12 in Canada

Not sure what to do after Grade 12? Pick a lane and see the real numbers.

A trade, a diploma or a degree: same columns, honest downsides, your province. Seven questions give you three options of your own.

No account. Your answers stay on your phone until you choose to share them.

ElectricianTrade · Ontario figures
First real paychequeMonth one
Total cost$2,000
Pay at year 5$66,000
Net by year 10$591k
Get my three optionsSee Electrician in full
The money race

Ten years, three routes, your province

Earnings so far minus what the program cost. Swap any lane, change the province, tap a bar for the breakdown.

The money race · Ontario figures
Trade
$327k
Paid from month one · earned $329k so far · cost $2k · pay $39,000 to $66,000 by year five · no debt
Diploma
$203k
2 of 2 school years done · earned $213k so far · cost $10k · pay $49,000 to $60,000 by year five · typical debt $16,700
Degree
$110k
4 of 4 school years done · earned $162k so far · cost $52k · pay $79,100 to $95,000 by year five · typical debt $30,600
12345678910

Earnings so far minus what the program cost, before tax and rent. Engineering does not catch Electrician inside ten years. Swap any lane, change the province, or get your own three.

52pathways, every one measured with the same columns
17businesses you could start, with honest failure rates
7questions, all about money, time and grades
0personality quizzes. Ever.
Paid from month one$0 debt

Skilled trade

About 85% of your time on the job, a licence in 3–5 years, and no debt at the end. The catch nobody mentions: finding an employer to sponsor you is harder than the schooling.

1 moto first paycheque
3–5years to a licence
10trades in the library
Earning from year 110 years
2–3 yearsA specific job at the end

College diploma

Two or three years, about a third the cost of a degree, and a named job at the end. Strongest when the diploma leads to a licence: nursing, paramedic, dental hygiene.

2–3years to a diploma
~$9ktypical total cost
8diplomas in the library
Earning from year 310 years
Highest ceilingMost debt

University degree

Four years, the highest ceiling in most fields, and the most debt. Outcomes split sharply between graduates with co-op or internships and those without, and nobody says that on the brochure.

4years to a degree
$30–60ktypical total cost
7degrees in the library
Earning from year 510 years
About Three Routes

A free, independent guide to life after Grade 12

Three Routes is a Canadian tool for students and parents choosing between a skilled trade, a college diploma, a university degree, starting a business, or going straight to work. Every pathway is measured with the same columns, the numbers come from Job Bank, Statistics Canada, Skilled Trades Ontario and published fee schedules, and each card says what nobody tells you. Three Routes is not affiliated with any college, university, employer or school board, shows no ads, and never lets anyone pay to influence what a student sees. Employers, unions and colleges use Three Routes to meet candidates who chose their route with the real numbers in front of them.

Two more, because school isn't the only door

Start something, or go straight to work

Start something

17 businesses a teenager can actually start, from cleaning and landscaping to a trade ticket that becomes a contracting company. Each shows startup capital, months to break even, and how many survive five years.

17 pathways →

Straight to work

Jobs with employer-paid training and real wages in months, not years: AZ trucking, PSW, transit, rail, corrections. For the student who needs income now and can add a credential later.

8 pathways →
How it works

Built for the kitchen table, not the guidance office

  1. 1

    Seven honest questions

    Courses, grades, money, time and what your parents expect. Five minutes, no account.

    Start the quiz
  2. 2

    Three options, one ruler

    A trade, a diploma and a degree in identical columns: cost, debt, first paycheque, pay at year five, and the downside.

    See the columns
  3. 3

    Show your parents

    A one-page summary written to them, in plain language, printable. Then the real conversation.

    See the parent page
Three real pathways

What an honest comparison looks like

The strip is school versus earning over ten years. "Net by year 10" is earnings minus what the program cost.

Apprenticeship
Electrician
Certificate of Qualification (309A)
Earning from month one10 yrs
First real paycheque
Years to finish
About a month
5
Cost (tuition + fees)
Typical debt if you borrow*
$2,000
$0
Earnings, first years → year 5
$39,000 → $66,000
Demand in Ontario
Net by year 10 (typical)
Steady
$602k$511k to $693k
Downside: Two to six months of job-hunting before you start is normal. Construction work is cyclical and the first year is a lot of carrying things.
✓ Verified 2026-10-26
Full picture
Start something
Residential cleaning business
Registered sole proprietorship
First: None required. Insurance, WSIB and a reliable car first.
1 yr mostly school10 yrs
First real paycheque
Years to finish
About 2 months
0
Cost (tuition + fees)
Typical debt if you borrow*
$0
$0
Earnings, first years → year 5
$35,000 → $65,000
Startup capital
Months to break even
$3,000
3
Still operating after 5 years
About 30%
Demand in Ontario
Net by year 10 (typical)
High
$582k$155k to $670k
Downside: You are the business: no clients, no income. Growth means hiring and managing people, which is a different job than cleaning.
◐ Partly verified
Full picture
University degree
Engineering
Bachelor of Engineering (BEng)
4 yrs mostly school10 yrs
First real paycheque
Years to finish
About 4 years
4
Cost (tuition + fees)
Typical debt if you borrow*
$52,000
$30,600
Earnings, first years → year 5
$79,100 → $95,000
Demand in Ontario
Net by year 10 (typical)
High
$486k$398k to $572k
Downside: Five years if you do co-op, which you should. High tuition. Roughly a fifth of students switch out after first year.
✓ Verified 2026-10-26
Full picture

Or browse all 52 pathways and compare any three side by side.

Employers, unions, colleges

Hiring apprentices or entry-level staff?

We introduce you to students who chose your route with the real numbers, passed a readiness check, and whose parents are on board. Pay only when they show up.

For employers →
Popular pathways

Start with the ones people open most

Electrician · ApprenticeshipPlumber · ApprenticeshipHVAC / refrigeration mechanic · ApprenticeshipPractical nursing (RPN) · College diplomaParamedic · College diplomaPersonal support worker · Straight to workEngineering · University degreeComputer science · University degreeBusiness / commerce · University degreeResidential cleaning business · Start somethingAZ truck driver · Straight to workDental hygiene · College diploma

Common questions

What is Three Routes?

A free, independent Canadian tool that compares a skilled trade, a college diploma, a university degree, starting a business and going straight to work with the same columns: years, cost, typical debt, earnings at start and year five, demand, and the honest downside.

Is Three Routes free?

Yes, for students and parents, always. It shows no ads and no organisation can pay to influence what a student sees.

Where do the numbers come from?

Government of Canada Job Bank, Statistics Canada, Skilled Trades Ontario and published college and university fee schedules. Every pathway shows its source and verification status.

Is it only for Ontario?

Anyone in Canada can use it. The numbers are verified for Ontario first; other provinces are being added based on demand.

How do employers use Three Routes?

Employers, unions and training programs post openings and are introduced to students who chose that route with the real numbers, passed a readiness check, and said yes to the introduction.