The headlines read like good news, and in the main they are.

But lurking behind the recent stories, which herald the significant increase in the number of freshmen enrolling in Oregon’s public universities this fall, is the reality that some of those students would be better off if they went elsewhere this year.

To a community college, for instance.

Or to a vocational program.

We don’t mean to imply that any student shouldn’t strive to qualify for a four-year school, or refuse an invitation to attend one. Historically, higher education equates to higher income and job satisfaction.

But we hope that students and their parents seriously contemplate their options, and weigh the pros and cons of each, before choosing one.

We think it’s wonderful that Oregon’s recently expanded college assistance program will help 34,000 students this fall, and give them an average of $2,117.

Last year about 27,000 students qualified for an average of $1,259.

According to the Oregon Employment Department, 60 percent of jobs that pay a median wage of more than $45,000 per year require a bachelor’s degree or higher, so enabling students to earn a degree is a good investment in our future workforce and future taxpayers.

But just because a newly minted high school graduate can afford tuition at a four-year university doesn’t mean that’s the best choice for that student.

According to the Oregon University System, about 41 percent of freshmen who enroll full-time in a four-year state university earn their bachelor’s degree within six years.

For many of those students, the better route would be to study for two years at a community college, where tuition costs about a third less, then decide whether to transfer to a university to finish their degree.

Vocational programs offer similar cost advantages, as well as, in many cases, a more direct line to a job in less time.

Also, Oregon’s more generous college assistance program is available to students of community colleges as well as four-year universities.

Among the 40 percent of jobs that pay more than $45,000 but don’t require a bachelor’s degree are sales representatives, registered nurses, plumbers, electricians and real estate agents occupations projected to be in high demand over the next decade.

The cost of an education is a more important factor than ever, with many students receiving, along with their degree, a five-figure debt that will take many years to repay.

We urge students to consider ways in which they can embark on their career, but without such a heavy debt load dragging down their paychecks.