Here in The Netherlands you can either end high school at 16 and go to a trade school, end at 17 and go to a so called university of applied science (or higher

Here in The Netherlands you can either end high school at 16 and go to a trade school, end at 17 and go to a so called university of applied science (or higher professional education) or end at 18 and afterwards attend a research university. I really don't understand why Americans think that everyone should attend college, for most people that's just a waste of time which could be spent learning practical skills.