It could be a reflection of the rising cost of college, worries about taking on debt, or the difficult economy.

    Compared to a year ago, fewer of this year’s Middlebury Union High School seniors are going directly to college or trade school after graduation.

    About 70 percent of the 135 students scheduled to cross the stage at commencement next month plan to attend college this fall, compared to 78 percent a year ago, according to data provided by the high school.

    At the same time, the number of graduates planning to attend colleges the guidance department describes as selective, very selective, or highly selective, rose this year to 52, up from 50 a year ago.

    Four of this year’s seniors have enrolled in technical schools; two are headed for military service; others plan to travel or enter the workforce, and some haven’t decided what they’ll do.

    While the percentage of students going directly to college or trade school is lower than last year, that figure has fluctuated significantly in recent years -- 71 percent in 2006, 77 percent the following year, and 78 percent in 2008.

    Principal William Lawson said the number of students taking a gap year between high school and college, and those with travel plans, appears to be a little higher than in the past. An uncertain economy may be one reason.

    The College Board reported last fall that the average cost of attending a four-year private college -- tuition and fees, room and board -- has reached $40,476. Even as they provide financial aid, many colleges build into their aid packages the assumption that students will leave owing more than $25,000 in Stafford loans.

    That’s on top of whatever other loans they or their family took out to get them through four years.

    “College is expensive,” Lawson said. “Even if a student gets a job right out of college, they need a pretty good job to pay off that kind of debt.”

    Guidance Director Mark Thuma added, “I see many kids, just from a financial standpoint, not being able to make that financial commitment.”

    The guidance department said 12 students scheduled to graduate next month plan to attend highly selective colleges, which it defines as schools in which 75 percent or more of accepted students are in the top 10 percent of their high school class. Middlebury College is in that category.

    Eleven seniors plan to attend very selective colleges, which the guidance department defines as schools in which 50 percent or more of accepted students finished in the top 10 percent. Boston University is in that category.

    The guidance department said 29 students plan to attend selective colleges, which it defines as those in which 20 percent or more of accepted students were in the top 10 percent. The University of Vermont is in that category.

    The following list of 135 students represents seniors who are scheduled to graduate from MUHS next month. The number could change if, for example, a student fails a class in the final academic quarter.

    In compiling the list, the school offered students the opportunity to withhold information they didn’t want made public. The data were gathered in mid-May; some students may change plans.

Abbey, Bowen -- Community College of Vermont, transfer to four-year college
Agudelo, Adriano -- University of Vermont
Artim, Christine -- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Ashley, Jarrod -- Cornell University
Ashley-Selleck, Bryan -- Lincoln Technical Institute
Audet, Tiffany -- Plymouth State University
Backus, Kaitlyn -- State University of New York College of Technology at Canton
Barber, Trevor -- Work
Barry, Kelsey -- Xavier University
Beloin, Genevieve -- Wentworth Institute of Technology
Berno, Joshua -- Work
Berthiaume, Emily -- Castleton State College
Bishop, Ashley -- Vermont Technical College
Bishop, Emily -- Community College of Vermont
Blodgett, Jasmine -- Springfield College
Bouchard, Kelly -- Apprenticeship program
Bowdish, Alexander -- Work
Bowdish, Austin -- Wyotech Institute
Brisson, Angela -- University of Vermont
Bronson, Bailey -- Gap year and work, then college
Brown, Nicole -- New York University
Burkins, Matthew -- Gap year and work, then college
Burrell, Brendan -- College of St. Joseph
Bushey, Cody -- Lyndon State College
Buzzell, Justin -- Gap year and work, then college
Charbonneau, Kyle -- Work
Chophel, Tenzin -- University of Vermont
Clark, Joshua -- The University of Northwestern Ohio
Cluss, Charles -- Cornell University
Cobb, James -- Davidson College
Comeau, Moriah -- Cedarville University
Cook, Benjamin -- Gap year and work, then college
Cox, Madeleine -- University of New England
Cram, Travis -- Work
Cummings, Paige -- Community College of Vermont
Dalley, Michael -- Military service
DeLancey, Mitchel -- Military service
Doria, Anthony -- University of Vermont
Durham, Georgia -- University of Vermont
Earle, William -- Williams College
Edson, Nina -- Murray State University
Elmore, Benjamin -- State University of New York College at Potsdam
Fifield, Patrick -- Community College of Vermont, transfer to four-year college
Foley, Connar -- University of Vermont
Forbes, Brittany -- Paul Smith's College
Foster, Kylie -- High Point University
Fredette, Kasey -- Work
Freeman, Mattea -- Work
Gagnon, Kalob -- The University of Northwestern Ohio
Gay, Nichole -- Work
Getz, Rachel -- Middlebury College
Gingras, Mitchell -- Work
Hallock, Dakota -- Gap year and travel, then college
Hickley, Christopher -- Gap year working on farm in New Zealand, then college
Higgins, Sara -- Northeastern University
Hill, Evelyn -- American University of Rome, Italy
Hoefle, Kiera -- Chapman University
Holcomb, Matthew -- Undecided
Hotte, Megan -- Keene State College
Huestis, Anna -- Word of Life Bible Institute
Hughes, Stephen -- Champlain College
Ingerson, Caleb -- Year of work and travel
Jakupko, Hunter -- University of Vermont
James, Katrina -- Southern New Hampshire University
Jensen, Laramie -- Carleton College
Kelley, Elizabeth -- Boston University
Kerr, Kyle -- Work
Killorin, Abigail -- Ohio Wesleyan University
Kumar, Shivali -- Saint Michael's College
Laframboise, Jack -- Undecided
Lawson, Sarah -- Boston University
Leduc, Carl -- Colby-Sawyer College
Leduc, Shanyn -- St. Lawrence University
Little, Matthew -- Work
Madison, William -- Travel
Many, Morgan -- Community College of Vermont, or classes at University of Vermont, travel
Marini, Jacqueline -- University of Vermont
Marshall, Benjamin -- University of Vermont
Masterson, Nicholas -- Castleton State College
McCabe, Jane -- Middlebury College
McCartney, William -- Travel
McGlashan, Kelsey -- Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Meader, Jessica -- Community College of Vermont, work
Melby, Gretchen -- Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Messner, Bianca -- Middlebury College
Miller, Isabelle -- Gap year, Community College of Vermont, work
Murray, Kody -- Applying to college
Myers, Megan -- Plattsburgh State University
Newkirk, Emelia -- Lyndon State College
Nicholson, Annie -- University of Vermont
Nordmeyer, Emma -- Castleton State College
Paquette, Michael -- Community College of Vermont
Peck, Lauren -- Keene State College
Peltier, Ozias -- Looking for work
Peterson, Adam -- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Pierro, Kayla May -- Looking for work
Pratt, Harrison -- Applying to college
Quesnel, Trent -- Work
Rheaume, Nicole -- Gap year, travel
Ritter, Katherine -- Middlebury College
Roy, Ethan -- Middlebury College
Schildkamp, Jeremy -- University of Vermont
Scholten, Rachel -- University of New Hampshire
Schumer, Andrew -- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Seguin, Samantha -- Saint Leo University
Shambo, Zachary -- Castleton State College
Shaw, Kimberly -- Community College of Vermont
Smith, Cody -- Travel, work
Smith, Jordyn -- Work
Snider, Sarah -- Old Dominion University
Stanley, Matthew -- Middlebury College
Stearns, Carrie -- University of Kentucky
Supernaw, Allison -- Gap year, work
Swinhart, Angelica -- College of Charleston
Taylor, Travis -- Work
Thompson, Christopher -- Work on farm
Thorpe, Hannah -- Southern New Hampshire University
Thresher, Loren -- Community College of Vermont
Tindall, Jeremy -- Norwich University
Tindall, Travis -- Castleton State College
Totten, Mariko -- University of Vermont
Tran, Marley -- Barnard College
Vila, Devon -- Temple University
Volk, Stephanie -- Work, then cosmetology school
Wanke, Justin -- Work
Weber, Lucy -- Principia College
Willson, Brianna -- Community College of Vermont
Winslow, Braden -- University of Vermont
Worrick, Bronwyn -- McGill University
Wright-Lapin, Rosalie -- Skidmore College
Wright-Neil, Zelie -- St. Lawrence University
Wry, Carrie -- Applying to Johnson State College
Wulfman, Mitchell -- Muhlenberg College
Wyatt, Athena -- Vassar College
Zeno, Brooke -- Work in cosmetology