Vocational schools nationwide are reporting record enrollment as workers stung by the recession are seeking educations that are quick, affordable and -- perhaps most important -- in demand.

"If the economy were better, I don't think I would have been as urgent to go to school and to find a better job," said Kathryn Neidinger, 26, a Beechview resident who has a 2-year-old son and another child on the way.

Mrs. Neidinger, who has worked as a server, a banquet manager and a bartender, enrolled in a graphic design program at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.

Downtown-based Education Management Corp., a private company that operates the Art Institute of Pittsburgh as well as 89 other career-focused postsecondary institutions across the country, reported that in April its schools had an enrollment of 114,300 students, a 19.9 percent increase from last year. And last July, enrollment was at 91,600 students, a 16.3 percent jump from July 2007. Education Management administrators declined comment.

The trend holds true nationwide for other vocational schools -- most of which are for-profit institutions also known as trade or technical schools.

Vocational schools also tout the issue of cost. With the average tuition at private four-year universities for the 2008-2009 school year climbing to $25,143, according to the College Board, more students are turning to vocational schools to get trained for less. At the Art Institute, for example, tuition ranges from $4,000 to $6,000 per quarter, depending on the degree program.

Laura Braswell, the New York-based senior editor of the annual Guide to College Majors, said the growth in popularity of vocational schools was not surprising given today's economy.

"I can see how choosing a vocational school would be absolutely increasing during this economic time," Ms. Braswell said. "I think with the media so focused on how the economy is down and parents talking about how important it is to get a job, students are definitely more focused on the career aspect of learning in college."

The Guide to College Majors has been published annually since 2004, and each year, surveys show that business is the most popular major, followed by other in-demand fields such as elementary education, nursing and health care, said Ms. Braswell.

The rise in pursuing practical, marketable majors correlates to the anxiety among students about the job market.

In April 2008, a study by consulting company Accenture found that 71 percent of college graduates were concerned that a weakening economy would result in fewer jobs being available.

Annual studies by the National Association of Colleges and Employers indicate that concern is well-founded. While more than half of 2007 grads had found a job by graduation, that number sunk to 26 percent for 2008 graduates.

In 2009, it dropped to less than 20 percent, meaning that out of every five college seniors looking for a job, less than one would have a position lined up by graduation.

Vocational schools boast placement rates that hover around 90 percent, as well as large career services departments to prepare students for careers no matter the economic climate.

Statistics on the Art Institute of Pittsburgh's Web site claim 89.4 percent of that location's graduates were employed in a related field six months after graduation.

At Pittsburgh Technical Institute, whose Web site calls it a "career college dedicated to preparing students for employment and career advancement," about 15 full-time employees work in the career services department to help students and alumni in securing jobs. President Greg Defeo said more than 90 percent of students actively seeking jobs would find one.

"Our role is to react to employer demands," said Mr. DeFeo.

Pittsburgh Technical Institute has been experiencing enrollment growth for the past decade. Enrollment today at the Oakdale institution is double the 1998 figure, said Mr. DeFeo, who attributed the trend to the declining economy and to greater awareness and open-mindedness about different options in postsecondary education.

"We get a lot of students who had been working, who were laid off or concerned about their jobs and want a new career," Mr. DeFeo said.

According to the institute's 2008 data, 40 percent of students who enrolled did not come directly from high school, and 22 percent attended another institution first.

"In this world, with an economy that for most families requires two working adults, students recognize they need to have a skill set in a job when they graduate," Mr. DeFeo said.