Cree educators point out that high school graduates often wait several years before embarking on postsecondary studies. Some find work in the community or become full-time trappers.

Obtaining a job in the community is a major incentive for young people to undertake postsecondary studies. According to many educators, the number of students enrolled in postsecondary programs is on the rise, and the dropout rate at this level has been declining since the end of the 1990s.

Educators have also noted diversification in the areas of postsecondary study. The most popular programs in 2002-2003 were business administration, education, arts and science and police technology. The colleges most frequently attended by Cree students are those of North Bay and Sudbury in Ontario. In 2003, twenty Cree students attended the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi and 206 were enrolled at McGill University, 126 of them in the Certificate in Aboriginal (Cree) Literacy Education program.

According to a survey carried out in 2003 by the CHRD (2005), the most common fields of study of individuals in Cree communities with postsecondary qualifications are:

• Education, recreational and counselling services
• Commerce, management and business administration
• Social sciences and related fields

These fields of study accounted for 30%, 28% and 17% of the Cree labour force with postsecondary education, respectively.