Two of the biggest college fairs of the year are coming up in the next several days.

As I recently reported, the St. Louis region lags many other major metropolitan areas in terms of the percentage of residents with a college degree. While these fairs may not be the solution to getting more students to go to college, but they are a good way to find out about different schools and about what you need to do to get in.

The first — the St. Louis National College Fair — will be from 12 to 3 p.m. this Sunday Saturday at the Simon Recreation Center (3639 Laclede Avenue) at SLU. More than 250 college and universities from around the country usually set up booths at this fair and more than 5,000 students and parents usually attend.

There will be workshops throughout the day on financial aid and how to choose a college. To see a list of colleges that will be on hand, and for other related information, go to the event’s Facebook page.

The second college fair — the Illinois College Exposition Regional College Fair – will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday (October 20) at SIUE’s Morris University Center. Representatives from about 100 colleges and universities will be on hand. More than 2,000 students and families usually attend this one.

Both fairs are free and no registration is required.

Happy college hunting.

The Grade is the St. Louis region’s premier blog on education and child welfare. To read other recent posts, go to www.stltoday.com/thegrade.