Once a person takes a few college classes, there is no longer any preference from employers whatsoever. I challenge anyone to post that they even had an employer ask about their high school vs GED experience once they had an AA or BS degree.
A high school diploma isn't worth the paper it's printed on. The GED might be considered less desirable, but that's just because they don't use fancy ink. The difference in value between the two? About 2 cents. There's my 2 cents.
Unfortunately that's true. Many have observed that a bachelor's degree is probably equal to what a high school diploma was 40 years ago. That's how much it's been dumbed down.
There is at least one exception, the International Baccalaureate Diploma, which is awarded separately from the normal high school diploma. My daughter avoided the boredom of regular high school classes, got the IB diploma and a full college scholarship. The work she did for the IB would pass for graduate school work at most universities.
Her IB class had a reunion after their first year in college. Most recounted how easy college was compared to the demands IB had put on them.