Adults Are Headed Back To School To Get Their Degrees
Accelerated program format, most important factor for returning adult students
CHESTER, PA, December 16, 2003 -
Fifty-three percent of prospective adult students say they are attempting to complete a full-degree program when returning to school, and thirty-six percent say that an accelerated program format is the most important factor when choosing an adult education program, according to a recent survey on EducationforAdults.com.
Returning adult students are individuals whose pursuit of attaining a college degree is interrupted for several years or more. According to Mark Shay, president and CEO of Educational Directories Unlimited, parent company of EducationforAdults.com, "The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median age of the U.S. labor force will approach 41 years by 2008, while numerous media reports describe the ubiquitous challenges of older individuals in the workforce. Older adults realize the necessity of possessing a college degree while competing for jobs in a younger workforce environment."
EducationforAdults.com, an online directory of undergraduate and graduate level adult education programs, collected data from 517 prospective adult students on its website over a twenty-five day period through November and December. Sixty-six percent of the respondents were female and thirty-four percent were male. Thirty-six percent are within the 36 to 50 year age range, twenty percent in the 29 to 35 year age range, and fifteen percent are over 50 years of age.
Thirty-six percent of respondents said that an accelerated program format is the most important factor when choosing an adult education program. Other choices were campus location, which yielded a thirty-two percent response rate; and online instructional method options, which yielded a thirty-two percent response rate.
"Colleges and universities nationwide understand the unique challenges of older adults, specifically balancing family, education and work obligations, and therefore offer specialized adult education or degree completion programs," Shay said. "The programs provide greater scheduling flexibility in an accelerated format. EducationforAdults.com was specifically developed for returning adult students, who are searching for an appropriate adult education program, either online or campus-based, suitable to their individual needs."
Thirty-seven percent of prospective returning adult students say that career advancement is their primary reason for returning to school, and thirty-five percent say it is for personal fulfillment. While fifty-three percent say they are attempting to complete a full-degree program when returning to school, twenty-five percent are interested in completing an individual course (or courses) to update skills, and twenty-three percent are seeking a certificate program.
At a time when the U.S. faces uncertain economic and employment forecasts, thirty-nine percent of respondents say paying for their education is their major concern about returning to school.
Of the forty percent who cited balancing family, education, and work obligations as a major concern, sixty-six percent were women.
To research adult education programs throughout the United States, visit www.EducationforAdults.com. For an interview with Mark Shay of EducationforAdults.com, please contact Matt Ulmer at 484-766-9200 or email mulmer@edudirectories.com.
About EducationforAdults.com
EducationforAdults.com (http://www.EducationforAdults.com)
is a comprehensive directory of adult education programs, which are
searchable by subject, degree type, and location. It provides current
information on over 2,000 adult education programs in the U.S. at no
charge to prospective students. EducationforAdults.com is a service of
Educational Directories Unlimited, Inc. (http://www.edudirectories.com).