Read our study to discover 11 best practices to help you recapture adult learner enrollments.
Executive Summary: Beneath the enrollment headlinesSince the height of the Great Recession, community colleges nationwide have seen substantial enrollment declines among students age 25 and older. Although adult learners commonly leave college during economic recoveries, this decline is more than just a cyclical trend—it also reflects growing enrollment competition from for-profit and four-year universities.
Adult learners may value the convenience of for-profit institutions and the brand of four-year universities, but career relevance ultimately guides their college choice. Within this context, community colleges' greatest assets are their employer partnerships. This study examines how colleges can leverage these partnerships to recruit adult learners who seek to advance or reboot their careers.
This resource is part of the Create a Community College Pipeline to Place Students in Right-Fit Careers Roadmap. Access the Roadmap for stepwise guidance with additional tools and research.
What deters adult learners from enrolling?Many adult learners do not return to college despite the professional advantages that further education can confer. Some of these potential students face financial, administrative, and psychological barriers to enrollment. Others find that available program options do not align with their career goals—or duplicate content they’ve already mastered on the job. Even unemployed and underemployed workers may hesitate to invest in training because they are uncertain whether it will benefit their job search.
To help you overcome these challenges, we've outlined 11 best practices below.
Remove barriers to enrollmentFinancial costs, college reentry anxiety, and complex admissions processes often…