Adult learners: who they are and what they want from college

Across the last few years, colleges and universities have increasingly prioritized adult learner enrollment to offset declining undergraduate enrollment and diversify revenue streams. One hundred percent of surveyed  said adult learner enrollment is a high or moderate priority for their institution. And today, adult learners make up at least 40% of total higher ed revenue.

Explore Our Latest Research on the Adult Learner Mindset

We’ve rounded up a few quick facts about adult learners—check them out below.

Who is an adult learner?

An adult learner is an individual who is age 25 or older and seeks continuing education to further prepare for their career. They are a diverse demographic of adult students who can be Baby Boomers or Gen Z, career changers, veterans, parents, caretakers of elderly parents, and more.

Here are some other common characteristics of adult learners:

• Often employed full- or part-time
• Seek to advance in their professional careers or make a career change
• May have a family and/or dependents
• Often have more professional experience than a first-time, full-time undergraduate student

Hear From A Future Adult Leaner In Her Own Words

What do adult learners want out of college?

Adult learners pursue higher education for various personal and professional reasons. Their goals often go beyond obtaining a degree; they seek practical and immediate benefits that align with their unique life circumstances and ambitions. Understanding these motivations is crucial for colleges and universities to craft effective programs and marketing strategies that resonate with this diverse demographic.

Career shift or advancement

Many adult learners return to college to transition into new career paths or climb the professional ladder in their current field. In our most recent survey of adult learners, 41% said they seek further education as a means of career advancement. For these individuals, higher education offers the opportunity to gain specialized skills, earn industry-recognized certifications, and build a professional network. Programs tailored to specific industries or career outcomes are particularly appealing to this group, as they provide clear pathways to new opportunities.

Increase earning potential

A significant driver for adult learners is the potential to increase their income. With the rising costs of living and evolving job market demands, additional education is often seen as an investment in future financial stability. Whether through obtaining advanced degrees, technical certifications, or skills in high-demand fields, adult learners view education as a means to unlock higher-paying job opportunities. About one-quarter of surveyed adult learners said they seek further education to increase their earning potential.

Stay competitive in their professional field

Rapid technological advancements and evolving industry standards require professionals to stay updated to remain relevant. Adult learners often seek programs that focus on upskilling and reskilling, enabling them to stay competitive in their current roles or adapt to new industry trends.

Pursue their passions

Not all adult learners are driven solely by career ambitions. Thirty percent of surveyed adult learners said they seek further education as a means of pursuing their passions. Many return to education to explore personal interests or fulfill lifelong aspirations. This group values programs that foster creativity, intellectual growth, and personal fulfillment.

It’s critical that adult-serving programs confer the skills employers most commonly seek in program graduates.

Whatever a student’s motivations for enrollment might be, it’s important that enrollment marketing teams understand student intent and can tailor marketing messages accordingly.

Hear Tactics to Increase Inquiry to Application Rates Among Your Adult Learners

How to support adult learners

Supporting adult learners can be a challenge with the nature of their unique needs.

Flexible scheduling

While some adult learners prefer to complete programs full-time and attend daytime, weekday courses, adult learners’ competing priorities can make full-time and/or daytime courses difficult to attend for some. Flexible course schedules, including part-time, online, hybrid, and evening course options, can help attract and meet the needs of prospective adult learners.

Financial assistance

Adult learners tend to be cost-conscious. In our 2024 survey of 6,000 adult learners, respondents identified financial aid, scholarships, and cost of attendance among the top factors they consider when making an enrollment decision. This is especially true of adult learners who started college but did not complete their degree.

Given this cost-consciousness, it’s critical that leaders of adult-serving programs clearly communicate information about tuition, fees, and financial aid and scholarship opportunities.

Childcare support

The Lumina Foundation estimates that 24% of adult learners have children or other dependents. Affordable, on-campus childcare helps improve these students’ odds of enrolling and succeeding in college. A survey of student parents found that 63% of respondents missed one or more classes due to a lack of childcare.

Listen to the Podcast: Are You Treating Student-Parents as a Liability or Asset?

For adult learners, the weight of career, family, and other personal obligations can make college especially difficult to navigate. Additionally, many of the support services available to first-time, full-time undergraduate students aren’t designed with adult learners in mind. For example, career counseling, financial aid, and other support services may be unavailable via virtual appointment or only open during traditional business hours—making them difficult for working professionals, parents, and others to access.

Recruiting and Supporting Adult Learners

Ultimately, no two adult learners are alike. Reaching, enrolling, and supporting adult learners requires strategies as unique as adult learners themselves. Understanding each student’s motivations and priorities—and the barriers that may hold them back from pursuing further education—is a critical first step in building the right program portfolio and marketing programs effectively.