Overview

Adult learners are known by a variety of names: nontraditional students, adult students, returning adults, adult returners, mature learners. Common characteristics of adult learners may include:

• 25 to 65 years old.
• Delayed college entry by at least one year after high school.
• Often employed full-time.
• Frequently support a family or dependents.
• May have previously attended college but took time off due to responsibilities.
• Seeking professional enhancement or career change.
• Posses more life and career experience (e.g., from work or military experience).
• More mature, independent, and motivated than traditional students. 

Second-Chance Options typically refer to programs designed to serve individuals returning to school after a period of absence, or to those designed to help incarcerated or formerly incarcerated individuals pursue their educational goals and/or re-enter society. In particular, prison education programs and the Second Chance Pell program can increase access to higher education by helping people who are or were incarcerated take college classes; and by extending federal grants to these learners. 

Accelerated programs or accelerated-degree options are designed so students can graduate in less time than a traditional program would require. Such programs can be especially helpful for students looking to further or change their careers because they allow learners to enter the workforce more quickly. Dual degrees are one type of accelerated option.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, almost half of all students enrolled in college are considered adult learners. A Lumina Foundation report (2018) demonstrated that, among undergraduates, 38 percent are over 25, 58 percent are working while enrolled, and about a quarter have children. And these numbers continue to grow. Populations of adult learners are increasing at colleges and universities across the country. These students may need additional support due to other demands (such as children and spouses), or because they are academically “rusty” after being away from school for a time. 

The National Student Clearinghouse reports that in 2025 there are over 43 million Americans who have some college, but no credential. The “some college, no credential” (SCNC) population is up 3.1 million from nearly 36 million previously reported in 2019. There is a concerted push by higher education institutions to develop programs to encourage former learners to return to complete educational credentials that may open doors to better career opportunities. 

Relationship to Ecosystem

Adult learners can be found at nearly every turn in the learn-and-work ecosystem. Credential providers are increasingly called on to better understand and serve this demographic and help them achieve their education and career goals. Accelerated programs and adult learners can be crucial to this work.

Examples

• To meet the high demand for Registered Nurses (RNs), more and more schools have started to offer Accelerated Nursing Programs. These are also known as Direct Entry or Second Degree programs. They are available to entry-level non-nurses who hold a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing major. Both BSN and MSN degrees are available through accelerated programs. 
• Capella University offers FlexPath, a self-paced learning format to help learners complete their degrees. Programs are available at undergraduate and graduate levels. 
• Southern New Hampshire University's online accelerated bachelor's-to-master's degree programs allow learners to take graduate-level courses at the undergraduate tuition rate during their bachelor's program.
• The Second Chance Pell program [Archived 2025, May 13] offers federal financial aid to help people who are or were incarcerated take college classes.
• The Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) program was developed by the U.S. Department of Labor to support community colleges in training adult learners for necessary industry-aligned programs. Community colleges used this funding to develop around 2,600 education and training programs, in partnership with local industries, to prepare adult workers for in-demand jobs. One value of TAACCCT programs has been speed and ease of completion. These programs accelerate learners’ progress through methods such as credit for prior learning, competency-based education, online programs, and additional student support services.

Resources

National Reentry Resource Center. (2021). Second Chance Act. National Reentry Resource Center. https://nationalreentryresourcecenter.org/second-chance-act 

Peirce College. (2022). Who are adult learners? https://www.peirce.edu/degrees-programs/additional-resources/adult-learners/who-are-adult-learners