A new father trying to provide for his family. A grandmother finishing what she started more than four decades ago. A man navigating multiple schools, hidden curriculums and financial hurdles. These are just some of the older students working toward a degree in the U.S.
The majority of today’s college students have characteristics that describe them as “nontraditional“: They work; they’re raising children; they’re not coming straight from high school. And while some just take a couple-year detour to make money or care for family, others are going back far later in life.
In 2018, nearly 7.6 million college students were 25 years old and over, according to estimates from the federal government. That’s about 2 in 5 students in higher education.
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