Is 34 Too Old To Go to College and Start a New Career?
You may have gone directly into the workforce right out of high school, or even joined the military and did a tour of duty or two, but now you'd like to earn a degree. So you're wondering: Is 34 too old for college? This article answers your question and explains why 34 is never too old.
Here you are in your mid-30s, feeling ready to return to school to earn that college degree you bypassed 15 years ago.
Maybe you've found that you've gone as far in your career as you can without a college degree.
Perhaps you want to retool and switch fields now that you're older and wiser and have a better idea of your calling.
There's a good chance that you settled down and had children early in life, but now that they are getting older, you're feeling ready to learn about subjects that always interested you.
You may have gone directly into the workforce right out of high school, or even joined the military and did a tour of duty or two, but now you'd like to earn a degree.
So you're wondering: Is 34 too old for college? No, it is not.
Why Should You Enroll in College at Age 34?
You imagine yourself in a classroom full of 18-year-olds and think you would stick out like a sore thumb as the 'old student.'
But what might surprise you is to learn that one-third of college and university students today do not start classes until they are age 25 or older.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 'The traditional path to a college degree, broadly defined as enrolling in college immediately after high school and attending full time until graduation, has become the exception rather than the rule.'
The financial advantages of earning a bachelor's degree are compelling.
According to a study by Opportunity@Work reported by Calbright College, 'It takes 30 years of work experience for an adult without a college degree to catch up to the wage a bachelor's degree holder earns on the first day of their career.'
Read that again, then consider the financial impact a degree might have on your future earnings for the next 30 years.
Don't let anyone tell you that it's too late to start a college degree program.
Millions of current students in their 30s will cheer you on and tell you to go for it! Get started today.
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Arizona State University
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What Do They Call Older Students Like Me?
While the so-called 'traditional' age to be in college in between 18 and 24, that profile reflects a world long gone.
From the 1960s to the 1980s, U.S. colleges and universities went through a dramatic transformation.
Unlike the earlier era, when most students entered college directly from high school, living on campus at a residential liberal arts college, by 1990, a full 83% of American college students were commuters living off-campus.
Rather than living in campus dorm housing, this new demographic chose to live at home either with their parents or, as adult students, with their spouses and/or children.
This latter group of adult (25 or older), post-traditional students by 1990 comprised a full 40% of enrolled students, according to a study in Metropolitan Universities.
In 2021, according to the NCES, that number was 34%.
Things You Might Want to Know About Nontraditional or Post-Traditional Students
You may find yourself called post-traditional or nontraditional and recruiting students like you have become big business in the university world since about 6.5 million college students in America today fit into the post-traditional category.
Schools have refitted their programs and curricula to meet the needs of your significant student demographic.
Even structures of delivery and teaching techniques have been adapted for this older student market.
Millions of hours of research and development have gone into shaping higher education for the distinct learning needs and styles of you and your peers, which differ greatly from those of 18-year-old learners.
Experts like the Post-Secondary National Policy Institute (PNPI) and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) classify you as a nontraditional student if you have one or more of the following characteristics:
- Are at least 25 years of age
- Did not enroll in college immediately after high school
- Did not complete high school as a teenager
- Are attending college part-time
- Hold a full-time job while also enrolled in school
- Are financially independent from your parents
- Have dependents (spouse and/or children)
- Are a single parent
The NCES reports that a full 75% of undergraduates meet at least one of the above criteria.
Where Do Older Students Tend to Go to College and How Do They Study?
If 34 is not too old for college, then, where could you find a place to study where you would fit in?
Instead of living at private nonprofit liberal arts colleges in dorms, as you often see in movies and television, older students tend to take different pathways to pursue their goal towards a college degree.
Nontraditional students are more likely to live off-campus and be commuters.
- Attend state-supported (public) institutions or enroll in for-profit programs
- Enroll in two-year public community colleges rather than four-year colleges and universities
- Go to college part-time while holding jobs or raising a family
- Enroll in online degree programs
While 73% of nontraditional undergraduate students attend public colleges and universities, this demographic makes up 68% of all for-profit university enrollment and a full 81% of all for-profit part-time enrollment
Post-traditional students are much more likely to take online courses than traditional-aged students.
In 2021, nearly 60% of college students were enrolled in a distance education course, and half of those (30% of all college or university students) were enrolled exclusively in online courses or programs.
The Challenges of Being a College Student at age 34
For the millions of students who defer college until they are 25 or older, higher ed institutions have put many structures and programs in place to accommodate these students and their needs.
Also, the nation has seen the development of an entire industry of for-profit universities to provide degree programs and especially online degrees , to nontraditional students like you.
No, you are not too old if you start college at age 34, or even 44 or 54.
However, being a post-traditional student comes with challenges, the greatest of which is finding the time to juggle schoolwork in addition to your other responsibilities such as raising a family, working full-time, or taking care of elderly parents.
To succeed in college in your 30s or above, you need perseverance and a strong commitment to not give up when the going gets tough.
You'll likely find lots of obstacles confronting you that can cause you to doubt your decision.
The degree completion rate is lower for nontraditional students, so it's important to find a school that provides an excellent supportive system to nurture you through your program.
Is 34 Too Old for College? Never! Start Your Journey Towards a Degree Today
Is it too late to go to college at 34? Not, so don't let anyone convince you otherwise.
If you want to earn a degree, the opportunities are there today more than ever.
