What Is a Normal Age To Finish College?
Find out about the normal age to finish college, when you'd have to start your degree to graduate with your peers, and what the data says the average college age actually is today.
With how fast life moves, it's easy to feel like you're falling behind your peers, especially in terms of education, career, and family planning.
It can help to get your facts straight - for example, what is the normal age to finish college for students pursuing a bachelor's degree?
<p>It's later than you may think. <b>According to recent statistics, the majority of students who start college at 18 don't complete their first bachelor's degree until they're 24, and the average college student is 26.</b>
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<p>Find out below what the average age of a college student is, how long it takes most students to complete a bachelor's program, and how to make the most of your college years.
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<h2 id="section---WhenShouldYouFinishCollegeBy">When Should You Finish College By?</h2>
<p>Ideally, every student starting college at 18 should finish a bachelor's degree by 22 and either move on to <a href="https://learn.org/articles/What_is_a_Graduate_Degree.html">graduate education</a> or start a fulfilling career.
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<p>However, that is not always the case. The reality is very different compared to this ideal. First, not every student starts college at 18; some take gap years to explore or build up their savings, while others don't improve their education until later in life.
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<p>So what's the normal age to start and finish college?
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<h3 id="section---WhatSTheNormalAgeToStartCollege">What's the Normal Age to Start College?</h3>
<p>The normal age to start college in the United States is 18-19, and the most common degree to pursue is a bachelor's. With this in mind, it's expected that people will finish college with their degree by 22-23.
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<p>However, the actual statistics available about today's college students paint a different picture: one where it takes over 60% of bachelor's students as long as six years to finish their degree, and just as many college students are over 23 as they are under it.
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<p>Because of this, the idea of a normal age to start college has to be taken with a grain of salt; people usually start their college education at ages between 16 and 40, so there's a lot of range to consider.
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<h3 id="section---HowLongDoesItNormallyTakeStudentsToFinishABachelorSDegree">How Long Does It Normally Take Students to Finish a Bachelor's Degree?</h3>
<p>62% of students in the United States complete their college program within six years, while nearly 30% drop out within that time frame without actually earning their degree. With that in mind, you can assume that most people will finish their degree in either six years or not at all.
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<p>If the normal age at which to start college is 18-19, then this means that most people will complete their bachelor's degree by 24-25. The same can be applied regardless of age - if you start your bachelor's program at 20, you should be able to finish it by 26, and if you start at 25, you'll have your degree at 31 if you're able to complete your program.
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<p>So, while the expected normal age to complete college is 24, the truth is that it's more of a range for many people currently attending college.
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<h3 id="section---WhatSANormalAgeRangeToFinishCollegeBy">What's a Normal Age Range to Finish College By?</h3>
<p>With a bachelor's degree taking as long as six years to complete, and the average student being 26 years old currently, a normal age range to finish college is between 23 and 29.
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<p>This range accounts for students who complete their degree in four years or start their higher education before 18, as well as students who start college a bit later in life, such as 20 or 24.
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<p>So don't be discouraged if you can't start classes right away or if you need to attend part-time - you'll still be among the majority of students as long you finish college with a bachelor's degree in your 20s.
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<h3 id="section---HowToMakeTheMostOfYourTimeInCollege">How to Make the Most of Your Time in College</h3>
<p>With that in mind, here are a few things you need to remember in order to make the most of your time in college:
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<ul><li>Starting earlier means finishing earlier - if you can start your degree program at 19 instead of 20, do so; it will help you stay in the normal graduation age range.
</li><li>It's okay to take time if you need it - whether by attending part-time or taking a semester off, you'll still be a student of a completely normal age because it takes the majority of students between three and six years to complete their degrees.
</li><li>Make it your goal to complete your degree in less than six years - because such a high percentage of students who don't complete their degree drop out after six years, make sure to work toward a degree before year six in college as much as you can.
</li><li>The reality of college isn't nearly the same as the world's perception of it - be ready to embrace the difference of what a real college experience is in today's world.
</li></ul><h2 id="section---FindADegreeProgramThatWorksForYouToday">Find a Degree Program That Works for You Today</h2>
<p>Now that you know the normal age to finish college, you can find a bachelor's degree program that suits your needs online or on campus. Find your ideal bachelor's program today with help from Learn.org.</p>