Higher Education Not Keeping Pace with the Changing Needs of “Nontraditional Students,” Study Finds
November 28 2016 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
Strayer University & U.S. News & World
Report’s Marketing and Business Intelligence Teams’ Survey
Highlights the Changing Demographics, Aspirations and Needs of
Undergraduates
Seventy percent of Americans who have pursued a Bachelor’s
degree qualify as nontraditional students, according to the 2016
College Experience Survey from Strayer University and U.S. News
& World Report’s Marketing and Business Intelligence Teams. The
study found that nontraditional students are more demographically
diverse and place more value on scheduling flexibility,
employability, and affordability than traditional 18-24 year-old
college students.
Key demographic findings from the survey include:
- Nontraditional students more closely
reflect the overall U.S. population
- 33 percent of nontraditional students
are racial minorities compared to 12 percent of traditional
students and roughly 38 percent of the total U.S. population (2010
Census)
- Nontraditional students currently
earn higher wages
- 58 percent of nontraditional students
earn $60,000 per year or more, compared to 43 percent of
traditional students
- Nontraditional students are more
likely to be currently employed full-time
- 59 percent of nontraditional students
are now employed full-time, compared to 43 percent of traditional
students
“Nontraditional students now make up a near
majority of college students,” said Karl McDonnell, CEO of
Strayer Education, Inc., Strayer University’s parent company.
“Earning a degree is a competing priority, as these students also
juggle full-time jobs, family and personal commitments. Colleges
and universities must embrace online learning and offer greater
affordability and scheduling flexibility in order to meet the
diverse needs of this growing student population.”
The study found that nontraditional students were more likely
than traditional students to choose a school based on its
scheduling flexibility (24 percent), availability of online courses
(12 percent), career center resources (11 percent), and
personalized pace of instruction (11 percent).
The study also found that nontraditional students tend to be
more committed to their education than traditional students. Nearly
half (45 percent) of nontraditional students say they already have
or are likely to pursue a Master’s degree. This commitment may be
because they often start later in life (28 percent first enrolled
in a Bachelor’s degree program at age 25 or older), are working
full-time while enrolled in school (67 percent), and are more
likely to self-finance their education (24 percent) or take
advantage of employer-sponsored tuition programs (10 percent).
They are also more likely to appreciate the value of a college
degree (72 percent say it is very important) and pursue a degree to
get a better job (54 percent) or advance in their current job (23
percent).
To learn more about the survey, click here and follow the
conversation on Twitter at @StrayerInc.
Methodology
Strayer University and U.S. News & World Report’s Marketing
and Business Intelligence Teams commissioned Amplitude Research,
Inc. to conduct an online survey of adults nationwide about their
educational experiences and attitudes. The survey was completed by
1,000 respondents in late August and early September of 2016.
A “traditional” student was defined as someone who pursued a
Bachelor’s degree as a full-time student while under age 25 and was
claimed as a dependent for tax purposes. “Nontraditional” students
met at least one of the following criteria: received a GED or
equivalent; were employed full-time (35 hours or more per week)
while in school; were enrolled as a part-time student while
pursuing their Bachelor’s degree; were 25 or older when they
finished their Bachelor’s degree; or were 25 or older when they
were last enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree program.
The maximum sampling margin of error at the 95 percent
confidence level for a sample size of 1,000 randomly selected
adults is +/-3.1 percentage points.
About Strayer University
Founded in 1892, Strayer University is a proprietary institution
of higher learning that offers undergraduate and graduate degree
programs in business administration, accounting, information
technology, education, health services administration, nursing,
public administration, and criminal justice, to working adult
students. The University includes Strayer@Work, which serves
corporate clients by delivering the next generation of performance
improvement and workforce development. Strayer University also
offers an executive MBA online and corporate training program
through its Jack Welch Management Institute. Strayer University is
accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education,
3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. (267-284-5000). The
Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional
accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education
and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
For more information on Strayer University visit
www.strayer.edu.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161128005269/en/
Strayer UniversityRachel Decker Richelieu,
202-557-4920rachel.richelieu@strayer.edu
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