Adult Enrollment Trends and Current Statistics
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, enrollment of learners aged 25 and older in degree-granting institutions reached 7.4 million in fall 2023, the most recent full-year figure available. This group accounts for roughly 36 percent of all undergraduate enrollment. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported that spring 2024 undergraduate enrollment grew 3.2 percent year over year, with the strongest gains among students aged 25 to 34. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that in 2024, 28.4 percent of people aged 25 and older held a bachelor's degree or higher, up from 27.9 percent in 2023. Forbes reports that employer tuition assistance programs now cover an average of $5,250 per year under current tax rules, a figure unchanged since the 1990s but increasingly supplemented by direct employer scholarships at companies such as Amazon, which offers up to $12,000 per year for degree programs through its Career Choice program. BLS education and training data
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center also found that in 2023, more than 3.2 million learners aged 25 and older were enrolled exclusively in online programs, a 4.1 percent increase from the prior year. The College Board's Education Pays 2024 report states that median earnings for bachelor's degree holders were $30,000 higher annually than those with only a high school diploma in 2023. The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce projects that by 2030, 70 percent of jobs will require postsecondary education or training. Forbes employer education trends
Costs, Financial Aid, and Employer Support
The College Board's Trends in College Pricing 2023 report states that average published tuition and fees for in-state students at public four-year institutions were $11,260 for 2023-2024. Private nonprofit four-year institutions averaged $41,540. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that the average net price for first-time, full-time undergraduates at public four-year institutions was $14,950 in 2022-2023 after grants and scholarships. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York estimates that outstanding student loan debt reached $1.77 trillion in the first quarter of 2024, with adults aged 30 to 39 holding the largest share at $500 billion. Federal Reserve student loan data
The IRS allows a Lifetime Learning Credit of up to $2,000 per tax return for qualified tuition and related expenses, and the American Opportunity Tax Credit provides up to $2,500 per eligible student for the first four years of postsecondary education. The U.S. Department of Education reports that in the 2023-2024 academic year, the Pell Grant maximum award was $7,395. Many employers, including Starbucks through its partnership with Arizona State University, offer full-tuition coverage for online bachelor's degrees.