A new survey of adults who’ve dropped out of college finds that 57% have completed about half or more of the credits needed to complete a degree program. Of this group, the majority indicated they wanted to return to college to finish their degrees.
Those are two of the main finding from a survey conducted by UPCE (University Professional and Continuing Education Association) and StraighterLine, a provider of online college courses. The study, entitled “Disengaged Learners & Return Paths to Higher Education,” was conducted in June, 2023 using an internet panel of about 1,1oo adults between the ages of 18-24 who had been enrolled in college at one time but stopped out before completing a degree.
Respondents were asked a series of question exploring the motives, barriers and preferences for those considering a return to higher education.
“The reasons why students pause or delay their academic journeys are nuanced—and so are the motivations that guide their decision process when they consider returning to higher education. It’s often a multi-faceted set of issues rather than a single issue that is driving their decision-making calculus,” said Dr. Amy Smith, Chief Learning Officer at StraighterLine, in an email statement. “This research makes it really clear that students want to complete their degrees, but need institutions to be more flexible in finding ways to offer academic credit and credentials for the vast range of experiences that adult learners bring to the table.”
“With today’s tight labor market and fast-changing demands of employers, returning students are more cost-conscious and ROI-focused than ever. Not surprisingly, they expect institutions to find ways to offer credit and credentials for their academic, work, and lived experiences, and we owe them no less,” added Smith.
As colleges continue to contend with declining enrollments, a numbers problem that’s about to worsen as the pool of traditional college age prospects shrinks, one option is to design completion programs for adults who might be interested in resuming their education.
Among the most significant findings of the study is that 29% of respondents were about halfway through a degree program when they disengaged from their institution, and another 28% were either about three quarters of the way through or nearly done with the program (14% each) when they withdrew.
Of this group, a majority of respondents expressed a strong desire to complete their education – 29% indicated they were extremely or very likely to return to college, and another 32% said they were somewhat likely to still earn a degree. Interest in degree completion was particularly high among those adults who believed their careers had plateaued.
Financial and career reasons are important motives for returning to school, but they are not the only considerations. Nearly half (48%) said they would pursue a degree to increase their salary, and about a third (32%) pointed to the prospect of career advancement or a career change (29%). But 44% said completing a degree would fulfill a personal goal, and an additional 27% said the love of learning would motivate them to return.
The “some-college-no-degree” market is large and growing. As of July 2021, 40.4 million Americans had attended college but quit before earning any credential, according to Some College, No Credential (SCNC) Student Outcomes: Annual Progress Report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. That’s a 3.6% increase – equal to 1.4 million more students who stopped out of college compared to the prior year.
How to engage that market effectively is a question that many colleges are struggling to answer. The survey points to three possible strategies that could appeal to this audience.
Design Reduced-Price Completion Programs
When asked which factors would be important when deciding about enrolling in a degree completion program, over two-thirds (68%) said the tuition or cost of the degree, 56% said the speed at which they could complete their degree, 33% said the number of previously earned credits that would transfer, and 33% said personal, quick, and understandable communication from the institution.
This pattern suggests institutions can lure more dropouts to return to college if they offer and publicize a set of specially priced programs, scheduled in a convenient and compact time frame that considers the daily obligations of working adults. Even offering a subset of courses at a discounted tuition price is likely to make a difference to this population.
Offer Micro-Credentials As Part Of the Program
Three quarters of respondents (76%) said that the ability to earn micro-credentials that would stack toward a degree would increase or greatly increase their interest in returning to college. Embedding short-term certificates in existing academic programs is increasingly common, and, in fact, enrollment in certificate programs is one of the fastest growing areas in undergraduate education.
Give Credit For Prior Learning
If an institution offered credit for prior learning gained through life or work experiences, 42% of respondents said that would increase their interest in pursuing an undergraduate degree, and 36% said it would greatly increase their interest. Awarding credit for competencies rather than for seat time holds particular appeal to adults, many of whom could demonstrate college-level competencies through appropriate assessments.
“This study offers invaluable insights into the mindsets and motivations of individuals who wish to return to higher education—which is critical at a time when institutions are looking to serve a generation of students that is more diverse in age, income, and professional status than any in history,” said Jim Fong, chief research officer at UPCEA. “Ultimately, successfully re-engaging returning students requires us to empathize and understand their needs. Rather than asking them to adapt to higher education, we need to retool archaic systems in ways that work for them.”
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