Though we often think of college students as young, carefree 18-21 year olds who’d rather party all night than crack open a book to study, statistics show that the majority of current undergraduate students couldn’t be farther from this depiction. In fact, most college students – approximately 75% - are now considered to be non-traditional, which typically includes those age 23 and over, working 25-40 hours per week, and either a single parent, active military member, veteran, or baby boomer.
Surprising, right? Additionally:
- 1 in 3 undergrads are older than 25 and work 35+ hours per week
- 2 in 3 community college students say they have to work to afford school
- 1 in 4 students are also parents
Sounds like today’s average college student is juggling quite a bit! Between work, school, and family, becoming overwhelmed with seems inevitable. But there is a bright side – students who work while in school get about a 22% ROI on their education, while those who attend school full time and do not work get only about 12%. Yes, you read that correctly: there are in fact benefits to trying to balance it all, and if you’re a non-traditional student, you may be getting more value from your college experience than your more traditional classmates.
For more on today’s non-traditional student population and how universities are adapting to this unique group, check out the infographic below.
This post has been contributed by DSST.
