Trends in Adult Learning

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• Trends in Adult Learning
• Carol Aslanian
• President
• Aslanian Group
• 2006

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• National Demographic and Societal Patterns
• Higher Education Landscape
• Adult Student Profile

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I. Demographic and Societal Patterns
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• US population grows steadily... due largely to
  immigration
• 2004 293 million
• 2010 309 million
• 2020 336 million

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• Americans growing older and richer
• Median age 1994 34.0
• 2000 35.5
• 2035 39.1
• By 2025, 25 of U.S. population 60yrs
• WOOP-ies Well off, older people
• Baby-boomers Well-educated, inclined to learn,
  more time and more money

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• Americans becoming increasingly diverse

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• Suburbs growing faster than cities
• Adults 25yrs 28 bachelors degree or better
• Adults 25yrs 10 masters degree or better
• Nearly 40 of all adults have never attended
  college

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• Slow growth of labor force will increase need for
  education
• Fastest growing job sectors will require workers
  with some college often a bachelors degree
• More and more jobs now require continuing,
  professional development and skills advancement
  through education and training

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II. Higher Education Landscape
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Three Decades of Growth
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College Credit Enrollment
2003
17.7 m
1970
8.6 m
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and more to come
2014
19.5 m
2010

• 18.8 m

2003
17.7 m
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• Half of higher education enrollments are part
  time
• Part time enrollments doubled between 1970 and
  2000

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• Explaining the
• Growth
• in Enrollments

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H.S. Grads College Students

millions
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Adult College Students
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• Higher Education Enrollment Today
• 25 yrs and older
• Undergrad 40
• Graduate 80

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• Clearly, higher education
• is no longer an activity one does during the
• traditional age span
• of 18 to 22 years.

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• It has become
• a lifelong endeavor
• for more and more Americans

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III. Adult Student Profile
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• 1980 Americans in Transition Life
  Changes as Reasons for Adult Learning
• why do adults learn when they do?

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• 1988 How Americans in Transition Study for
  College Credit
• how do adults prefer to learn where, when, and
  how?

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• 2000 Adult Students Today
• undergraduate, graduate, and noncredit patterns
  of learning

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• 2006 A SNAPSHOT of Adult Learning Based on
  Studies of Supply and Demand Nationwide
• 2004-2006 recent market studies
• Two-year and four-year providers
• Undergraduate and graduate study

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Snapshot

• Personal Characteristics
• Majority of adult students continue to be female
• Typical adult student is getting older late
  30s- early 40s
• Large majority continue to be non-minority

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• Return to undergraduate and graduate study with
  advanced credentials
• Majority employed and juggling home work and
  study
• Most often finance own education

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• Learning Patterns
• Seeking degrees, but increasingly certificates,
  licenses, and courses
• Study in career fields
• Most often Business, education, health
  professions
• Prefer shorter/fast-track courses typically
  8-weeks

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• 1/3 study full time (degree seekers)
• Day and evening study
• Multiple learning modes
• While slight majority prefer classroom
  instruction, close to ½ prefer hybrid/online
  instruction
• Prefer to study close to home

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• Online course registration, transcript
  evaluation, payment of tuition, applications, and
  access to library

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• College Search
• Internet and college Web sites preferred sources
  of information
• Tracking and follow-up increasingly important
• Customer service critical

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• Personal ties sitting in on a class
  conversations with current students/faculty.
• Logistical and administrative ease
• Location and schedule continue to be most
  important factors in selecting college

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ISSUES/CHALLENGES

• Intense and increasing competition
• Privatization/ For-profit universities
• Online learning/virtual universities
• Online recruitment

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ISSUES/CHALLENGES

• Old players-new tricks
• Degrees Certificates Courses
• Corporate universities
• Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel

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ISSUES/CHALLENGES

• Customer service
• Decline of age-based programs
• CentralizationOne College approach

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Opportunities

• US population growing steadilyand
  increasingly diverse
• The graying of Americans and the campus
• Baby-boomers with more time and more money
• Over the hill but back to work

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Opportunities

• High school grads on the decline in most states
• Technology-driven programs and services
• Partnerships and alliances

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Opportunities

• Electronic marketing and recruitment
• An educated work force
• Global education
• Career changes over a lifetime

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• Presented by
• Carol Aslanian
• President
• Aslanian Group
• New York, NY
• T. 212.588.1202
• F. 212.937-2019
• info_at_aslaniangroup.com
• www.aslaniangroup.com