According to a recent study, just over half of all Americans over the age of 25 would like to pursue more education. The study, titled Degrees of Opportunity, was written by Dr. Lyungai Mbilinyi and surveyed 1,129 individuals, exploring adult perceptions about going back to school.
Although 52% wanted more education, only 1 in 3 adults believed they would pursue it. The biggest concerns about going back to school? Time management and financial concerns were cited as being the largest challenges. Paul Schroeder, Senior Vice-President of Capella University, said, “Our mission . . . is to increase access to higher education for adults, especially those who would have difficulty attending classes that take place at a particular time and place.” Schools with online education and degree programs are designed specifically for individuals with those exact concerns in mind. Regarding financial concerns, Dr. Mbilinyi commented, “Our educational system does a good job of helping high school students find financial aid resources, but the path is not as obvious for adults, even though many of the same resources are available to them.”
The tassel is worth the hassle; 89% of those surveyed said that the benefits of higher education are equal to or outweigh the investment. And the majority of adults who did go back to school said, “I wish I’d done it sooner.”
Why go back to school? Dr. Mbilinyi said the result of this query was “one of the big surprises.” The most considerable reason for going back to school: “getting more education would help them gain a personal sense of accomplishment.” This was true for 81%; interestingly, 71% of those surveyed believed that more education would help them “earn a higher income.” The author had anticipated that an increase in income would surely be number one the list, but it came in 3rd!
A fraction of the study’s participants wished they had waited longer; less than 1%, in fact. One contributor was quoted as saying this about going back to school:
There will never be a ‘right time’ in your life to take the plunge. You simply have to put your head down and charge through the obstacles, do your best to balance the activities, and let your family be your best cheerleaders.”
Want to go back to school? Consider online education. Search for accredited online degrees, programs and courses at eLearners.com.