Best Online Degrees for Working Adults

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Updated April 11, 2023

Professionals can bring a unique perspective to the classroom. We ranked the best online degrees for working adults based on cost, flexibility, and more.

AffordableCollegesOnline.org is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

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Find Schools that Cater to Non-traditional Students and Working Adults

While the majority of college students are 18 to 24, an increasing number of students aged 25 and older are attending college. Colleges and universities recognize this growing number of nontraditional students. To meet the nontraditional student's demand for a more flexible education, many schools have started or expanded online college programs. Here's why these programs are an ideal option for working adults.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 8.2 million college students were aged 25 and over in 2015.

The Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce released a study in 2015 which found that 40% of the growth in college attendees between 2000 and 2011 came from students over the age of 25.

Online Colleges for Working Adults

  1. World Mission University - 95% of students 25 and over
  2. South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary - 91% of students 25 and over
  3. Averett University-Non-Traditional Programs - 91% of students 25 and over
  4. Faith International University - 88% of students 25 and over
  5. Apex School of Theology - 88% of students 25 and over
  6. Webster University - 81% of students 25 and over
  7. Holy Apostles College and Seminary - 80% of students 25 and over
  8. Southern New Hampshire University - 77% of students 25 and over
  9. Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion - 74% of students 25 and over
  10. Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale - 73% of students 25 and over

AffordableCollegesOnline.org is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

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The Best Online Colleges for Working Adults

Most colleges these days are ready and excited to welcome working adults into the student body, and many even cater to this group. We've compiled a list of some of the best nonprofit schools for working adults based on several factors, including:

Why Adult Working Students Are Different

Working adult college students are different from the “traditional” college student in several ways, although three characteristics stand out the most.

  1. 1

    They are usually older.

    This means they have more real-world experience, especially experiences from the workplace. Working adults bring a unique perspective to the college classroom and can help meld the theoretical learning often found on campus by sharing their real-world practices.
  2. 2

    They are working in full-time careers.

    Although college students have been working while in college for decades, most of these jobs were part-time. Many adults hold down full-time, demanding careers while attending classes. Consequently, attending a class that is held on a weekday during normal business hours is usually out of the question.
  3. 3

    Adult working students are more likely to have family responsibilities.

    Family responsibilities for adult students could mean a spouse, or children, or both. This means the time to attend college is much less, given a more limited schedule. It's not easy to attend a class while a child needs to get picked up from kindergarten.

Online College Courses for Working Adults

Online colleges offer scheduling flexibility that allows class attendance while also allowing the student to work and take care of their family. Each online program is different, with its own unique course delivery methods and academic policies. However, most online college programs are set up so that busy working adult students can attend class on their own schedule, after their family and professional obligations have been taken care of for the day. Additionally, most online programs allow students to complete their coursework at an accelerated or slower pace – whatever is right for them.

What Should Adult Learners Look for in an Online School?

Most schools with online programs share similarities regarding the flexibility in the timing and rate at which a program can be completed. However, there are a variety of factors to consider when choosing the right online program for a nontraditional college student.

Online Program Spotlights

Temple University

Temple University offers a top notch web-based course delivery method. By utilizing Blackboard and WebEx, students will have access to collaborative learning methods that provide the most engaging learning possible, short of being in an actual classroom. With over two dozen graduate degree and certificate programs available, along with its Bachelor's in Business Administration degree program, students have plenty of choose from. And for those who don't need a formal degree or academic credential, Temple University offers non-credit courses. These are ideal for students who simply need the requisite knowledge, such as when preparing to sit for a licensing or certification exam.

The University of Florida

The University of Florida has been offering courses online since 2001. This means they have plenty of experience with ensuring students get the same high quality education online as they do on campus. But what helps make the University of Florida great for working adults is the flexibility. From a rolling admission process to over 100 online undergraduate and graduate degrees offered to the availability of non-degree courses (which do not require formal admission), students can find the right program or class for them. Most courses are fully online and 100% self-paced, which is perfect for working adults. After completing their program, graduates can take full advantage of the University of Florida's alumni network, which is 330,000+ strong and located in every US state and 135 countries.

Western Kentucky University

Western Kentucky University is perfect for working adults for a variety of reasons. WKU offers a plethora of online education options, including more than 1,700 classes offered online, year-round registration and more than 100 program options to choose from. And for students looking to accelerate their learning, WKU offers online classes that can be completed in as little as 7 weeks. Finally, WKU is extremely affordable for online students, who are only charged the in-state tuition rate.

From an Online Student

Dan Frigo

Dan Frigo is a husband, father, and entrepreneur passionate about personal development and giving back. He owns Frigo Photography LLC, which specializes in wedding photography in and around Boston. He is an online education student.

Online education gave you a great opportunity to balance work and family obligations. What was your favorite thing about the classes or experience in general?

My favorite thing about taking classes online is the flexibility it allows me to study at my own time. The benefits of taking online classes far outweigh the challenges it presents. As a husband, father and working full-time while also working on a side part-time business of my own, my time is valuable and proper time-management is critical to achieving success with online education. I was able to still spend valuable time with my family while continuing my education around my current lifestyle.

Was there anything that surprised you about taking online courses?

I was surprised about the level of engagement within the courses. Initially I expected the communication between students to be minimal and limited to solely the discussion question within the course. However, in my experience the discussions were far deeper than I expected. This was rewarding, knowing that I was able to connect with students all over the country while participating in the class from home, or the coffee shop or library (another perk of online courses, you can learn from anywhere).

Tell us a bit about the support you found through your online program.

The advisors were very receptive of communications and responded quickly. They were always eager to help and advise. I didn't take full advantage of all that CSU-Global offered, but believe that they are invested in the success of their students and would be willing to help whenever possible.

Anything else you might like to add about online education?

In my experience, online education was an effective an appropriate education arrangement. I was able to balance my current work schedule along with my family obligations and still get the level of education that is important for my growth personally and for my career. It is not for everyone because of the self-discipline needed in order to schedule time to study and work on assignments. But if you are able to get over that, then online education may be a great alternative to the typical classroom environment.

Also, keep in mind that the level of verbal communication is limited and you can feel alone in the journey. Therefore, take advantage of any live calls or student groups to get better connected to fellow students and your professors.

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AffordableCollegesOnline.org is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

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