Schools for Nontraditional Students
If you’ve been out of high school several years and are thinking about going to college, you’re in good company. In 2015, there were 8.1 million college students in the U.S. who were age 25 and older, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Some colleges have sizable populations of older students, which may make some prospective students feel more comfortable on campus. Here are the 10 ranked schools that had the most students 25 and older in the 2016-2017 academic year, per data submitted to U.S. News in an annual survey.
Eight of the schools are designated as Rank Not Published, or RNP, meaning that they rank in the bottom one-fourth of their ranking category. In those cases, U.S. News calculates a rank for the school but has decided not to publish it.
Belhaven University (MS)
School rank and category: 78 (tie), Regional Universities (South)
Total undergraduate enrollment: 2,638
Percent of students 25 and older: 56 percent
Average age of undergraduates (full- and part-time): 31
More about Belhaven University.
Southwestern College (KS)
School rank and category: RNP, Regional Universities (Midwest)
Total undergraduate enrollment: 1,226
Percent of students 25 and older: 56 percent
Average age of undergraduates (full- and part-time): 28
More about Southwestern College.
Central Penn College (PA)
School rank and category: RNP, Regional Colleges (North)
Total undergraduate enrollment: 1,337
Percent of students 25 and older: 59 percent
Average age of undergraduates (full- and part-time): 28
More about Central Penn College.
Regent University (VA)
School rank and category: RNP, National Universities
Total undergraduate enrollment: 3,806
Percent of students 25 and older: 61 percent
Average age of undergraduates (full- and part-time): 31
More about Regent University.
Wayland Baptist University (TX)
School rank and category: RNP, Regional Universities (West)
Total undergraduate enrollment: 3,776
Percent of students 25 and older: 66 percent
Average age of undergraduates (full- and part-time): 32
More about Wayland Baptist University.
California State University–Bakersfield
School rank and category: 94, Regional Universities (West)
Total undergraduate enrollment: 8,093
Percent of students 25 and older: 67 percent
Average age of undergraduates (full- and part-time): N/A
More about California State University–Bakersfield.
Park University (MO)
School rank and category: RNP, Regional Universities (Midwest)
Total undergraduate enrollment: 9,857
Percent of students 25 and older: 76 percent
Average age of undergraduates (full- and part-time): N/A
More about Park University.
DeVry University (IL)
School rank and category: RNP, Regional Universities (Midwest)
Total undergraduate enrollment: 27,137
Percent of students 25 and older: 79 percent
Average age of undergraduates (full- and part-time): 32
More about DeVry University.
Metropolitan College of New York
School rank and category: RNP, Regional Universities (North)
Total undergraduate enrollment: 697
Percent of students 25 and older: 79 percent
Average age of undergraduates (full- and part-time): 33
More about Metropolitan College of New York.
Upper Iowa University
School rank and category: RNP, Regional Universities (Midwest)
Total undergraduate enrollment: 3,991
Percent of students 25 and older: 83 percent
Average age of undergraduates (full- and part-time): 30
More about Upper Iowa University.
More About Attending College Later in Life
Discover how to stand out as a nontraditional applicant and learn how to get the full college experience as an older student.
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10 Colleges With the Most Students 25 and Older originally appeared on usnews.com
