Options for going back to school

Going Back to School at 25

Maybe you feel like you’ve missed the boat. Your classmates went straight from high school to college, and by now they’ve earned their degrees and settled into professional careers. You may wish you’d followed that path, but now it feels too late. You’d feel silly sitting in a classroom full of 18-year-olds!

Well, chances are, if you do go back to school you won’t be sitting in a classroom full of 18-year-olds. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2014 there were about 12 million college students under age 25, and 8.2 million students 25 and older. And those numbers are growing each year!

And you’ll have many advantages over younger students anyway.

At 18, many are still adjusting to their newfound freedom and may have trouble prioritizing coursework. But you’ve been on your own for a while, holding down a job and paying bills. You can multitask, prioritize and focus better than you could at 18.

So how about the cost? College costs can be intimidating, but no one expects you to pay upfront.