Adult Part-time Students Have Trouble Finding the Right College

Boca Raton, Florida – WEBWIRE – Tuesday, June 6, 2017

“Ignored in media coverage and college rankings are the unique needs of adult part-time students,” said Joseph Schmoke, CEO of University Research & Review LLC, a private company that examines colleges for its annual Best Value School Awards. Schmoke said he’s amazed and a bit disappointed that adults – those over 24 – are provided with a fraction of the attention received by teenagers and their parents who are involved in the college selection process. 

“Busy adults with careers and families may want to get ahead in, or change, their careers.  A proven pathway to advancement or change for these ambitious but time-starved individuals is to add credentials, maybe an advanced degree,” Schmoke advised.  But the solution is not so simple because the massive amount of information available online is often more confusing than helpful. “How is one busy with career and family to sift through mountains of information to make the right choice,” he asks.

“We have been researching colleges and universities since 2012,” said Jasiel Moreno, a senior manager at University Research & Review, “and we have concluded that some of the very best, easiest to work with colleges for adults are good but lesser-known institutions.”  

Moreno and Schmoke pointed out that many of the smaller private institutions may scare prospective enrollees off because of their high “sticker prices.” The reality, they said, is that ninety-nine percent of these schools discount tuition heavily, many providing grants and scholarships amounting to half the cost of attending.

Schools that were awarded University Research & Review’s 2017 Best Value designation – and have great appeal to adult part-time students – include Amridge University, American College of Education, Bryan College, Fielding Graduate University and Harding University.  Each institution has a significant number of adults enrolled, particularly in their online programs.  

Better yet, each survived a rigorous examination centered on reasonable cost, quality academics, and perhaps above all, high marks from their students and alumni. Schmoke stated that his team did the research so that adults interested in adding credentials or changing careers can benefit in selecting the right college. The entire list of eighty colleges and universities can be found at Best Value Colleges.