Forbes
Great Colleges For Adults Returning to School in 2017
By: Karsten Strauss
Obtaining a college degree is a great way to break through to new job opportunities by placing yourself above those who’ve not gone the extra mile in their educations. But higher learning is not just for young people — adults can give a boost to their job searches by earning a diploma as well.
For those adults looking to go back to school — whether they are 25 or 55 years-old — it’s a good idea to look around at which schools cater to their needs as returning students. To find out more about which schools rank best for those types of students we looked to the most recent data from College Factual, an information site for folks looking to find out as much as they can about different institutions before choosing a place to apply.
For College Factual’s list of the ten best schools for adults returning to their educations, check out our slideshow below.
In compiling its list, College Factual took into account flexibility, because adults going back to their studies often have jobs and families that they must juggle with their newfound mission to earn a degree. Online courses represent perhaps the most empowering measure of flexibility.
Topping the list, according to the most recent data, is Excelsior College, which was number one the last time we covered this study in May of last year. Located in Albany, New York, Excelsior is online-focused and offers 32 different degrees online, including masters degrees. College Factual ranks the school in the top 1% for its liberal arts general studies program for veterans, its liberal arts and humanities program for veterans, and for having an extremely popular nursing program. Its best ranked major is liberal arts general studies.
In second place on the list we find American Public University System, based in Charles Town, West Virginia. American Public offers 39 different online degrees and in 2015, 7,309 students graduated from American Public University with an online bachelor's degree. The school is a good pick for veterans, and College Factual lauds its programs for homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting; as well as its business administration degree, as good options for vets. The best ranked major at the school is business administration & management; and cost-wise, without any financial aid, a year of academic study costs $6,880.
In the third place, Thomas Edison State College (TESU) offers 22 different online degrees and in 2015, 3,032 students graduated from TESU with an online bachelor's degree. Based in Trenton, New Jersey, the school‘s best-ranked major, according to College Factual, is General Social Sciences. As far as cost is concerned, in-state tuition and fees clock in at $6,135 with no aid. Out-of-staters can expect to pay $9,036.
Two schools on College Factual’s list are ones that many would not think of when imagining schools best suited for non-traditional students and adults returning to academics. Those are Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Harvard, which is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston, is in fourth place in the ranking and offers 11 different online degrees—in 2015, 561 students graduated with an online degree. Costs are somewhat steeper than at the first three schools on the list, at $45,278 with no aid.
At MIT — which placed 9th in the ranking — costs are also higher, at $46,704 per year with no aid. One of the downsides of the school, for returning adults, is that only a very few students take online classes. In fact, none of them take classes exclusively online.
