Rise of Nontraditional Students

Can we stop calling them “nontraditional” already? More than 40% of college students are over 22. Nearly 70% are working while enrolled. One in five has kids. Many are first-gen, neurodivergent, multilingual. This isn’t a special population. IT IS THE POPULATION! And yet, too many colleges are still built for an 18-year-old who lives on campus, has no job, and no caregiving duties. That version of college is a fading snapshot. Today’s students are balancing work, family, and ambition. They’re not asking for shortcuts. They’re asking for systems that make sense. Affordable. Flexible. Real-world relevant. It’s time to retire the “nontraditional” label. These students are higher ed. And the future depends on serving them better. Read more from Forbes:

“Our classes are built for working adults.” “We understand the needs of nontraditional learners.” We hear these statements all the time. But too often, they sound supportive while staying vague. But the harsh reality is that support without specificity doesn’t actually move the needle on retention or engagement. It just checks a box. Even the so-called “traditional” student has changed. They’re often working, commuting, caring for others, or questioning whether college is worth it. We can’t keep designing for yesterday’s student and expect today’s to thrive. This week, I’ll be sharing five posts focused on curriculum strategies for specific groups of learners. But first, let’s start with a practice that should be at the core of every course design process: Student-informed learner personas. A strong persona doesn’t just describe a demographic; it brings your actual students to life. Here’s what that can look like: Meet Susan. She’s a student mom balancing two young children, which is a job that doesn’t always respect her class calendar. Her kids sicknesses don’t fall perfectly in line with due dates. Susan isn’t an outlier. At [institution name], 65% of our students are parents. Or: Meet Jamal. He’s a full-time warehouse supervisor finishing his degree after stopping out years ago. He engages mostly at night and his lunch breaks and values clear expectations and meaningful assignments that respect his limited time. Jamal represents 56% of our students who work full-time. These personas should be built from real data. Not guesses. These personas should include things like: - Full-time vs. part-time employment - Parenting and caregiving responsibilities - Transfer or re-entry status - Career goals at enrollment - Time of day they’re most active in the LMS - Devices they use to access class - Barriers to engagement (tech, mental health, housing, etc.) - Competing priorities And here’s a new standard for your courses: At the end of a course build, you should be able to justify every major design decision based on the students you serve. Not just “best practice,” but actual alignment: “This assignment is chunked into 3 stages because 73% of our students are parents and this will help them jump in and out of the classroom easier.” “This course avoids Sunday deadlines because 62% of our students work weekends.” “This early certificate is embedded because 41% are changing careers and need immediate ROI.” This isn’t about adding bells and whistles. It’s about building with care and clarity. Because the student has changed. And the curriculum should show it. Tomorrow: We’ll dive into specific strategies for supporting working adult learners. Those balancing careers and coursework all at once. #TheStudentHasChanged #Retention #CurriculumDesign #InstructionalDesign #StudentSuccess #LearnerPersonas #ModernLearner #HigherEd

In this episode of the Education Marketing Leader, I sat down with Yane Nemeroff, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Miami Dade College and host of the Non-Traditional Scholar Podcast. We unpacked what higher ed marketers need to know about one of the fastest-growing student segments: Non-traditional students. Here's what you need to know: 👉 The term “non-traditional” is broader than you think. Too many marketers box it in. It’s not just working parents or vets. It’s anyone who didn’t go the straight route from high school to college. That’s a wide net and your messaging needs to reflect that. 👉 Relevance > College experience. Traditional student messaging leans on the “college experience.” But non-traditional students are asking: How does this degree impact my life right now? 👉 Faculty and marketing need to collaborate. Yane dropped this truth: “If you want to communicate outcomes, get with the people delivering them.” Faculty insights can sharpen your messaging in ways data dashboards can’t. 👉 There’s power in story-driven content. From single moms to second-career pivots, marketers need to highlight real student journeys. Stories like Gloria Rodriguez, a restaurant owner who went back to school at 40+ and is now pursuing a teaching degree. That’s the kind of story that moves people. 👉 Don't just market four-year degrees. Stop framing trades vs. college as a battle. It’s not “versus," it’s “and.” Market the flexibility and mobility of both options. 👉 Marketing channels that actually reach this audience: ▪️ Facebook for older non-trads ▪️ Podcasts (Spotify/Apple) for younger non-trads ▪️ Classroom visits for real-time, first-party insights ▪️ Collaborating with micro-influencers inside their content bubbles 👉 Avoid the "bait and switch." If a student is on academic probation and ineligible for aid, don’t let your ad make them think otherwise. Transparency builds trust. Surprises kill conversions. 👉 Personalization wins. One-size-fits-all messaging doesn’t cut it. Your campaigns need to reflect the nuance and challenges of different non-traditional paths. Segmentation is not a nice-to-have. It’s a requirement. 🎙️ This episode is a must-listen if: ▪️ You’re trying to offset the enrollment cliff with adult learners ▪️ You’re building campaigns for career-changers, working parents, or returning students ▪️ You believe marketing and mission need to be aligned Big thanks to Professor Nemeroff for dropping so many insights in this one. You can find his show "The Non-Traditional Scholar Podcast" wherever you listen to podcasts. Want to build better campaigns that actually connect with today’s learners? Tap the link in the comments to listen now.👇 And if you found value in this convo, follow the Education Marketing Leader and subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode. Until next time. ✌️ #CommunityCollege #HigherEducation #Marketing

📉📈 The Enrollment Cliff Isn’t the Only Story... A closer look at two decades of #IPEDS #data reveals powerful shifts in where #adult #learners are enrolling in U.S. #colleges and #universities. Which sectors are seeing growth/decline? 🔥 Key takeaways from the trends: 🔹 While public 2-year colleges and for-profits saw dramatic ups and downs (particularly around the 2009–2011 recession peak), private not-for-profit and public 4-year colleges have grown steadily and remained remarkably stable over two decades. By 2023, the 4-year sectors enrolled the largest shares of adult learners. 💡 This matters now more than ever. With the looming #enrollment #cliff driven by a shrinking population of traditional 18-year-olds, #nontraditional #students —working adults, career changers, part-time learners—will play an increasingly vital role in sustaining enrollment. 📊 This is why continued investment in federal data (like IPEDS) and a clear-eyed focus on evolving student demographics is mission-critical for colleges, policymakers, and advocates alike. I was able to generate this chart and customize it in less than 30 seconds. 👉 Is your institution shifting strategies to meet these students where they are? 👉 How are you planning for the demographic realities ahead? #HigherEd #IPEDS #EnrollmentTrends #DemographicCliff #NontraditionalStudents #CommunityColleges #InstitutionalResearch #DataDriven #ForProfitColleges #PostsecondaryEducation #LifelongLearning

The traditional college experience isn’t the default anymore, and that’s ok. As student demographics continue to change, your marketing strategies need to keep up. What used to be considered “non-traditional” students are now a major part of the student body, including: - International students - Part-time students, online learners, and those returning after a break - Military-affiliated students and those juggling school with full-time careers or specialized training These students have different needs, different challenges, and different expectations when it comes to finding their way in higher ed. If your website and marketing efforts aren’t acknowledging these differences and meeting those students where they are, you’re missing opportunities to help them. This is just one of the reasons why personalization is becoming so crucial. A tool like Clive allows institutions to identify these audiences early and serve up the right resources at the right time instead of making them dig through generic content that wasn’t meant for them. Higher ed marketing has come a long way from the days of a course catalog and a stock photo of three students under a tree. It’s time to lean into personalization and make sure every student, regardless of their path and their background, feels seen.