Ten things 65 million adult learners are trying to tell you

CAEL’s latest research report, produced in partnership with CollegeAPP, reveals that more than one-quarter of adults (ages 25-64) intend to enroll in education or training within the next two years. That amounts to about 42 million people in the U.S. and rises to more than 65 million when you include younger adults (18+).Findings are derived from nationwide CollegeAPP online surveys completed between 2019 and 2025. The details captured in the surveys include the reasons driving intent to enroll, barriers thwarting those plans, and key demographics, allowing segmented insight critical to developing policies and practices that expand college access and success for all adult learners and workers.

This week, CAEL hosted a webinar on the report. Dr. Beth Doyle, chief of higher education strategy at CAEL, Jack MacKenzie, founder and CEO of CollegeAPP, and Mary Laphen Pope, strategy officer, access, with Lumina Foundation, which funded the report, shared their perspectives. Below are ten of the report’s ramifications that arose during the presentation and Q&A.

1. 65 million adult learners may be ready to enroll, but it takes precision to recruit them.

While a substantial number of adults intend to enroll, 73% don’t. If you don’t know who that 27% is, recruiting adults becomes a real challenge.

2. Increasing adult learner enrollment requires an inclusive approach.

Don’t expect a one-size-fits all solution to work on a diverse population. Adult learners most likely to express intent include Black (43%), Latino (40%), female (35%), and lower-income (35%) respondents. Your current student population may not reflect who in your community has intent to enroll.

3. Translating intent into action is a two-way street.

Educators and trainers rightfully see the millions of adults who want to enroll as an opportunity. But barriers remain persistent and significant. When adults don’t enroll, it’s usually not because they lack motivation but because the system lacks the capacity to meet them where they are.

4. Cost is king, but perception is reality.

Adult learners overwhelmingly agree that cost is the biggest threat to their enrollment plans; 81% cited it as a barrier. But subtler implications complicate the surface-level issue of affordability. Transparency around net costs and credential ROIs can mitigate affordability concerns, especially for people who never enrolled and assume that college is out of their financial reach. More than 30 states offer some form of free college tuition, although this support arrives (or fails to) in a complexity of forms. Institutions need to assess how effectively they guide learners through the enrollment process (an issue that disproportionately affects lower-income adults) and how transparent they are about costs.

5. High intent, needs, and barriers often intersect.

Intent is not evenly distributed. It is strongest among adults who are seeking economic mobility, stability, and opportunity for themselves and their families. Their motivations are clear and pragmatic, but barriers remain persistent and significant. Cost is the most widespread barrier, with time constraints following closely behind. For many adults, especially those balancing work, family, and financial pressures, these challenges are not abstract. They are their daily realities. And too often, they are sufficient to negate the intention to enroll.

6. Education and training remain highly valued.

Despite naysayer narratives, there is still widespread belief in the power of education and training. Adult learners understand that finding the right educational pathway is still the best path to higher lifetime earnings.

7. Career aspirations are top of mind.

Gaining skills to further career was the top (43%) enrollment motivator, with changing careers coming third (21%). Second was learning/self-improvement (35%), with making family proud rounding out the query at 2%.

8. Two-year institutions are trending.

In earlier CollegeAPP surveys, four-year universities were the top choice for about 55% of respondents. Over the past few years, that trend has inverted. Demand for shorter-term, workforce-aligned pathways (vocational/technical college and community college, totaling 52%) collectively exceeds the preference for four-year institutions (48%).

9. When it comes to online or in-person, the answer is ‘yes.’

Interest in 100% online learning has significantly decreased since its pandemic-era peak, now favored by about one-third of respondents. Hybrid learning (combining online and in-person) has also declined but remains relatively high (75%), while traditional on-campus-only programs are the least preferred.

10. Postsecondary persistence thrives along unbundled credential pathways.

The word “persistence” suggests continuing. The research suggests adult learners stay for what they came for, but that may not be a degree. It could be a certificate that clearly signals a work-relevant skill in the short-term while stacking into a longer-term credential progression. Adult learner success can happen in eight weeks, six semesters, or anywhere in between.

The webinar recording is publicly available and can also be accessed at the CAEL Member Hub. 65 Million Reasons Why Intent Matters Most: Adding On to the Largest National Survey of Prospective Adult Students can be downloaded here.