65 Million Reasons Why Intent Matters Most: Adding On to the Largest National Survey of Prospective Adult Students

This report, produced through a partnership between CAEL and CollegeAPP, provides an updated national view of demand for postsecondary education and training with actionable implications for increasing participation of adult learners and workers. Findings are derived from nationwide online surveys administered to samples of respondents throughout the United States between 2019 and 2025. The report shows that just over one-quarter (27%) of adults (ages 25-64) intend to enroll in education or training within the next two years. This represents approximately 41.7 million adults across the country. When extrapolated to the broader adult population ages 18 and up, this intent rate represents more than 65 million adults with intent to enroll. In addition to motivational variables, responses captured information on key demographics, providing the segmented insight critical to developing policies and practices that expand college access and success for all adult learners and workers. Download the report here.