California Competes Survey: Adult Learners Find Value in Returning to College

Adults who returned to college after stopping their studies found multiple benefits beyond immediate financial incentives, edsource.org reported on October 6, 2026. A survey from the nonpartisan policy organization California Competes examined more than two dozen adult learners who started, stopped, and later reenrolled in higher education to understand how they evaluate a college degree.

Skills and Self-Confidence Drive Adult Learner Value

Participants in the California Competes cohort highlighted the acquisition of durable skills such as public speaking, time management, and problem solving as key factors raising the value of their education. Emi Fujita-Conrads, a researcher at California Competes, noted that personal and social gains frequently link directly to economic outcomes.

A lot of the personal and social benefits that students developed were directly connected to the economic outcomes. Students talked about how improved self confidence led them to apply for a promotion.

Emi Fujita-Conrads

Returning students hold a nuanced perspective on higher education. Beyond traditional economic mobility, respondents emphasized that the specific qualifications and competencies developed during their coursework provide standalone worth.

Workforce Deficits and the Cost of Returning to School

California currently has six million residents between the ages of 24 and 54 who lack a college degree but could benefit from obtaining one, according to Fujita-Conrads. Equipping these adult learners with degrees could help address persistent workforce shortages across local communities.

However, university leaders and policymakers must weigh the distinct return on investment for adult students. Returning learners often balance full-time employment and parenting responsibilities alongside coursework, forcing them to calculate heavy opportunity costs.

Time spent in class or studying translates directly into lost potential wages, reduced family time, and extra childcare expenses. Personal strain also builds from managing the demanding schedules of a worker, parent, and student simultaneously.

Flexibility and Online Options to Support Enrollees

California Competes recommended expanding online learning options, increasing competency-based education programs, and offering flexible scheduling to lower the real cost of degree completion.