If you are considering a return to school, you are definitely not alone. Millions of American adults are returning to school to advance in their current jobs, begin a new career, satisfy their sense of accomplishment or earn that degree they always wanted. In fact, only 16 percent of Americans enrolled in higher education are the traditional, 18- to 22-year-old, full-time students living on campus. The core demographic has shifted, and you now fit into it.

A new study, conducted during 2006 for Capella University by independent research firm TNS NFO, explores the attitudes of current and prospective adult students. Degrees of Opportunity: Adults' Views on the value and feasibility of returning to school is an interesting account of the perspectives of 1,129 American adults aged 25 to 60 on the worth and accessibility of higher education.

A Growing Interest

The number of adults 25 and older who are enrolled in college has almost tripled since 1970, climbing from 2.4 million to 6.7 million. In addition, students between the ages of 25 and 60 account for 38 percent of the 17.6 million American students enrolled in college. Of those respondents who had returned to school, more than half wished they had done it sooner.

More than half of the respondents to the study felt a desire to further their education, but only one-third of them thought they would actually make it a reality. That one-third found time and finances to be the major obstacles to continuing education, while an overwhelming majority of 89 percent said that the advantages of higher education are equal to or greater than the investment of time and energy they would make, and 60 percent believed that education's benefits outweigh the financial and time burdens.

The report indicates that adults are seeking to continue their education with several different goals. Twenty-five percent reported they hoped to earn a master's or doctoral degree, while 24 percent were aiming to earn a professional licensure, certification or job training. Another 24 percent reported that they sought additional learning such as a GED. Fifteen percent of respondents wanted to earn a bachelor's degree, while 12 percent wished to enroll in an associate's degree program.

Benefits and Barriers

According to the report, American adults believe that continuing their education will provide many different benefits. Personal accomplishment was cited as the biggest benefit by 81 percent of respondents, while 78 percent cited learning things that interest them. Seventy-one percent thought the higher salary that education would help them get was the best advantage, and 65 percent found the ability to change careers the most beneficial.

Fifty-eight percent of respondents believed that being a better role model for their kids was the biggest benefit of continuing their education, while 55 percent cited better performance at the job. Other benefits mentioned by the study respondents included starting a new company, increased respect on the job and from friends and family, advancement in their company and being a positive influence on their community. Others said that education enables them to overcome the disadvantages they have had in life.

A large majority (75 percent) of the adults involved in the study felt that education positively impacts their lives. They indicated that continuing education helps them to earn more and make greater contributions to their company, family and community. They also reported an increase in job satisfaction. The study also found that college graduates are more optimistic by far about the next five years.

However, with all the benefits and positive impacts of continuing education, the respondents indicated that they faced several barriers when they considered returning to school. Seventy-three percent felt that time management held them back from returning to school, while 70 percent said that money kept them from enrolling. Sixty-two percent were concerned with how they would support themselves and their family while in school. The commitment to finish a degree program slowed 61 percent of adults from enrolling in school, while 50 percent doubted they could attend class on a regular basis.

Of the other more minor barriers and concerns that threatened plans to return to school, 34 percent of the adults involved in the study cited problems with finding the right school or program to fit their needs. Thirty-three percent worried about overcoming fears. Twenty-eight percent were concerned with deciding what to study, while just 26 percent doubted their ability to succeed. Interestingly, with all the barriers, only one-in-five adults did not plan on completing a program they began.

Demographic Trends

When it came to comparing the attitudes of men and women about continuing education, an equal number were likely to return to school. Men and women also reported in equal numbers that they believed education would have a positive impact on their life and that it was worth the investment they would have to make. Interestingly, men and women also expressed the belief that the other gender had the most advantages.

Men, at 37 percent, were more likely to doubt their potential for success in school than the 25 percent of women who felt that way. On the other hand, more women (19 percent) than men (11 percent) were concerned that the lack of family support would be a barrier to returning to school.

American adults aged 50 to 60 were found by the study to have different motivations for returning to school than the other age groups. They tended to say that continuing education would be something they would like to do just for the sake of learning. They were less likely to feel that more education would help them in their career, and were less concerned about the barriers of family and work. While they were less confident in their ability to succeed in school, they were equally as worried about being able to afford school as the adults from other age groups in the study.

Where do you fit in?

That's a quick rundown of what this study found. How do you respond to these numbers? Do you find yourself agreeing with most of them?

No matter how old you are, no matter what your current responsibilities are, you can earn a degree, and it can positively impact your life in more ways than you may realize.