The U.S. must produce 64 million degrees between 2005 and 2025 to remain competitive with leading nations and meet labor force needs. At the current degree-awarding rate, a gap of 16 million degrees is anticipated.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that between 2004 and 2014, 24 of the 30 fastest-growing occupations in the U.S. will be filled by people who have a postsecondary education or training credentials…and trends in the workplace suggest that employers’ demand for skilled U.S. workers will continue to grow over time.
In the U.S., more than 59 million people, or 30 percent of the adult population, are untouched by postsecondary education. In 35 states, more then 60 percent of the population does not have an associate's degree or higher.
Between 2005 and 2025, one-third of states are projected to experience no growth or a decline in the number of adults ages 25-44, which increases pressure on these states to increase college participation and completion among other segments of the population.
Tuition is not the biggest expense for working adults seeking postsecondary credentials; the biggest expense is living expenses for themselves, and often their families, while they are in school.
Median earnings for those with some college, but no degree were 18 percent higher than those for high school graduates, and adults with associate degrees earned 29 percent more than high school graduates.
Non-traditional students – for example, those who have delayed enrollment in postsecondary education, work full-time while enrolled, or have dependents other than a spouse – are more likely than traditional students to participate in distance education and to be in programs available entirely through distance education.
