The more educated people are, the greater likelihood of them taking adult education classes. Sixty-two percent of adults with a Bachelor's degree or higher took adult education classes in 1999, but only 14% of adults with up to an 8th grade education took adult education classes that same year — the educated get more educated.
The table below ranks the reasons adults participate in adult education by educational attainment level. Advancement on the job remains the top reason for taking classes for those with a high school diploma, GED, vocational school education, or Associate's degree or higher. In fact, those with a Bachelor's degree or higher have the highest percentage of participants (63%) in this category. Those with a 9th to 12th grade education are the least likely (28%) to take classes for this reason. Personal development and social interaction is the second most popular reason for taking adult education classes for those with a diploma, GED, degree, or vocational education after high school.
For those with less than a high school diploma and for those with some college, but no degree, the top reason for taking adult education classes was personal development and social interaction, followed by advancement on the job. Those with some college had the highest percentage in this category (48%), and those with a 9th to 12th grade education had the lowest percentage at 35%.
Those with less than a high school diploma and those with some college or an Associate's degree are more likely than any other group to be taking adult education classes to complete a degree or a diploma. Those with vocational school education after high school are the least likely to take classes to complete a degree.
Training for a new job is the third most popular reason for taking adult education classes among those with an Associate's degree. Those with a 9th to 12th grade education are just as likely to train for a new job by using adult education as those with an Associate's degree (15% for both). Those with up to an 8th grade education are the least likely to be taking adult education classes for this reason (3%).
Reasons for Participating in Adult Education, Ranked Within Educational Attainment Categories, 1999
| Educational attainment | Advance on the job | Personal/social | Train for a new job | Complete degree or diploma |
| Up to 8th grade | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 9th to 12th grade | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| High school diploma or GED | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Vocational school after high school | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Some college | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Associate's degree | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Does all this signal a trend in continuing education? What does this say about the value of a high school diploma or college degree? Advancing technology and increased globalization has led to the need for many employees to update their knowledge and skills in their current field every few years. Many colleges and universities have adapted to this type of student. Many offer evening and weekend classes. Some schools have branches out in the community, or, in the case of The University of Phoenix, branches in multiple states. Some set up branches within company buildings. Santa Clara University, for example, set up a branch within National Semiconductor in Sunnyvale, California. Distance learning has also become more popular. According to the United States Distance Learning Association, 2.3 million students will be taking distance learning courses over the next few years.
All work and no play? Not necessarily. Taking adult education classes for personal development or social interaction ranks either first or second among all educational attainment levels. With the Baby Boomers retiring and having more leisure time to pursue personal interests, will personal development and social interaction become the top reason overall for adults participating in adult education? Maybe — if the markets don't dip.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census. Statistical Abstract of the United States 2001. 121st ed. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2002. Speer, Tibbet L. "A Nation of Students." American Demographics (August 1996). United States Distance Learning Association. "Resources: Distance Learning Link Program (DLLP)." Online. Available: http://www.usdla.org/html/resources/dllp.htm. February 22, 2002.
1 1974-1985 data includes those 14 years old and over. 1989 data includes those 16 years and over. 1987 and 1991-1998 data includes those 18 years old and over. 2000 data includes those 21 years old and over.
2 No monetary total data are available for the years in the graph. Data are only available for 1992 and 1999.
3 Percentage attending religious services at least once a month. Data from "Table 7 - Changes in Attendance at Religious Services." Retrieved February 8, 2002 from http//www.umich.edu.
4 Four men and four women were sealed in a dome in the Arizona desert to determine if a self-sustained ecosystem could be maintained. The experiment ultimately failed.
5 The quilt is an international memorial to those who have died of AIDS. It was begun in June 1987 in San Francisco as one man's protest against the AIDS epidemic. Cleve Jones spray-painted his friend's name on a piece of cloth the size of a grave. Soon, thousands of people were adding panels as a tribute to their loved ones who died. In 1995, there were more than 27,000 panels.
6 Years shown in the graph.
7In constant 2000 dollars. Includes gifts, grants, and contributions from government and private sources.
8 Volunteers work out of the home using a computer. In February 2002, The VolunteerMatch website posted over 4,600 virtual volunteering opportunities. Data from http://www.impactonline.org/virtual/.
9 VolunteerMatch is an online resource for matching volunteers and organizations nationwide. Organizations looking for volunteers post ads on the VolunteerMatch website. Potential volunteers search the database of volunteer opportunities and are directed to the organization needing the volunteer.
10 The growth of Deism also relates to the growing secularism in our society. A Deist believes in God, but denies religion. His beliefs are based on nature and reason, rather than faith.
11 This number reflects data in the source used by the editor. Other sources estimate the number of American Muslims between 2.8 million (a study released by the American Jewish Committee in October 2001) and 8 million (newspaper accounts in 2001). The 2000 edition of Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches estimates there are 3,950,000 Muslims in America.
12 A public library is an administrative entity. It may or may not have branch libraries. If it has branch libraries, the public library becomes a central library and contains the administrative services that oversee the branch libraries' operations. A public library outlet is either a central public library or a branch library.
13 All percentages are averages for the years 1993-1999. The sum of percentages will not equal 100 due to rounding.
14 Averages are for the years 1997-1999. No data were collected on expenditures for access to electronic services and the Internet before 1997.
15 The last year for which data is available. Data based on survey questions relating to public library use for the past month. Interviews were conducted from January 1996 to April 1996, therefore data are based on library use from December 1995-March 1996.
16 A single household could be included in multiple activities.
17 Because participants in adult education may have more than one reason for taking adult education classes, percentages may not add to 100.
18 Percentages may not add to 100 because participants may have more than one reason for taking adult education classes.
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