Not-So-Typical
Today’s college students break stereotypes

If you think that most college students are fresh out of high school, young, carefree, and living at a university, you’re wrong. In fact, 85 percent of college students today don’t fit that mold. More often, the typical college student is living off campus, working full or part time, and juggling college with real-life responsibilities.
There are 21.6 million
college students in the U.S. today
Only 15% attend a four-year college
full time and live on-campus
42% Are over age 24
38% Are enrolled part time
50% Are seeking an associate’s degree or certificate
32% Work full time
27% Have financial dependents
45% Attend community college
50% Live with parents while attending college
(Sources: nces.ed.gov, chronicle.com “The New Traditional Student,” theatlantic.com “Old School: College’s most important trend is the rise of the adult student,” usatoday.com “Degrees of Difficulty,” www.aacc.nche.edu, buck.blogs.nytimes.com “More College Students Living at Home.”)