Manchester University Survey Reveals Adults Without Degrees Plan College , Manchester 2026

Key Points

• Approximately 32% of adults who began college but never graduated intend to pursue a bachelor’s degree within the next year
• The survey was conducted by Manchester University and released in 2026
• Adults without degrees continue to value higher education despite economic challenges
• Financial concerns and program flexibility remain primary barriers to enrollment
• Mental health issues and emotional stress significantly impact college completion rates
• The finding represents a notable trend in adult education re-enrollment post-pandemic
• Women and minority groups show different enrollment patterns than white adults
• Cost clarity remains an issue, with only 23% of adults without degrees able to estimate college costs accurately
• Expected future job opportunities serve as key motivators for adult students returning to school
• Confidence in degree value strongly influences re-enrollment decisions

Manchester(Manchester Mirror)May 25, 2026-A significant new survey from Manchester University has revealed that approximately 32% of adults who started college but never graduated plan to pursue a bachelor’s degree within the next year, marking a notable shift in adult education enrollment patterns. The findings, released in 2026, indicate that adults without degrees continue to place high value on higher education despite facing substantial financial and logistical barriers.

What Does the Manchester University Survey Reveal About Adult College Plans?

According to the Manchester University survey, the 32% figure represents adults who are “stopped-out” students—those who previously enrolled in higher education but did not complete their degrees. As reported by the Journal Gazette, this demographic represents a crucial segment of potential students that universities are increasingly targeting through revised admission policies and support programs.

The survey data aligns with broader national trends documented by the Lumina Foundation and Gallup. In their annual report on higher education, these organizations found that 57% of adults not currently enrolled in a degree or credential program said they intend to enroll, with 85% of this group stating they are likely to very likely to enroll within the next five years.

Why Are Adults Without Degrees Still Valuing Higher Education?

Non-degree or credential-holding adults place the highest value on graduate degrees, bachelor’s degrees and industry certifications, with at least seven in 10 saying they are extremely or very valuable, according to the Lumina Foundation and Gallup report. Despite growing public skepticism about higher education’s return on investment, Americans without degrees continue viewing postsecondary education as essential for career success.

Interest in pursuing associate and bachelor’s degrees continued to increase in 2024, with 24% of unenrolled adults considering an associate degree and 18% considering a bachelor’s degree, the report said. For those currently enrolled or who stopped out, expected future job opportunities and confidence in the value of the degree or credential were key motivators in their decision to pursue higher education, according to survey analysis.

What Barriers Prevent Adults From Completing Their Degrees?

Financial concerns and program flexibility when considering enrollment, and emotional stress and mental health issues impeding completion remain the most significant obstacles. The findings show that fewer enrolled adults are considering stopping out—down to 32% from 35% in 2023—but almost one-third have thought about it, largely due to mental health and cost concerns.

Of those who did stop out, one in three cited mental health, emotional stress or cost as reasons. The report added that the main sources of emotional stress were anxiety/depression or mental health concerns (74%), loneliness/isolation (60%), financial matters related to school (59%), amount of coursework (56%) and job stresses (50%).

Cost estimation presents another significant barrier. Only 23 percent of adults without degrees could guess the cost of a bachelor’s degree within $5,000 of its price tag, according to Lumina Foundation research. The actual annual cost of a four-year degree at in-state public colleges is about $15,000, with housing, food, and books adding thousands of dollars annually.

How Do Enrollment Patterns Differ Across Demographic Groups?

The survey revealed notable demographic variations in college enrollment intentions. Women without degrees are less likely than males to consider pursuing an industry certification (8% vs. 22%) or a bachelor’s degree (14% vs. 21%), according to the Lumina Foundation report. However, they are similarly likely to say they have considered an associate degree (23% vs. 25%) and certificate programs (21% vs. 22%).

In terms of race, White adults were much less certain about college in their future than other races/ethnicities. Nearly 60% of Black or African American adults and 57% of Hispanic adults said they were likely or very likely to enroll in a degree or credential program in the next five years, compared to 41% of White adults. For Asian adults, it was 55%.

Younger adults also demonstrated higher enrollment intentions, with 67% saying it is very likely they will enroll in college in the next two years, compared to 42% of older adults. Younger adults also intended to enroll full time at higher rates than older adults.

What Support Systems Are Emerging for Adult Students?

Manchester University itself has taken concrete steps to support adult learners. The university recently set aside $5 million to launch new programs in the health sciences, both graduate and undergraduate, according to Facebook posts from the Journal Gazette. Additionally, Manchester University partnered with Fort Wayne Community Schools and six other local colleges to form the Higher Education Coalition, designed to open doors to higher education for local students.

The coalition includes guaranteed admission for students with a grade point average of 2.5 or higher to all seven coalition schools, with students with GPAs between 2.0 and 2.5 reviewed considering factors such as academic improvement, leadership activities and personal circumstances. Coalition institutions are waiving tuition for identified dual credit courses, allowing students to earn college credits while still in high school at no cost to families.

Where Do Adult Prospective Students Plan to Attend College?

Most adult prospective students plan to attend college in ways that can make completion more difficult, including transferring between institutions and going to school part-time, according to Public Agenda research. This pattern suggests that despite strong intentions, many adult students face structural challenges that could impact their ultimate completion rates.

Over all, 48 percent of those not currently in college said they are either very likely or likely to enroll in a postsecondary program, though those who stopped out are more likely to re-enroll compared to those who never started in the first place. Among those who aren’t enrolled in college, 24 percent said they’re interested in pursuing an associate degree, while 18 percent have considered a bachelor’s degree.

When Will These Adults Return to College?

The Manchester University survey specifically identified that 32% plan to pursue a bachelor’s degree within the next year, indicating near-term enrollment intentions rather than distant aspirations. This timeframe suggests that universities have a narrow window to provide support and remove barriers before these potential students commit to other pathways or lose momentum.

Fifty-seven percent of those surveyed in 2024 said they’d considered pursuing at least one degree or credential in the past two years, according to the Lumina Foundation and Gallup report. That’s down two percentage points from the 2023 survey, but significantly up from 44 percent of those surveyed in 2021.

Background of This Development

The Manchester University survey emerges within a broader context of post-pandemic educational rethinking in the United States. Higher education institutions have increasingly recognized “stopped-out” students as a critical demographic after enrollment declines during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed vulnerabilities in traditional student pipelines.

The Lumina Foundation and Gallup have conducted annual surveys on higher education attitudes since at least 2021, tracking changing perceptions about degree value and enrollment intentions. Their data shows a clear recovery trend, with interest in higher education rebounding from 2021 lows but still facing persistent barriers related to cost transparency and mental health support.

Manchester University, located in North Manchester, Indiana with a Fort Wayne location for graduate and adult programs, has positioned itself as a leader in adult education access. The university’s $5 million investment in health sciences programs and the Higher Education Coalition partnership demonstrate institutional commitment to expanding access for non-traditional students.

The survey also reflects broader national conversations about college completion rates. Nearly a third of all college students still don’t have a degree six years after starting, according to research from The 74 Million. This “some college, no degree” population represents both a challenge for educational institutions and an opportunity for targeted re-enrollment initiatives.

Cost clarity remains a persistent problem in American higher education. The Lumina Foundation’s “Sticker Shock” research revealed that Americans say college costs are too high and unclear, with only 23 percent able to accurately estimate bachelor’s degree costs. This transparency gap affects enrollment decisions across all demographic groups but disproportionately impacts first-generation college students and lower-income adults.

Prediction: How This Development Will Affect Adult Students and Higher Education

The finding that 32% of adults without degrees plan to pursue bachelor’s degrees within the next year will significantly impact multiple stakeholders in the higher education ecosystem. For adult students themselves, this trend suggests increased competition for admission slots at institutions offering flexible scheduling and adult-focused support services. Students who act on their enrollment intentions within the next year will need to navigate financial aid systems, balance work-family-school commitments, and overcome the mental health challenges that previously caused them to stop out.

Universities and colleges will face pressure to expand capacity for adult learners while maintaining educational quality. Institutions that fail to provide adequate financial counseling, mental health support, and flexible scheduling risk losing this demographic to competitors or alternative credentialing pathways. The Manchester University model—combining financial investment, coalition partnerships, and guaranteed admission policies—may become a template for other institutions seeking to capture this market segment.

Employers will likely see increased demand for tuition assistance programs as more adults return to school. Companies that offer flexible work arrangements for studying employees and financial support for degree completion may gain competitive advantages in recruitment and retention, particularly among workers without bachelor’s degrees who represent the majority of this returning population.

The housing market could experience ripple effects as adult students relocate for education or require different housing arrangements that accommodate family and study needs. Young adults without college degrees, who already face challenges with homeownership requiring nearly 15.5 years to save for a down payment compared to just over five years for debt-free graduates may see improved long-term economic prospects if they successfully complete their degrees.

Policy makers will need to address the cost transparency gap highlighted by the survey. Only 23% of adults without degrees can accurately estimate college costs, suggesting a need for standardized cost disclosure requirements and expanded financial literacy programs. State and federal funding priorities may shift toward programs specifically targeting stopped-out students rather than only first-time college freshmen.

Mental health service providers will experience increased demand as adult students return to campus. With 74% of stopped-out adults citing anxiety/depression as a primary stressor and 60% citing loneliness/isolation, universities must expand counseling services specifically designed for non-traditional students balancing multiple life responsibilities.

The demographic disparities revealed in the survey particularly that White adults show lower enrollment intentions than Black, Hispanic, and Asian adults suggest that targeted outreach programs may become more common. Institutions serving predominantly White populations may need to rethink recruitment strategies, while historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) may see increased applications from adult learners.

Overall, this development indicates that higher education remains valued by adults without degrees, but realizing this potential requires systemic changes to financial aid transparency, mental health support, scheduling flexibility, and institutional partnerships. The next 12-24 months will test whether universities can convert enrollment intentions into actual completions at scale.