Adult Continuing Education
- Survey findings indicate that from 2001 to 2005 a small but growing percentage of adults pursued continuing education in the humanities (Indicator V-09a). In 2001, 1% of the American population over the age of 16, approximately 2 million people, had taken at least one humanities course for personal interest or development in the previous 12 months. By 2005, the proportion had risen to 1.5%, or approximately 3.3 million people.
- In both 2001 and 2005, adult education students in the humanities tended to be young, with approximately 50% of all such students having been between the ages of 16 and 34 (Indicator V-09b). However, the character of the age distribution changed considerably over the four-year period. Whereas in 2001 those in the youngest age category (16–24) were by far the most numerous, comprising over 35% of the humanities course takers, in 2005 those course takers were spread somewhat more evenly across the age categories. Another striking difference between the two time points is the substantially higher proportion of course takers in 2005 who were ages 55–64, their proportion having increased from 5% to 14.5% of all adult education course takers in the humanities.
- Adult education students were somewhat more likely to be women than men (Indicator V-09c). In 2001, 56% of those taking such classes were female, though by 2005 the gender gap was less pronounced, with women constituting 52.8% of course takers.
* Sample excluded persons who were enrolled in grade 12 or below. Classes in “Liberal Arts/General Education,” “English,” “Foreign Language,” and “Religion/Philosophy” were counted as humanities courses. Courses are those not taken as part of a formal degree or certificate program, although college credit may have been earned.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, Adult Education and Life-Long Learning (2001) and Adult Education (2005) Surveys.
Since 1999, the National Center for Education Statistics has collected information on levels of participation in adult education as part of its National Household Education Surveys Program. Beginning in 2001, these data included the subject matter of courses in which students enrolled. Such courses were not taken as part of a degree or certificate program, though college credit may have been earned.
* Sample excluded persons who were enrolled in grade 12 or below. Classes in “Liberal Arts/General Education,” “English,” “Foreign Language,” and “Religion/Philosophy” were counted as humanities courses. Courses are those not taken as part of a formal degree or certificate program, although college credit may have been earned.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, Adult Education and Life-Long Learning (2001) and Adult Education (2005) Surveys.
Since 1999, the National Center for Education Statistics has collected information on levels of participation in adult education as part of its National Household Education Surveys Program. Beginning in 2001, these data included the subject matter of courses in which students enrolled. Such courses were not taken as part of a degree or certificate program, though college credit may have been earned.
* Sample excluded persons who were enrolled in grade 12 or below. Classes in “Liberal Arts/General Education,” “English,” “Foreign Language,” and “Religion/Philosophy” were counted as humanities courses. Courses are those not taken as part of a formal degree or certificate program, although college credit may have been earned.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, Adult Education and Life-Long Learning (2001) and Adult Education (2005) Surveys.
Since 1999, the National Center for Education Statistics has collected information on levels of participation in adult education as part of its National Household Education Surveys Program. Beginning in 2001, these data included the subject matter of courses in which students enrolled. Such courses were not taken as part of a degree or certificate program, though college credit may have been earned.
