•September 23, 2026•

by Joshua Reinhart

For many adults who began college but did not complete a degree, leaving school was less about academics than it was about everything else happening in life at the time. A new national survey offers a reminder that stepping away from college does not have to mean closing the door permanently.

Study.com’s 2026 Finish Your Degree: New Survey on College Stopouts found that 80% of adults surveyed who left college without earning a degree attributed their decision to full-time work, cost, or family responsibilities. Academic challenges accounted for just 2% of respondents’ reasons for stopping out. So for adults who have thought about returning, the message is simple: It may be worth starting the conversation.

“Finishing a degree is not simply about receiving a diploma,” said EIU Interdisciplinary Studies Program coordinator Kimberly Redfern. “For many returning students, it is about expanding professional possibilities, gaining confidence, accomplishing a long-held personal goal or creating new options for the future.”

Study.com’s survey found that 55% of adults who returned to college said the desire for higher pay was a reason for reenrolling, while 41% cited a personal sense of unfinished business. Another 26% said encouragement from family influenced their decision to return.

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