mature students
Grown-up college attendees
Mature students are those who enter or return to formal education at an older age than is typical, usually defined as over 21 or 25 depending on the institution.
The term is used primarily in British and Commonwealth higher education to distinguish these students from those who enroll directly after secondary school.
Mature students often balance coursework with jobs, families, or other responsibilities, and may bring professional experience to their studies.
The university offers special support services for mature students.
- olderMore advanced in age
- adult learnersOlder people pursuing education
- experiencedHaving practical knowledge gained
- life experienceAccumulated personal history
- adultMature person, legally responsible
empty nesters · continuing education · lifelong learning · adult education centers · night classes · retraining programs · second chance · late bloomer · work-life balance · learning · resilience · universities · perseverance · career advancement · wisdom · workforce development · microcredentials · retraining
- studentsfreshman, sophomore, pupil, junior, senior
- nontraditional studentsadult learners
- learning theoriesconstructivism, self-directed learning, social learning, collaborative learning, inquiry-based