Exploring Adult Learners’ Use of Flexible Course Enrollment Options

Educational attainment is a powerful driver of economic mobility and essential to achieving the racial, social, and economic equity Californians envision for future generations. Yet today, only 56% of California adults ages 25 to 64 hold a college degree or high-value credential.

In Exploring Adult Learners’ Use of Flexible Course Enrollment Options, the third brief in the Reaching California’s College Attainment Goals series, we examine how adult learners—many balancing work, family, and school—are engaging with online, hybrid, and multi-institutional enrollment options across the California Community Colleges system. The findings highlight a critical insight: expanding meaningful flexibility in course formats and scheduling is not merely a convenience, but a vital strategy for re-engaging adult learners and accelerating progress toward our shared 70% attainment goal.