Americans are missing their college glory days — with 1 in 4 wanting to turn back the clock for this reason: study

More than a third of Americans would redo their college experience if they could (38%), according to new research.

A survey of 2,000 adults split respondents by those who have and haven’t received a degree and found that both groups wouldn’t turn down a redo at the choices they made today, including 43% of college grads.

This is largely influenced by the desire to explore a different career path and make more money. To keep up with the times, nearly a quarter are interested in pursuing a new degree (22%) or certification related to their field today (30%).

Conducted by Talker Research for CSU Global, the survey found that while one in four admit they weren’t as interested in attending college at the standard age, 34% are interested in doing so now.

The inspiration to go back to school may have stemmed from the three major life changes the average respondent has made in the past five years, with one in eight having made even more — at least one significant change every year.

The most common major life events they’ve experienced include illness or loss in the family (41%), changing jobs or careers (37%), or moving within their state (24%).

Of those who have changed jobs or careers within the past five years, the average respondent has done so twice, and one in six admits they felt unprepared to do so.

A third of employed respondents said that the current job market influences their desire to redo their college experience differently “very much.”

Nearly two in three Americans believe that getting a “practical” degree, or one that provides useful skills, would be relevant to them today, even if it is not required for their work (63%).

Half of those who pursued higher education said they originally obtained a practical degree (51%), with the most popular routes being education, business, or communications fields or healthcare (10% each).

Today, a majority of those who are employed and went to college believe their degree is relevant to their current field of work (68%) — but nearly a fifth don’t (18%).

According to respondents, the most useful degrees in today’s job market would be artificial intelligence and machine learning (20%), healthcare (13%), cybersecurity (13%), accounting (13%), and business or economics (9%).

“Now driven by the infusion of technology in every industry, the job market has gone through rapid change over the past several years, causing the skills that professionals need to succeed in the workplace to also evolve,” said Dr. Becky Takeda-Tinker, president of Colorado State University Global. “As a high-demand skill a few years ago may be different today, it is important to continually refresh your understanding of how different industries and their needs have evolved, so staying current through reskilling or upskilling is key to maintaining a competitive edge.”

The AI boom is also influencing how Americans feel about their job security: 39% of employed respondents are worried about their field of work being changed or phased out by AI.

As a result, 45% of employed respondents feel they would benefit professionally by improving their skills and knowledge around using AI at work.

Despite their desire to learn and grow with the times, many traditional on-campus programs present barriers to going back to school.

Forty-five percent believe that the college experience today is different from it was just five years ago, and 57% believe the same of college within the past decade.

Respondents said that the blocks that stop them from pursuing a degree are financial concerns (30%), having different priorities (22%), and not having the time (21%).

If they were to attend college today, those surveyed would want the chance to explore a different career path and to make more money above all (16% each), followed by the desire to learn something new (15%), more upskilling or reskilling opportunities (11%), or to savor the experience (10%).

Thinking about how they’d want to attend, more than half of those surveyed would opt for hybrid or fully online classes (54%) as opposed to fully in-person options.

“Higher education looks very different today,” said Dr. Takeda-Tinker. “The traditional model of in-person classes at fixed times is no longer the default for modern learners as they seek to remain relevant in their industries while trying to juggle work and the continual skilling needed in today’s dynamic times. With the high-quality, 100% online, asynchronous program options now available, working professionals who need to balance life’s many responsibilities can consider these options that will allow them to expand their skills and improve their marketability without having to put their careers on hold or sacrifice time with their family members and communities.”

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 general population Americans; the survey was commissioned by CSU Global and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Sep. 13 and Sep. 18, 2025.