How old is too old for an undergraduate?

I agree with all of the above answers.

As a university educator, I can say that I LOVE having older students in the class. Older students bring life and life-experience into the class whereas classes with only 18-21 year-olds have no real life experience to speak of.

Older students tend to boost the level of the other students, raise the maturity level and makes for more interesting discussions because there are often great differences of opinion and perspective with generation gaps.

I say, go for it! If you are thinking about it, I say please try. You will be an asset to your teachers, the other students and you will get an education and a degree.

A close family friend went back to get his BS when he was in his early 40’s. He went to night school and graduated at 50 years old. He was interviewed by the local paper and asked why he did it. His answer was so great that they made it an advertising slogan for the university’s city college:

“I was going to be 50 anyway, so why not be 50 with my degree?”

I think you are never too old. Often older students are more successful in college as they understand what they need to do to succeed in school. At least that was my experience. I returned as an undergraduate a the age of 34 and graduated with a 4.0 GPA. My grades were decent at best when I was in school in my 20’s but I now knew the commitment it takes to achieve good grades and I was there because I chose to be, not because someone told me I should be. At my school there were even undergraduate students I met who were in their 70’s.

If you are uncomfortable being one of the older students on campus you could always go to a school that is primarily for returning students. But I say you are never too old to go after a dream and learn as much as you can. Education is a gift!

Like others said… you are never too old, but from what I’ve seen in college, I’d think anyone close to 10 years older than his/her class is… too old.

Last year I was a freshman at college and my class was full of international students. Usually, they are only one or two years older than the rest of the class… 18, 19, 20–they’re all the same anyways, so it didn’t make much of a difference. However, there was a guy who claimed to be 26, but honestly looked like he was over thirty. Now this guy seemed to have some self-esteem issues because he’d constantly be bragging about how rich his family is, how capable he is, etc… I thought he was a bit sketchy because all the stories he told to his friends did not seem to match up. He didn’t have that many friends and hung out with the graduate students instead…

Honestly, I think it depends if you can handle not being able to fit in. As long as you are interested in learning you are never too old, I guess.

You’re never too “old”. Lots of folks delay college due to personal circumstances and then start up at a later age.

never too old.

Some people in their 70s & 80s go back to school.

I’ve seen many in their 30s. Usually, the older you are, the better student you are.

You’re never too old. As long as you’ve still got the energy and the brainpower, go for it.

Never.