How AI Is Reshaping the Adult Learner Experience

Adult learners have become an increasingly important focus for higher education institutions. Today, adult learners are not an emerging population. They are the reality shaping the future of higher education.

According to the Risepoint 2026 Voice of the Online Learner report, 89% of online learners work while pursuing their education, including 77% who work full time. More than half (54%) are working parents or parents seeking employment, 30% have caregiving responsibilities, and 21% have a military affiliation.

These learners are balancing education alongside careers, families, and other responsibilities. Rather than building their lives around a degree, they expect education to fit within the lives they are already living. When students say they want flexibility, they are not asking for an easier experience. They are asking for learning experiences designed around those realities without compromising quality and rigor.

What has remained remarkably consistent is why they enroll in online degree programs. Ninety-five percent of learners say they are pursuing education for career-related outcomes. They are seeking opportunities to advance professionally, increase earnings, and build skills that help them stay competitive in a changing workforce.

At the same time, the environment around them is changing rapidly. Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, transforming how people work, and influencing how prospective students discover and evaluate educational opportunities.

The findings from this year’s survey suggest that while adult learners continue to value affordability, flexibility, and career relevance, they are navigating higher education in new ways.

For institutions, that creates an opportunity to build experiences that better reflect how adults learn, work, and make decisions today.

Learners are researching more independently before engaging institutions

Historically, institutions played a large role in guiding prospective students through the enrollment journey. Today’s learners increasingly guide themselves and make intentional decisions about both modality and place. Eight in 10 learners chose modality first (online vs. hybrid or in-person), and 76% live and/or work in the same state as the school where they are enrolled or plan to enroll.

While search engines remain the most common source of information, learners are drawing from a growing mix of digital resources to evaluate programs. One of the most notable findings this year was the rapid increase in digital and AI-assisted program discovery.

• Learners using an AI website or application while researching schools jumped from 6% in 2025 to 17% in 2026.
• Use of program review websites increased from 11% to 18%.
• Web advertisements and college search site advertisements each saw meaningful growth.

The shift reflects a broader change in learner behavior. Today’s students expect information to be available when and where they need it. They increasingly want to compare options, have questions answered, and build confidence independently before engaging with a person.

That preference is reflected elsewhere in the data. Fifty-seven percent of learners report using self-service tools during their discovery process, while 75% say self-service resources are important when evaluating programs.

As learners navigate an increasingly complex mix of websites, reviews, AI tools, and institutional content, colleges and universities have an opportunity to ensure that relevant human interactions are ready and waiting when prospective students seek them out.

The goal is not simply to provide more information, but to create more intentional experiences that help learners make confident decisions.

Learners want more than access to AI: They want guidance

Artificial intelligence has quickly moved from a future consideration to a present reality for many working adults.

In 2024, 59% of learners said understanding AI would be important for workplace success. By 2026, that figure had climbed to 71%.

Students increasingly recognize that AI will influence their careers, regardless of industry. What is particularly notable, however, is how they view the role of higher education in helping them prepare.

When asked what types of guidance they want from their institutions, learners identified a broad range of needs including:

• Using AI responsibly and ethically.
• Evaluating the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated information.
• Understanding how AI may impact future jobs and required skills.

Many institutions have already begun responding. The percentage of learners who say their instructors regularly discuss appropriate AI use increased from 33% to 46% in just one year. Likewise, the share of learners reporting AI integration into curriculum rose from 19% to 33%.

Universities have made progress in responding to the rapid rise of AI, but learner expectations are evolving faster than many institutions’ guidance and practices.

Students are not simply asking for permission to use AI tools. They want clear, practical guidance on how AI can be used responsibly in their coursework, how it is changing their professions, and what skills they will need in the workplace. The goal is not to keep AI separate from learning but to integrate it in a way that builds judgment, critical thinking, and professional readiness.

This is an opportunity for colleges and universities to strengthen their role as trusted guides by helping learners understand how to use AI thoughtfully, ethically, and effectively in both academic and professional settings.

Career-ready learning increasingly extends beyond a single degree

As learners become more self-directed in exploring educational opportunities, they are also becoming more intentional about how they build skills over the course of their careers.

For many working adults, earning a degree is no longer viewed as the finish line.

This year’s survey found growing interest in continued learning across every category measured:

• 61% of respondents said they would likely pursue another online degree after completing their current program, up from 48% in 2025.
• Interest in online non-degree programs rose from 48% to 56% over the same period.

Learners see shorter-form credentials as a practical way to build workforce-relevant skills. More than seven in ten respondents (71%) agree that non-degree programs can help them gain job-specific skills quickly, while 69% believe these programs can help them reskill for a new career field.

That value is especially relevant in emerging areas such as AI, data, and technology, where skills and employer expectations are evolving quickly. Certifications and microcredentials can help learners build new capabilities and stay current in their fields.

For institutions, the takeaway is clear: learners need flexible and connected pathways through degrees, certificates, professional development, and continuing education. Providing multiple entry points allows institutions to support learners as their needs and careers evolve, rather than at only one moment in time.

A moment of opportunity for higher education

Despite significant technological change, the core motivations of online learners remain remarkably consistent. They want affordable pathways to advancement, flexible options that fit into busy lives, and education that leads to meaningful career outcomes.

What is changing is how they expect to pursue those goals.

Today’s learners are more digitally fluent, self-directed, and aware of the skills they will need to thrive in a rapidly changing workforce. They expect institutions to provide flexibility, relevance, and guidance throughout their careers, not only during a single program.

For UPCEA members, these findings reinforce a reality many institutions are already experiencing; learners are approaching education less as a one-time transaction and more of a lifelong relationship. They may return at different stages of their careers for degrees, certificates, professional development, or new skills as workforce needs evolve.

The challenge for higher education leaders is not to chase every new tool or trend. It is to remain grounded in what students value while adapting to the ways their needs and expectations are changing. Institutions that do this well will be better positioned to expand access, strengthen workforce relevance, and deepen their impact within the communities they serve.

Learners are ready for what comes next. The question is whether higher education is ready to meet them there.

Download the full 2026 Voice of the Online Learner report to explore additional findings and recommendations for serving today’s online learners.

Dr. Tekoya Boykins is a passionate educator who promotes growth and positive change through education. In her position as the Director of Academic Program Strategy at Risepoint, Tekoya is an advocate for education who has led in various capacities including serving as a business and education faculty, curriculum and instructional designer, assessment writer, and faculty trainer for professional development. Her research focuses on competency-based education.

Risepoint is a global education technology company that helps regional universities launch and grow online programs for modern learners. Risepoint supports more than 100 universities and colleges across five countries, with programs concentrated in high-demand fields including nursing, healthcare, teaching, business, technology, and public service. Our suite of products and services supports the full student journey and each university’s long-term goals. Together, we increase access to affordable education that delivers a strong return on investment for learners and meets employer and community needs.