Distance learning rarely begins straight after leaving school. Anyone who studies at a distance usually has a few years of working life behind them. That is why distance learners are on average considerably older than students at a campus university, and this higher average age explains almost everything that defines distance learning.
The study format of the employed
Distance learners are typically in the middle of life. They work, many have children, and some juggle studying, a job and a family at the same time. The average age is accordingly in the thirties, and a large share is even older. You will find the documented figure in the Study and work report, which also sets out how many work on the side and how they fund their studies.
The reason for the higher age lies in the format. Distance learning is rarely the direct step after school, but a deliberate decision within a working life: a further qualification, an advancement or a reorientation. Such decisions typically come only after a few years of work, and by then the location independent distance study is often the only form that fits with everyday life.
Why age shifts the priorities
For a twenty year old in campus study, what counts is the campus, the surroundings, the first taste of independent life. For an employed person in their mid thirties, entirely different things count: can the studies be combined with the job? Can I have prior credits recognised and save time? How flexible are the exam dates when things are busy at work?
Distance learning programmes are tailored precisely to these questions. The higher average age is therefore not a side note, but the key to understanding the whole format. Anyone reading the numbers on distance learning should always keep this age in mind, otherwise they look distorted. One example: the fact that many distance learners take longer than the standard period of study is not a sign of being overwhelmed, but a logical consequence of studying alongside a full working life. How much time that means in concrete terms is shown by the Time commitment report.
In short: distance learning is the study format of the employed, and its average age is the best proof of that. How this group is distributed across subjects, providers and degrees is shown by the Distance learning in numbers report.
Frequently asked questions
How old are distance learners on average?
Considerably older than in campus study, on average in their thirties. Many are in the middle of their working lives and have a family. We report the documented figure in the Study and work report, with source and date.
Am I too old for distance learning at 40?
No. A large share of distance learners are over thirty, and many are over forty. The format is designed precisely for people who study alongside work and family. There is no maximum age.
Why are distance learners older than campus students?
Because distance learning is usually a deliberate decision within a working life, not the direct step after school. Many study at a distance to qualify further or reorient alongside their job, and that typically happens only after a few years of work.
What does the higher age mean for studying?
It shifts the priorities. For older employed people, compatibility with job and family, the transfer of prior credits and scheduling flexibility count for more than classic campus life. That is exactly what distance learning programmes are designed for.
The information on this page is general in nature and is meant as orientation. It does not replace an official credit transfer or recognition decision by the relevant university and is not legal advice. The universities and the responsible bodies decide: the ZAB in Germany, the BMBWF in Austria and the SBFI in Switzerland. Always check your specific case directly with the university before you enrol.