15 Best Degrees for 40-Year-Olds
As an older adult, heading back to school or college for the first time can be as scary as it is exciting. You don’t know what to expect from your teachers or even your fellow students. Choosing which degree to get is also hard. You want one you can complete to find better and higher paying job opportunities as well as one that appeals to you. It’s also important to consider your skill set as well as your stamina and physical fitness..
Though 40 is far from over the hill, the chances are good that you have a little less energy than you did before – not to mention less free time. Whether you’re married, have kids, or work full time, you don’t have as much time to commit to your education as you did in the past. That’s why you’ll want to focus on online degree programs. Check out the best degrees for 40-year-olds like yourself that you can complete online.
15 Best Degrees for 40-Year-Olds
We’ve compiled a list of our ideas for the best degree ideas for 40-year-old students. Look at our recommendations below.
1. Business
Business is one of the best fields to study as an adult because it lets you use your knowledge and experience. Though your classmates may have no experience or limited experience beyond a few part-time jobs, you can use your history to show off what you know. A nice thing about majoring in business is that the subject is available at all levels. You can start with an associate’s degree or enroll in a bachelor’s program. There are even online MBA programs with benefits like offering flexible classes and letting you work around your schedule. The median wage for MBA professionals is around $116,000 a year.
2. Counseling
Counseling is a good field of study for students in their 40s, even those who never took college classes. Counselors work in a variety of fields, from substance abuse to marriage and family. You can help clients who struggle at home along with those who have mental health problems or some type of addiction. Earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology or another area of social science helps you develop a strong foundation that helps you work with others. Though your salary can vary, expect to earn a salary of $53,700 a year as a substance abuse counselor. Once you have your degree, you can focus on choosing a graduate program that prepares you for working with clients. Online programs require practical fieldwork to give you more hands-on experience.
3. Real Estate
Turn the love you have for real estate into a professional degree. Many real estate degree programs are available through community colleges and online schools. You’ll take courses designed to help you pass the licensing exam in your state. This lets you become an agent or a broker. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found that these professionals make $27.22 an hour, which comes to more than $56,000 a year. Though you do need to meet more steps to become a licensed Realtor, it opens more opportunities when it comes to your client base and earnings. The courses you take in college deal with the ethics of buying and selling real estate, insurance, and similar topics.
4. Criminal Justice
With so many TV shows and films dedicated to true crime, the number of people interested in working in the field keeps growing. Whether you want to operate a podcast about your favorite case or you want to work in the field, studying criminal justice can help. Your degree allows you to work as a parole officer or a probation officer. These professionals assist criminals when they leave facilities. Working as a PO allows you to earn more than $61,000 annually. The facilities hire employees with CJ degrees to work as correctional officers to assist those in prisons and jails. Other positions you can do with your online degree include private investigator, bailiff, and social services specialist.
5. Computer Information Systems
A job field that’s in high demand and will likely continue in the future is information security. To work in this field, consider earning a degree in computer information systems. The BLS found the average salary for CIS professionals is more than $165,000 a year. As someone in their 40s, you’re part of the generation that grew up using, playing, and working with computers, which gives you a different perspective than others have. Information security analysts work in cybersecurity and protect the confidential and private data of others. One of the nice things about enrolling in an online program is that you learn how to secure online data, which might help you find remote positions that allow you to work from home.
6. Social Work
Social work is a big field that involves helping people in need. It includes multiple areas or fields like child welfare and healthcare. Child welfare advocates look out for the best interests of children, which may include removing them from a home or providing their parents with resources. Healthcare social workers often have positions in hospitals and other medical facilities. They help patients get access to free and affordable support, such as nursing help at home or meal delivery services. Online social work programs are great for adult students because they use your existing empathy skills and help you develop new ones. Both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work are available online. Though social workers earn less than$60,000 annually, some positions pay much more.
7. Human Resources
Businesses of all types need human resources directors and managers. They are the ones responsible for onboarding new workers and ensuring that existing workers are happy. Though you’ll find associate degree programs, you usually want to enroll in a bachelor’s program to gain the minimum degree employers require. HR programs teach you about employment laws at all levels and focus on how to keep and find employees. Going back to school now to study HR is a smart choice because businesses will need 10,000 new HR managers by 2032. They also earn a median annual wage of more than $136,000. This growth is higher than the average rate found among other positions, helping you feel confident about finding your first job after graduation.
8. Education
Consider studying education to become a licensed teacher in your area. Most school districts only hire teachers who have a license and can pass a background check. To obtain your license, you must present proof you have a bachelor’s degree and meet other requirements set by your state. If you complete an online program in one state, you can still apply to become a teacher in another one. Wages vary, but the salary for postsecondary teachers is around $84,000 a year. In addition to working as a teacher, you can also study a different area of education like curriculum development. These professionals design the curriculum used in schools by teachers. Some advanced areas of education require a master’s degree.
9. Public Relations
Do you love working around people and have strong organizational skills? Working in public relations might be a great choice. Have you ever gone to a big party or event and wondered how it happened? The chances are good that a PR rep was working behind the scenes. They often organize big events and ensure their clients are happy. PR reps can also handle product launches and work on fundraising campaigns. Not only do they identify the needs of their clients, but they also help them achieve those goals. When you study public relations online, you also learn about working with individuals to help them improve their reputations or get their names out into the world. As a PR specialist, you’ll earn a median wage of $66,750 every year.
10. Medical Billing and Coding
Though medical billing and coding specialists can work in facilities, many work from home. If you have small children or teens and want to be home for them, working in this industry might be a good option. As a billing and coding specialist, you must maintain and organize medical records. This requires inputting the proper codes when a patient seeks medical help to bill their insurer. You’ll also maintain patient confidentiality and keep data secure. The job often also requires working alone, which is helpful if you like being by yourself. Medical billing and coding specialists make an average of more than $21 an hour and usually only need an associate’s degree. The BLS puts the salary higher at nearly $49,000 a year.
11. Marketing
Turn your love for advertising into a career with a marketing degree. Marketing experts help launch new products and bring attention to existing products. A company will not change the way a product looks or the way they advertise it without extensive research first. Marketing pros run focus groups where they get the opinions of consumers, which they use to recommend changes. They also handle market testing where they send products to select markets and judge how people feel. A marketing program will teach you the basics of advertising and let you get some hands-on experience. You’ll even have the chance to run mock ad campaigns. The mean annual salary for a marketing manager is $166,410.
12. Library Science
Library science degrees are a good option for students with a keen eye for detail and strong organizational skills. While you might think that librarians just pass out books and recommend options, they have a lot of duties on the job. The duties range from organizing and stocking shelves to finding new materials and sticking to a tight budget. Expect to earn more than $64,000 as a librarian. Modern libraries also have a lot of online materials and media like DVDs and audiobooks. Librarians need to know which titles are popular and which ones patrons want to borrow. While there are only a handful of online library science degree programs, they’re open to students in all states.
13. Communications
Communication is more than just how people speak to each other. It also delves into nonverbal cues and what happens when two people communicate. Communications is one of the best degrees for 40-year-olds because it has so many different focus areas you can pick. Do you want to help employees effectively communicate with their employers and vice-versa? Look for a business communications program. If you want to focus on the communication methods used in the media, communications media is a better option. One position you can find with this degree is a communications teacher. They earn more than $90,000 a year. Some online programs require that you take a public speaking class and allow you to submit the speeches you do in your community and upload them to your class.
14. Nursing
If you want to work with people and help them with their overall health, consider nursing degree programs. Keep in mind that nurses often spend long hours on their feet. The job has a lot of physical demands you should ensure you can handle before you begin classes. Some colleges design online nursing programs for students who have a degree in another subject and students who previously took classes. The schools transfer your credits to reduce the general education courses you usually take. Online programs have rotations where you work in hospitals and other healthcare settings. Look for schools that help find local facilities that accept online students into their programs. registered nurses have a high earnings potential with a median annual salary of $86,079.
15. Accounting
It’s never too late to switch careers. Moving into the accounting field is a good way to increase your earnings potential and start your path toward becoming a CPA. While you need a graduate degree to become a CPA, you can do a lot with a bachelor’s in accounting degree. You’ll take classes on cost accounting and similar topics to work with businesses and courses on auditing and fraud detection to learn about forensic accounting. The amount you can make depends on which area you focus on and where you live. For example, those who work in fraud accounting earn more than $120,000 a year in Washington, DC compared to around $70,000 a year in Kansas. Among all accountants, the median wage is $79,880 a year.
Why Choose an Online Program?
The biggest reason to choose an online degree program is that it gives you more freedom. You’ll still have deadlines, such as when a paper is due or how much time you have to take a quiz. Most classes also ask that you log in and participate in discussions several times a week. However, you can complete assignments and participate in discussions around your schedule. You have plenty of time for other obligations you have like caring for your family or working a full-time job. Many programs also let you take electives as you take general education courses to see which subjects interest you.
What are the Admission Requirements?
Schools have different admissions requirements based on the program and level of study. Associate’s programs often require just a high school diploma or GED and an application packet, which may include an application fee. At the bachelor’s level, you may need to submit an ACT or SAT score along with a short essay. If you want to transfer credits into the program, prepare to submit official college transcripts, too. Graduate programs often have more requirements. The school might ask for proof you have a bachelor’s degree, an essay that describes your career goals, and even a copy of your resume.
How Can You Get Started?
Getting started isn’t as difficult as you might think. Now that you know the best degrees for 40-year-olds, you can decide which subject appeals to you and look for colleges that offer programs in that field. Use our rankings to find online colleges that can meet the demands of adult students and offer the flexibility and financial aid you need.