Northwestern’s School of Continuing Studies is seeing an increase in its population of younger students, making the school part of a growing national trend, said Tim Gordon, associate dean of student services and registration.

Although enrollment numbers for the fall of 2005 were not available, the number of students in their 20s slightly increased during the fall of 2004, he said. Seventy percent of students in the school’s degree programs were between the ages 20 and 39.

SCS admits qualified high school graduates, transfer students and adults of all ages to programs that help them continue their education. According to a New York Times article published last week, an increasing number of younger students are taking courses at extension schools, such as Harvard’s. Students get big names on their resumes and classes at lower prices.

Gordon said younger students attending NU’s extension school are mainly students who graduated from high school but had commitments that kept them from attending a traditional college.

More and more of these younger students are realizing that they need a degree to advance themselves, and that an extension school offers them an opportunity to obtain one.

“There just happen to be more people out there who are younger who are just able to push that priority up on their plates,” Gordon said.

At the continuing-education school at the University of Maryland, the number of students 25 and under seeking bachelor’s degrees has tripled from 1,400 in 1997 to 4,200 in 2004, according to the New York Times.

Peter Kaye, the assistant dean of undergraduate programs at SCS, said the increasing number of transfer students to the extension school is responsible for the increase in the number of younger students.

Kaye, who teaches literature and humanities courses through the school, said having younger students enhances classroom discussion.

“The younger students seem to be a little more alert to popular culture,” he said, “and that can make for an interesting mix in the classroom.”

One of the main attractions of the extension school to younger students is its cheap and flexible courses, Gordon said. Students with families and other commitments might not be able to afford or attend classes offered through a full-time university. The average SCS course costs $1,120, and many are offered evenings and weekends, he said.

“Students don’t necessarily feel they have to put off their education because they have other significant life responsibilities,” he said.

Maris Yanow, 23, who is fulfilling distribution requirements at the SCS while working on her master’s degree at SESP, said regular courses offered through NU can cost more than $2,000. The lower cost of each class helps her out financially, she said.

“If I’m taking it at the School of Continuing Studies, it’s about half of that price, which makes a huge difference when I have to take about five extra classes,” she said.

Another attraction is the prestige the school offers, Gordon said. Students at SCS have to fulfill rigorous distribution and major requirements.

Also, he said, NU is a name employers will consider.

“Employers are going to look at that and say, ‘Oh, you went to Northwestern,’ and understand that it was a significant academic experience for students,” he said.

Reach Lauren Pond at [email protected].