Hey everyone, I'm a junior in HS and I'm just wondering - how old are most people when they go off to college? I know it might vary slightly, but is there an average age?
Hi there! Indeed, most students begin their college journey immediately after graduating high school. Typically, in the United States, students graduate high school when they are either 17 or 18 years old, depending on when their birthday falls within the academic year. So, the average age of first-year college students tends to be around 18 years old.
However, this can vary widely depending on personal circumstances. Some students might take a gap year after high school before starting college, pushing their entry age to 19. Conversely, some accelerated students might graduate high school early and start college at 16 or 17.
Furthermore, non-traditional students, who may be returning to school after a period of work or after serving in the military, could be significantly older. These varying situations contribute to a broad range of ages on college campuses.
But on average, for traditional students heading straight from high school to college, the common entry age is around 18.
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