Two community colleges. Finally, the University of Colorado at Boulder. There, a corporate internship juiced his resume but slowed his progress. Now Vallez has added course work for a master's in engineering while completing a bachelor's in business. He expects to reach for those diplomas when he's 27.
Experts say college is no longer four years at one alma mater.
Since the mid-1970s, it takes an average of five years to earn a bachelor's degree. A majority of college students attend two schools or more. Some discover college isn't what they expected or want. Many quit to work full time, go abroad to study, get married. And then, like Vallez, many return.