Michael Nicholson (academic)

{{Short description|American perpetual student (born 1941)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}

Michael Nicholson (born 1941) is an American perpetual student from Kalamazoo, Michigan, who {{As of|2016|lc=y}} has received one bachelor's degree, two associate's degrees, three specialist degrees, and one doctoral degree, along with 23 master's degrees, including ones in health administration and special education administration, for a total of 30 degrees.{{Cite web |last1=Nicholson |first1=Michael |last2=Collins |first2=Emma |date=2016-09-14 |title=College Advice from a 75-Year-Old Who Went to School for 55 Years and Got 30 Degrees |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/college-advice-from-a-man-with-30-degrees/ |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=Vice |language=en}}{{cite news |title=71-year-old man has 29 college degrees – and counting |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2012/06/20/71-year-old-man-has-29-college-degrees-and-counting/ |access-date=April 26, 2024 |work=New York Daily News |date=June 20, 2016}}

His first degree was in religious education from William Tyndale College in Michigan in 1963.{{cite news |date=June 18, 2012 |title=Michigan Man Has 29 College Degrees and Counting |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/michigan-man-29-college-degrees-stopping/story?id=16597200 |access-date=April 26, 2024 |work=ABC News}}{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Korin |title=Michael Nicholson, Who Has Been in School for 55 Years, Shares College Advice |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/michael-nicholson-college-55-years-30-degrees-advice |access-date=April 26, 2024 |work=Teen Vogue |date=September 14, 2016}} He earned his doctorate in education from Western Michigan University in 1978. Besides his studies in Michigan, Nicholson has earned degrees from a number of institutions in Texas, Indiana and Canada.

Nicholson has worked at several teaching positions.

When asked in 2012 about his pursuit, Nicholson said "I just stayed in school and took menial jobs to pay for the education and just made a point of getting more degrees and eventually I retired so that I could go full time to school."{{cite news |title=Michigan man has 29 college degrees |url=https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2012/06/19/Michigan-man-has-29-college-degrees/37081340131591/ |access-date=April 26, 2024 |publisher=United Press International |date=June 19, 2012}} He took on a job as a parking attendant to obtain a tuition discount.{{cite news |last1=Rauwerda |first1=Annie |author-link1=Annie Rauwerda |title=I asked a twelfth year senior to get me excited for college |url=https://www.michigandaily.com/statement/i-asked-a-twelfth-year-senior-to-get-me-excited-for-college/ |access-date=April 26, 2024 |work=The Michigan Daily |date=August 4, 2021}}