Longest time to complete a degree

The world record for the longest time taken to complete a university degree belongs to Robert F.P. Cronin (UK) who began his biology degree on 9 February 1948 at Princeton University, New Jersey, USA and graduated on 30 May 2000 - 52 years 111 days later. Born on 1 September 1926 in the UK, Mr Cronin was educated in the USA. Pat, as he is known, began his freshman year on 10 July 1943 but does not consider this the start of his degree course, as it did not contribute towards his final degree. He first withdrew from university on 19 February 1944 following a call-up from the British army to fight in World War II. He was then readmitted on 9 February 1948, but withdrew again on 14 June 1949 to begin an MD program at McGill University in Canada. Mr Cronin then re-enrolled at Princeton to continue with his biology degree once again in 16 September 1999. A year later on 30 May 2000 he graduated. The years in between were spent working around the world, and it was only in his retirement that he discovered he could finish his degree. Pat is the son of Scottish author A.J. Cronin.