Online Degree Enrollment Growing Faster than Traditional Colleges

Enrollment in online education programs continues to grow faster than enrollment at traditional colleges and universities, according to a survey report published by the Sloan Consortium. Nearly 3.5 million students nationwide took at least one online course during the fall 2006 term.

You probably have your own reasons to consider a distance learning program. You may already have a full-time job and/or family responsibilities. Whatever your reasons for pursuing online learning, studies show that you're not alone.

Associate's Degrees Lead Online Education Growth

Most of the growth has occurred in two-year associate's degree programs. This indicates that online students might be looking for more focused career training, with a shorter time commitment, than you'll find in a typical bachelor's degree program.

Online associate's degrees are available in a variety of fields, including technology, business, healthcare, design, and much more. Graduates of associate's degree programs often take entry-level positions in their chosen fields, or use their two-year degrees to prepare for a longer bachelor's degree program.

Accessibility Drives Distance Learning Rates

Both online colleges and traditional schools cite improved student access as a leading objective for creating online degree programs. The ability to "attend" class from any Internet connection is highly appealing to students. Increasing the rate of degree completion is another important objective for universities, as students enjoy the convenient format of distance education.

Source:
Sloan-C Publications