Online Colleges Taking Off

The typical model of a college education has undoubtedly evolved over time. In recent history, the picture of higher education has been 18-year-old high school graduates heading off to a college campus for four years. But times have changed and trends in education have evolved to meet the needs and wants of new and continuing students. Many students find those needs met by online college classes, and as a result, the number of distance learning students has reached an all-time high with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Online Enrollment on the Rise

According to a Babson Survey Research Group study conducted in 2011, the number of students enrolled in online college courses reached 6.1 million in 2010. Online courses have become increasingly popular because of their accessibility and versatility. Students tend to enjoy the ability to work on their own time, create their own study hours, be in control of their work environments and techniques, and work more independently than they would in a traditional in-person classroom setting.

But students aren’t the only ones catching on to the benefits of taking classes online. Many traditional brick-and-mortar colleges have begun to understand the appeal of distance learning and are now offering online classes in addition to in-class courses. In fact, 65% of administrators from over 2,500 colleges report an intention to incorporate online learning into their long-term strategies, reports U.S. News. College students can now enjoy a mix of classes meeting online and in-person, as well as the more recently developed hybrid courses, which blend a typically once-per-week in-class meeting with elements of online classes. As well as administrations, technology companies have come to understand the strength of distance learning and have begun creating new and revolutionary tools for online learning for students, instructors, and schools.

Online College Programs Earn Rankings

With so much attention now being turned toward online college, programs are gaining recognition and earning more respect. U.S. News is just one news outlet catching on to the success of distance learning programs, and conducted research to rank 196 online Bachelor’s programs and more than 500 Master’s programs. As far as Bachelor’s degree programs go, the outfit found Westfield State University of MA, Bellevue University of NE, and Arizona State University to be the top schools in faculty, student assessment, and student services, respectively, for the online college programs they offer. Among the online graduate degrees, schools topping the rankings list include such state universities as Washington, Arkansas, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. Other universities at the top of the list in such subjects as education, computer technology, and nursing include Syracuse University of NY, Johns Hopkins University of MD, and George Washington University, respectively.

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