Why do students pursue online education?

As we all know, the Internet is increasingly becoming more integrated in our daily lives. No longer is it just a source of entertainment and resource - it is also a huge part of academia. Learning House and Aslanian Market Research recently teamed up to form the report "Online College Students 2014: Comprehensive Data on Demands and Preferences," which takes a look at students who use the Internet and education technology to earn their degrees.

According to the study, students who enroll in online classes understand how the Internet and technology can help their future. While business is the most popular major for undergraduates taking online classes, a significant number also study health professions, computers and IT, social sciences, arts, humanities, and education. Most of these students are focused on long-term goals, citing job-related opportunities as their main motivation for pursuing an online degree. While most of online students are currently unemployed, about 40% report improvement in their employment status within one year of graduation.

Furthermore, students enroll in online classes due to its convenience and lack of limitations. A slight majority of online undergraduate students are enrolled in a campus or center within 100 miles of where they live, meaning that students can take classes at these faraway institutions without having to travel or relocate. However, price of tuition is less of a factor when students decide to take online classes - in fact, two-thirds of online students say that balanced a program's quality and value with the price rather than just chose the program with the lowest tuition.While there are several factors that determine whether a student takes online classes or not (i.e. some just have a clear preference for online study while others prefer programs that will easily allow them to transfer credit earned elsewhere), the majority choose to do so based on their future plans and out of convenience.

Click here to read Learning House and Aslanian Market Research's full report, "Online College Students 2014: Comprehensive Data on Demands and Preferences." What do you think about online classes? Let us know!

The Learning House, Inc. helps colleges and universities create, manage and grow high-quality online degree programs and courses. Partnering with more than 100 schools, Learning House enables institutions to efficiently and affordably achieve their online education goals. Services include product development and market research, marketing and lead generation, admissions and enrollment management, student retention, curriculum development and management, faculty training and professional development, learning management systems and 24/7 technical support.  As a thought leader in the industry, Learning House publishes an annual report on online college student preferences and demographics and presents an annual online higher education conference.

Having completed nearly 300 market studies for every type and level of post-secondary institution, Aslanian Market Research staff have an unparalleled depth of experience in higher education. For over 25 years, Carol Aslanian and her team have exclusively focused on understanding the emerging and ongoing demands, preferences, and attitudes of adult and other post-traditional students -- who collectively comprise more than half of all enrolled students.