What Is Online Higher Education?
Students who participate in online higher education can obtain, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees by taking online classes. In this day and age, online higher education is becoming increasingly popular because of its convenience and flexibility. More than 3.9 million Americans now take at least one class over the Internet and more and more schools—from public, two-year community colleges to private, for-profit universities—are offering online programs.
Who Takes Online Higher Education Courses?
Online courses offer students who have full-time jobs, family responsibilities, or simply a scarcity of time, a way to access higher education. For many people, earning at least a bachelor's degree can result in new opportunities for a better or more fulfilling job. According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for people with a master's degree or higher is less than half of the unemployment rate for people with just a high school diploma or some college.
Web-based higher education is growing quickly, according to a recent study by the Sloan Consortium, a nonprofit organization that analyzes online learning trends. The number of people taking advantage of online education is increasing by about 13 percent each year. In comparison, enrollments at traditional colleges and universities are growing by only 1.2 percent a year. Eduventures, an education market research firm, also conducted a study that found almost half of all adult learners considered online education when they were considering where to go back to school. Perhaps most significantly, more than 30 percent of universities now offer complete online programs in computer science, education, healthcare, liberal arts, sciences, and business.
More and more people are turning to online higher education because it offers several advantages when compared to traditional education methods. The principal advantage of web-based education is that the classes can be taken at any time of the day according to what works for each student. Online higher education allows people with full-time jobs or a hectic home schedule to still earn a college degree.
A recent study conducted by the U. S. Dept. of Education also found that students in online classes performed better than students in regular classrooms. A reason for this may be that online courses tend to be more interactive and accessible. Prospective online students should keep in mind, though, that web-based courses require that a student is computer literate, has a good Internet connection, and is self-motivated. Students who are more comfortable with traditional classes might have trouble adapting to online courses.
How Much Does it Cost?
One of the considerations for any type of education is cost. When it comes to online higher education, it can be difficult to find out exactly how expensive it will be. One of the major problems is that online universities charge different amounts depending on what class you're taking and what level it is. For example, the University of Phoenix charges about $530 for a credit in science, and $450 for a credit in education. Also, total credit hour requirements are different for most majors and degree programs.
Public universities and community colleges (which are most likely to offer online programs) charge more standard rates. Tuition at a public university averages about $6,000. A community college costs, on average, $2,000 dollars. Many colleges and universities also charge extra fees for online courses. Students who attend accredited online programs should apply for federal financial aid if they need tuition assistance.
Whatever option you choose, an online education will (most likely) not be noticeably cheaper than a traditional education. Online schools that do offer extremely cheap degrees may not be accredited, which means they might be diploma mills. Because of this, one should always be careful.
Article Resorces:
National Center for Education Statistics
Kevin Carey, “College for $99 a Month,” Washington Monthly Sept./Oct. 2009
The Adult Learner: An Eduventures Perspective
“Staying the Course: Online Education in the United States, 2008” The Sloan Consortium
Digest of Education Statistics
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics