Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

BestColleges.com Releases 2016 Online Education Trends Report

  • 03/23/16

HOUSTON, TX – In partnership with HigherEducation.com, BestColleges.com has released its 2016 Online Education Trends Report. The report draws from an extensive data pool to address relevant developments, patterns and concerns related to the field of virtual education.

"Traditional barriers to quality education are falling," notes General Manager Stephanie Snider. "This is in large part due to emerging technologies, including online learning. At no other time in history has higher education been so accessible to so many. This flexibility opens doors to those who otherwise might not have the opportunity to earn a degree."

Enrollment rates for online courses and degree programs have increased annually since the 1990s. According to the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES), one out of seven college students in 2014 was enrolled in a fully online academic program, a 6.6 percent increase over the previous two years. Furthermore, 58 percent of undergraduates and 79 percent of graduate students in 2013 enrolled in at least one online course.

The flexibility and accessibility of online programs have attracted a younger pool of students in recent years. Roughly one-third of undergraduates in online programs were 18-24 years old in 2015, a nearly 10 percent increase in that demographic over the last three years. Additionally, 61 percent of online students were enrolled full-time in 2015. And while online learning has historically appealed to students with full-time jobs, the report finds that more of today's e-learners are unemployed or working part-time.

The 2016 Online Education Trends Report offers a comprehensive look at the year ahead in online education. This guide is a useful, data-driven resource for students, teachers, administrators and other stakeholders in online academics. Readers can download a complete PDF of the 2016 Online Trends Report from the summary page on BestColleges.com.

Featured

  • Construction Begins on 100+ Acre K–12 Campus Designed for Lakota Culture

    The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) and the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District in Eagle Butte, S.D., recently broke ground on a new K–12 campus that will cover more than 100 acres and serve students and families across 1,600 square miles, according to a news release.

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • ed tech conference calendar

    Upcoming Awards, Events & Webinars

  • Longwood University Hits Construction Milestone on New Music Education Facility

    Longwood University in Farmville, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of its new music education and performance facility, according to a news release. The university partnered with development and construction firm Skanska on the 63,800-square-foot facility, which began construction in August 2025 and has an estimated completion date of fall 2028.