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

  • ed tech conference calendar

    Upcoming Awards, Events & Webinars

  • Wyoming District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    Laramie County School District #1 in Cheyenne, Wy., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Mountain View Elementary School, according to a news release. The facility has an estimated completion date of summer 2028, and it will have the capacity for 650 students in fifth and sixth grade.

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.

  • UPenn Announces Completion of New Veterinary Education Facility

    The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Penn., recently finished construction on an 11,800-square-foot veterinary education building, according to a news release. The Gail P. Riepe Center for Advanced Veterinary Education is the first dedicated classroom facility at the New Bolton Center, a large-animal hospital and campus about 35 miles west of the campus proper.