Online education has become very popular in the last couple years. While there are many different factors contributing to the increase in the number of students pursuing online degrees, two factors in particular stand out.
You may have already guessed the first factor: the economic recession. Bad economic times and fewer opportunities for employment encourage more people to seek education. Even individuals who are currently employed are turning to education to improve their chances for career advancement. The Sloan Consortium found in a recent study that:
- 54% of colleges and universities reported that the economic downturn has increased demand for existing face-to-face courses.
- 66% of institutions reported increased demand for new courses and programs.
- 73% saw increased demand for existing online courses and programs.
Sloan’s study, “Learning on Demand: Online Education in the United States, 2009″ is the seventh annual report on the state of online learning in U.S. higher education. It found that enrollment in online learning jumped 17% – that’s 4.6 million students or 1 in 4 college students taking at least one online course. In comparison, overall higher education grew just 1.2%.
Can you guess the second biggest factor? The swine flu! Although this may seem crazy, it turns out last year’s outbreak prompted many schools to develop a game plan in case of an outbreak on campus. The survey found that two thirds of schools have formal plans in place and substituting online courses for face-to-face classes is a component of 67% of those plans.
In response to this increase in demand for online education, even more colleges and universities are offering online degree programs. Not surprisingly, criminal justice online degree programs are among the most popular. Have you been thinking about a career in criminal justice? Now is the perfect time to take advantage of all of the different education opportunities that are available to you.
