Online Education In 2019 - Northeastern University
OnlineEducationin 2019A SYNTHESIS OF THE DATABy Sean Gallagher, Ed.D.iStock.com / fizkes
Shutterstock.com / ChinnapongOnline Education and Its Growing ImportanceOonline programs and offerings (Lederman, 2019). Inaddition, this survey found that online education isa greater priority for academic investment: 56% ofCAOs agreed or strongly agreed that they planned to“allocate major funds” to online programs in 2019 —up from 46% four years prior.nline education is one of the fastestgrowing segments of higher education inthe U.S. — and demand continues to rise(Seaman, Allen, & Seaman, 2018; Ginder,Kelly-Reid, & Mann, 2019). Today, it hasbeen more than two decades since the launch of thefirst online degree programs, and in recent years thenumber of online programs available and studentenrollment in them has grown dramatically alongsideconsumer awareness and employer acceptance ofonline offerings.Despite the growing importance of and demand foronline study, it is only in the last few years that betterdata on the scale and scope of online learning in theU.S. has become available — through the efforts ofgovernment, researchers, and other parties.As higher education institutions seek to meetthe needs of today’s contemporary students andleverage the capabilities of new technologies, onlineeducational delivery has also become a top academicpriority that is central to the strategies of manycolleges and universities. A 2019 national survey ofcollege and university chief academic officers (CAOs)produced by Inside Higher Ed and Gallup found that83% planned to increase their emphasis on growingThe goal of this report is to review and synthesizethe latest research to provide a high-level overviewof the current state of the online educationmarket — including its size and character; thecharacteristics of online students; what is knownabout the quality of online educational outcomes;and the perspectives of employers, among otherkey dynamics.An Important Definitional and Data NoteMany core sources of data on online education – in particular, the definitive statistics collected by the U.S. Department ofEducation – are framed around “distance education,” a somewhat archaic term that has its origins in correspondence study,but that is today essentially synonymous with fully online education. Thus, for analytical purposes this report equates the termdistance education with “online education.” Our discussion of online education here also focuses on students who study exclusivelyor principally online (“online students”), whereas a broader trend in higher education and the focus of many data sources is alsoon traditional on-campus students who take online courses as part of their experience. The discussion here is also focused onthe universe of accredited college and university programs eligible for federal financial aid (Title IV). Finally, it is important to notethat due to customary delays in data collection, publication, and the nature of academic research, the latest statistics and sourcesavailable in 2019 often date from 2016-2018. Overall, the goal here is to synthesize these sources to describe the most up-to-date(“2019”) view of the market possible, making clear any important distinctions and dates in the course of the text and citations.ONLINE EDUCATION IN 20191
The Online Education LandscapeFIGURE 2:Public Colleges Enroll Majorityof Online StudentsBased on the most recent data available from the U.S.Department of Education, there were more than 3.1million students enrolled in fully online education as ofFall 2017 (the most recent data available) — and thisrepresented 15% of all students enrolled in U.S. collegesand universities (Ginder, Kelly-Reid, & Mann, 2019).Private,for-profit21%As illustrated in the graphic below, the largest share ofthese students were enrolled in undergraduate programsat four-year (1.46 million) and two-year institutions(774,000), in addition to 869,000 students at the graduatelevel. This reflects the overall popularity of onlinebachelor’s degrees — but it is also worth noting that asa share of all students enrolled in any type of graduatelevel program in the U.S., 29% of them are studying fullyonline. At two-year institutions, it is more common forstudents to pursue some online courses as part of theirstudies than to study fully online (Ginder, Kelly-Reid &Mann, 2019; Legon, Garrett, & Fredericksen, 2019).Onlineenrollment byinstitution type(2017)Private,non-profit25%Source: Ginder, Kelly-Reid & Mann, 2019FIGURE 1:Fully online enrollment in graduate-level programshas been growing at a faster rate, with a 6.1% increasefrom 2016 to 2017, compared to a 3.7% increase at theundergraduate level, according to U.S. Department ofEducation data (Ginder et al., 2019; Ginder, KellyReid, & Mann, 2017).Who Studies Online and WhereUndergraduate:2-year25% (773,772)Public53%Undergraduate:4-year47% (1,461,660)Public institutions — such as statecolleges and universities — are themost active in enrolling onlinestudents, with a 53% share of allonline students. Private, nonprofit institutions enroll 25%of the total, and for-profitinstitutions another 21%.Onlineenrollment byinstitutional level /level of study(2017)Graduate:28% (868,708)Source: Ginder, Kelly-Reid & Mann, 20193.1 million students study fully online. Enrollment in fullyonline programs has been growing at 4% annual rate greatly outpacing higher education in the U.S. overall.2iStock.com / antoniokhrONLINE EDUCATION IN 2019
FIGURE 3:Largest-Scale Online ProvidersLargest institutions for fully online enrollment, by category (2016)PUBLICUniversity of Maryland University College44,308Arizona State University24,630The University of Texas at Arlington15,510Ivy Tech Community College14,296Pennsylvania State University – World Campus13,411PRIVATE, NON-PROFIT84,289Western Governors UniversitySouthern New Hampshire University61,495Liberty University60,850Excelsior College41,65825,820Brigham Young University-IdahoFOR-PROFITUniversity of Phoenix128,410Grand Canyon University *58,77952,565Walden UniversityAmerican Public University System48,623Ashford University41,343Source: Seaman, Allen, & Seaman, 2018A decade ago, the term “online university” was oftensynonymous with online education programs – butthere are relatively few exclusively online universities,and the vast majority (87%) of online enrollment isin traditional institutions that also offer on-campusprograms (Ginder et al., 2019). Indeed, much of thegrowth in online program offerings and the credibility ofonline learning as a delivery model has been driven bysome of the most well-known colleges and universitiesin the country embracing it over the last decade. At thesame time, the higher-education institutions with thelargest scale online enrollment are not surprisingly thosewith a long heritage of focusing on online learning. Thesetop providers in terms of their student count include forprofit institutions such as the University of Phoenix andGrand Canyon University *; private, non-profit universitiessuch as Western Governors University, Liberty University,and Southern New Hampshire University; and publicuniversities such as University of Maryland UniversityCollege and Arizona State University (Seaman, Allen, &Seaman, 2018).A recent analysis of U.S. Department of Education databy Di Xu and Ying Xu (2019) usefully reported on howmany exclusively online programs are available in a givensubject area. This found that the most common onlineprogram offerings are in business, health, education,and computer science (academic disciplines that notablyalso command a large share of all higher educationenrollment including on-campus programs). These topfour subject areas alone account for more than 60% ofall exclusively online programs offered by U.S. colleges*Grand Canyon University has since converted to a non-profit institution.ONLINE EDUCATION IN 20193
FIGURE 4:Most Common Online Program: BusinessMost commonly offered online programs by subject area (2016) – Top 10Business, management, marketing, and related7,4374,783Health professions and related3,443EducationComputer and information sciences and support2,510Homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting, and related1,835Liberal arts and sciences, general studies, and humanities1,194Theology and religious vocations715Psychology620Public administration and social service professions619Engineering600Source: Xu and Xu, 2019and universities — reflecting the clear professionalorientation of most online students and programs.A Profile of Online StudentsNationally representative surveys and demographicanalyses of online students are fairly rare, but recentlyreleased U.S. Department of Education data provides auseful profile of online students at the undergraduatelevel. This analysis (Campbell & Wescott, 2019) found thatthere is a strong correlation between part-time studyand studying online — and that at the undergraduatelevel, women are more likely to be pursuing fully onlineprograms (12%) compared to men (9%).In terms of the delivery model and technology utilized,online education takes many forms. Historically, mostonline courses have been built around “asynchronous”delivery — in which students interact and accessmaterials independent of a specific time. This is oftenthrough pre-recorded video, interactive discussionforums, group projects, and offline readings. Accordingto a recent survey of online learning officers fromnearly 300 colleges and universities, this is thecase today at most institutions (Legon, Garrett, &Fredericksen, 2019) — and this approach helps tomake online programs accessible and flexible forbusy working adults. At the same time, live/realtime (“synchronous”) faculty and student interactionthrough video-based online conferencing platforms isincreasingly common, and has long been woven intomany online programs.Most online education programs include meaningfulinteraction with faculty and feedback from them. This isdifferent from more self-paced massively open onlinecourses (MOOCs), which have risen in popularity inrecent years (Shah, 2019).In addition, the older the student, the more likely theyare to be pursuing a fully online program: for example,among all undergraduate students age 30-39 inAmerican higher education, nearly one-quarter (23%)are pursuing a fully online program, six times the rateof traditionally-aged undergraduates. Additionally,students who are working full-time are more likely to beonline students (Campbell & Wescott, 2019). Confirmingthese patterns, U.S. News & World Report — whichmaintains a database and rankings of hundreds ofonline programs — reported based on its own data thatthe average age of an online bachelor’s degree studentis 32, and that 84% of online students at the bachelor’slevel are currently employed (Friedman, 2017).The vast majority of college and universities’ onlineeducation programming and enrollment is focused ondegree programs, although certificate programs (both forcredit or non-credit) and new types of microcredentialsare an increasingly popular but still small segment ofthe overall market (Selingo, 2017; Gallagher, 2019).These characteristics of online learners are consistentat the graduate level as well, as indicated by other datasources. For example, a 2016 analysis by Gallup (Busteedand Rodkin, 2016) found that individuals who had earneda graduate degree through mostly online study weremore likely to be employed full-time and to have children.ONLINE EDUCATION IN 20194
Online EducationQuality and OutcomesA large-scale national survey by higher educationenrollment consulting firm Ruffalo Noel Levitz (2017)reported that when making a decision to enroll,online learners are most motivated by factors such asconvenience, work schedule, and flexible pacing. Manyother surveys have found that online students aremotivated to pursue postsecondary education primarilyfor career-related reasons — for example, transitioningto a new field, updating skills, or earning a promotion(Clinefelter, Aslanian, & Magda, 2019).Perhaps surprisingly, the empirical research baserelated to quality and outcomes in online education isstill relatively immature (Bailey, Vaduganathan, Henry,Laverdiere, & Pugliese, 2018; Esfijani, 2018; Wu, 2015).Generally, a longstanding body of historical researchhas found that student outcomes for online educationare comparable to traditional classroom study (Russell,1999; Bernard, Abrami, Lou, Wade, Wozney, Wallet,Fiset, & Huang, 2004; Means, Toyama, Murphy, Bakia, &Jones, 2009).The geography of where online students residerelative to the institution that they are enrolled in isan underappreciated dynamic. Despite distance notOne of the more recent authoritative reviews of theempirical literature on the quality of online learningoutcomes was published in 2015 by Wu (2015) ofresearch organization Ithaka S&R, which has specializedin conducting studies on developments in onlinelearning. Building on earlier research, Wu (2015) lookedacross twelve studies published since 2013, notingthat the most rigorous studies found that studentstaking online or hybrid courses generally performedabout as well as students in identical traditional,face-to-face courses. Yet, one of Wu’s principalconclusions from this analysis was that there was alack of methodologically rigorous empirical researchcomparing online education directly to traditionalmodes of study and identifying the impact on studentoutcomes (Wu, 2015).Online students tend to be working adults who areoften pursuing education for career-related reasons.being a limitation on online students’ options, moststudents who study fully online (56%) enroll in aninstitution within their home state – and this sharehas been growing over time, according to analysis bySeaman, Allen, and Seaman (2018). This is more oftenthe case with public institutions — which as discussedearlier, enroll the largest share of online students andoften focus their recruitment on their local community.Similarly, Clinefelter et al. (2019) found in their surveyof current and prospective online students that morethan 67% enroll at an institution located within 50 milesof their home. A similarly high share of online studentsvisit their institution’s campus at least once a year(Magda & Aslanian, 2018).A recent literature review by Esfijani (2018) focused onhow online education quality is defined and measured:this analysis synthesized numerous recent studies andconcluded — similar to Wu (2015) — that there are stillmany gaps in our knowledge about online education,iStock.com / Bet NoireONLINE EDUCATION IN 20195
no meaningful difference in students’ academicperformance between online and traditional courses,and mixed impacts in other cases. Bailey et al. (2018)also concluded that there is a need for additional,more rigorous academic research on this topic.especially in terms of output- and outcome-orientedquality measures. Esfijani (2018) notes that basedon the available research, defining “quality” in onlineeducation varies widely depending on differentstakeholders’ perspectives — and might oftencenter on faculty performance, student support, orretention rates.The focus of Bailey et al.’s (2018) own primaryresearch and analysis was a rich, case-study-basedanalysis of online learning implementations at sixinstitutions (including for example Arizona StateUniversity and Houston Community College), acrossnot just fully online programs, but also a variety ofonline course and blended delivery implementations.This data-driven analysis concluded that onlinedelivery models can deliver student learningoutcomes comparable to — and in some situationsbetter than — traditional classroom study.As the online learning field grows and matures,many colleges and universities are becoming moreattentive to adopting quality standards specific toonline education, as documented by Legon, Garrett,& Fredericksen (2019) in their third annual study ofonline education strategies and practices at a sampleof hundreds of institutions. These online educationquality standards are often focused on course andprogram design, faculty professional development,and online student outcomes. It is important to notethat online programs are typically governed by thesame college and university policies and protocolsand external accreditation standards as traditionalprograms – but many institutions are adding additionallayers of quality assurance for this newer modality.Still, it is clear that there is room for developingunderstanding and measurement related to onlineeducation outcomes, as a majority (54%) of onlineeducation academic leaders report that they believetheir online students perform about the same onprimary benchmarks (e.g. grades and retention rates)— and 11% suggested that online students performbetter on these metrics — but 35% indicated worseperformance (Legon, Garrett, & Fredericksen, 2019).Student SatisfactionAnother important perspective to consider on thequestion of online education quality is evidence ofstudent satisfaction — another area with generallylimited data, but a few large-scale national studies toturn to.Ruffalo Noel Levitz’s (2018) National StudentSatisfaction and Priorities Report draws on a uniqueand significant sample of more than 125,000 onlinelearners across 175 participating institutions. Inthis analysis, of all subgroups of students, onlinelearners report the highest rates of satisfaction withtheir educational experience (73%) — a pattern thathas been consistent over a number of years of thisnational survey. Students studying primarily onlineare also much more likely to report satisfaction withtheir educational experience when compared toprimarily on-campus students (53%). Similarly, onlinelearners are most likely to re-enroll at the sameinstitution if they had to make the choice over again(Ruffalo Noel Levitz, 2018).According to a large-scale national survey fromonline students tend to have a significantlygreater level of satisfaction with theireducational experience (73%) compared to oncampus studentsIn addition, Busteed & Rodkins’s (2016) analysisof Gallup national survey data found that life andcareer outcomes for graduate degree holders whotook most of their courses online (compared tograduate students who studied only on campus) wereequivalent in terms of their rates of being employedand achieving professional/managerial job status —as well as their interest in their work and valuing theirdegree’s contribution to their professional success.One other notable recent study on online educationstudent outcomes was published by a team ofresearchers from the Boston Consulting Groupand Arizona State University in 2018 (Bailey,Vaduganathan, Henry, Laverdiere, & Pugliese, 2018).This undertaking was grounded in the authors’ briefreview of 24 prior studies published between 2010and 2016. They found — like Wu (2015) and others— that in many cases the available research showsAs online education continues to grow, developing abetter understanding of student outcomes and benefitsremains a key opportunity for future research.ONLINE EDUCATION IN 20196
an online degree favorably (Society for HumanResource Management, 2010). In 2013, NortheasternUniversity’s national polling with FTI Consulting foundthat 40% of business executives viewed an onlinedegree as similar in quality to one earned traditionally.By 2014, this had risen to 48% (Northeastern University& FTI Consulting, 2014).Growing Employer Acceptanceof Online CredentialsAs demand for online programs has grown, employers’perception of the quality of credentials earned throughonline study has often been a key question. A numberof years ago, an online degree was a novel productoffering that was often associated with start-up, forprofit universities (Gallagher, 2016). Especially sincetraditional colleges and universities have embracedonline degree programs, credentials earned onlinehave come to be increasingly recognized as on parwith — and subject to
Liberty University Excelsior College Brigham Young University-Idaho 58,779 52,565 48,623 41,343 University of Phoenix 128,410 Grand Canyon University* Walden University American Public University System Ashford University PUBLIC PRIVATE, NON-PROFIT FOR-PROFIT A decade ago, the term “online university” was often synonymous with online .
Northeastern University – Silicon Valley Campus Guide Fall 2018 New Student Orientation, photographed by Kindrid Parker Northeastern University Mission Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global, experiential, research university built on a . lil.ma@northeastern.edu 408.707.3697 College and Program Acronyms
ing violence prevention, response, and education for Northeastern stu-dents. The major on-campus allies associated with ViSION are University H e a l th nd Cous ig Srv c, O f Resolution, Residential Life, Northeastern University Police Department, Office of Prevention and Education at Northeastern, and Office for G endr Equ ity aCompl c . Th
Northeastern University-Seattle Campus Guide Northeastern University Mission Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global, experiential, research university built on a tradition of engagement with the world, creating a distinctive approach to education and research. The university offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate
Northeastern University . 2 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS . 2 WELCOME TO NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY! . 4 PART 1: GETTING AROUND NORTHEASTERN. 5 T HE L AY OF THE L AND .
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY Boston Campus Institutional Master Plan Noti cation Form Figure 1. Existing Conditions (2012) Tra c Volumes AM Peak Hours (8:30-9:30 AM) NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY Boston Campus Institutional Master Plan Noti cation Form Mitchell L. Fischman CONSULTING LLC 41 Brush Hill Road Newton, Massachusetts 02461 Campus Master Planning
What is the Accelerated BSN Nursing Program at Northeastern? Northeastern is a school on the move 2013: Forbes ranks Northeastern a "Top College": 236 / 650 on the overall list 167 in Private Colleges 114 in Research Universities 96 in the Northeast 2011: U.S. Army Graduate Program in Anesthesia Nursing
Northeastern Illinois University July 2016 Point of Contact for Designation Process: Kris Pierre Senior Director -Academic & Community Partnerships Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL 60625 Email: k-pierre@neiu.edu Phone: 773-442-4607 Northeastern Illinois University's Coalition Campus Team Members:
2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019 BMW X7 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2019 BMW Z4 2019 Audi A3 2019 Buick Cascada 2019 Audi A4 2019 Buick Enclave 2019 Audi A5 2019 Buick Encore 2019 Audi A6 2019 Buick Envision 2019 Audi A7 2019 Buick LaCrosse 2019 Audi A8 2019 Buick Regal 2019 Audi Allroad
