2020
Trends in Online Student Demographics
Learn more about the characteristics of today's online students. This report provides additional insights related to the motivation for enrolling and perspectives across the student journey.
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A Note from BestColleges on Coronavirus and the Transition to Online Education
The data reported here was collected shortly before the coronavirus outbreak. The students who participated in this study had already chosen or were planning to take online courses. Their insights into the challenges of becoming successful online students, including lessons learned along the way, help to inform the development of future online programs.
Online student success is driven in part by the support they receive throughout their journey, from making a decision about enrollment to reaching their education and career goals. For more information and resources focused on supporting students who are new to online learning during campus closures, please visit the BestColleges blog.
Key Findings
This new online student demographics report provides a deeper dive into the data collected from 1,500 students for the 2020 Online Education Trends Report. These students represent three broad enrollment categories (i.e., prospective, current, and alumni), as well as three motivational types (i.e., career climbers, career switchers, and explorers). Whether your institution is new to online learning or has long-established programs, this report contains useful information for decision-making related to student recruiting, retention, and satisfaction.
Choosing Online Learning
- “Employer partnership/incentive” appears among the top three reasons for enrolling online for prospective students in all career motivation types: career climbers, switchers, and explorers.
- Overall, students of all types reported low use of social media posts (3%), printed materials (2%), and student or faculty blogs (2%) when researching and comparing online programs.
Roadblocks and Regrets
- This year, “staying on track with classes” to graduate on time emerged as a concern across student types and categories.
- Current students wish they had “spoken with employers or professionals in the field” before enrolling, and this was particularly true of Climbers (i.e., students who enrolled with goals of advancing in their current field of work).
Student Satisfaction
- Of the top four majors represented in our survey, students in health professions and related programs reported the highest satisfaction levels with 97% recommending online learning and 97% expecting a positive ROI.
- Education majors reported the lowest perception of quality with only 75% stating that online education is "equal to" or "better than" on-campus learning, compared to 87% of computer science majors.
Interested in Learning More About Online Students?
Download the full report for more demographic details.