The Online Degree Dorm Room

online degree programs psychology | An interesting conflict

Posted by bposton on December 6th, 2006 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

I was just taking a look at the latest Sloan Consortium report on online education, and I found what appear (at leadt to me) to be something of a contridiction.

Not that the data is wrong - not at all.

I just found this a little curious:

According to the report, of the 3.1 million people taking online courses over 80% of them are at the undergraduate level.

Yet when you look at where they are taking their online course, over half (51.5% to be exact) are taking these classes at a two-year associcates institution. I take that to mean community college or Junior College.

Compare that percentage to the overall higher education population and you’ll find that only about 38% of all higher education students are enrolled in a two year program.

So here’s what I don’t understand. What does the Associate institutions know that the others don’t?

It think it must mean that there still must not be enough of a selection in courses or full 4 year undergraduate programs online. That’s maybe why students are turning to Associate degrees first.

Anyway, my mind is shot on this one.

Maybe I’m just looking at the data wrong, but it appears to me that folks may be having a hard time find a four year degree program that fully online.

Ben