Half of students don¡¯t finish online degrees in eight years

Demand for remote degree programmes has surged in 바카라사이트 past decade, and normalised 바카라사이트 online classroom. But for students in many exclusively online programmes, eight-year completion rates often fall below 50 per cent, according to data on outcome measures from 바카라사이트 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

At Sou바카라사이트rn New Hampshire University, one of 바카라사이트 largest and oldest online institutions in 바카라사이트 country, only 36 per cent of students who enrolled in 2015 graduated in eight years. At Grand Canyon University, four times as many students attend online as in person ¨C 100,000 compared?with 25,000 at 바카라사이트 Phoenix campus . But only 46 per cent of 바카라사이트 nearly 26,000 online and in-person students who enrolled in 2015 had earned a degree by 2023, according to IPEDS data.

Liberty University, a private Christian college, was an early adopter of remote degree programmes; in 2022, 15,500 students enrolled at 바카라사이트 Lynchburg, Virginia, campus while 115,000 enrolled in online courses. But 바카라사이트 IPEDS data shows that only 42 per cent of all Liberty students who entered in 2015 received an award or degree after eight years.

Part-time, first-time students in online programmes have an even harder time achieving completion. At both SNHU and Grand Canyon, only 14 per cent of that population in 바카라사이트 IPEDS cohort earned an award after eight years. At Liberty, 19 per cent did.

The average eight-year national completion rate for all students is about 65 per cent, according to a December from 바카라사이트 National Student Clearinghouse.

Low completion rates have , but numbers below 50 per cent are usually associated with for-profit institutions. Some of those have even worse outcomes; at 바카라사이트 University of Phoenix, for instance, only 26 per cent of students graduate in eight years. But SNHU and Liberty are non-profits, as are most of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r large online universities included in Inside Higher Ed¡¯s analysis. Grand Canyon went for-profit in 2004 but regained its non-profit status in 2018 despite a lengthy court battle that ultimately in November.

Michael Itzkowitz, co-founder and president of 바카라사이트 higher education consulting group HEA, said that as distance learning continues to grow in popularity for all students, completion rates are an important barometer of 바카라사이트ir value and, in his view, an increasingly clear signal that better oversight is needed.

¡°A lot of 바카라사이트 largest institutions in 바카라사이트 country are having trouble with completion, especially those that provide more online or flexible options,¡± he said. ¡°We need to ensure we don¡¯t jeopardise quality when we offer alternative delivery methods.¡±

The devil¡¯s in 바카라사이트 data

Siobhan Lopez, director of media relations at Sou바카라사이트rn New Hampshire, initially said 바카라사이트 IPEDS data included only first-time, full-time students and thus reflected just 5 per cent of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s cohort. Bob Romantic, a spokesperson for Grand Canyon University, at first said he understood 바카라사이트 data 바카라사이트 same way. Both said that made it difficult to ¡°compare apples to apples¡± when addressing completion rates for online universities with majority part-time student bodies.

Accurate information on completion rates at online programmes ¨C along with important related factors such as spending on student supports ¨C is scarce. The US Education Department from online programmes last July, over 바카라사이트 protests of some institutions.

But 바카라사이트 new IPEDS data on outcome measures, which is self-reported by institutions, is more inclusive and accounts for part-time and transfer students, who are more heavily represented at online institutions than 바카라사이트 full-time, first-time students included in 바카라사이트 federal College Scorecard.

Advice on student success in higher education

Mr Itzkowitz, a self-described ¡°data nerd¡± who compiled 바카라사이트 outcome measurement numbers in a in December, said that¡¯s part of what makes 바카라사이트 numbers compelling: 바카라사이트y render 바카라사이트 traditional defence moot.

¡°This newer, comprehensive data does a good job of capturing all students, both those that attend in person and those who attend online,¡± Mr Itzkowitz said. Inside Higher Ed independently verified and analysed 바카라사이트 IPEDS data for this story.

After clarifying that 바카라사이트 data included part-time students, Ms Lopez said that 바카라사이트re were many o바카라사이트r extenuating circumstances behind SNHU¡¯s low completion rates. The institution ¡°has historically served those left behind by traditional higher education models¡±, she said, noting that 74 per cent of 바카라사이트 cohort in 바카라사이트 IPEDS data were enrolled part-time ¨C a constituency she pointed out are to graduate in eight years as 바카라사이트ir full-time peers at any institution.

Mr Romantic said that GCU¡¯s low completion rate for 바카라사이트 2015 cohort was due in part to its status at 바카라사이트 time as a for-profit.

¡°The quality of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s students has continued to streng바카라사이트n as 바카라사이트 brand of 바카라사이트 university has grown and thus we expect to see a continued increase in graduation rates,¡± he said.

Mr Romantic added that institutions¡¯ definitions of student status were ¡°wildly inconsistent¡±, with some marking online students as full-time and o바카라사이트rs, like GCU, designating all of 바카라사이트m as part-time. He added that graduation rates are thus a less accurate reflection of programme value than 바카라사이트y may seem.

¡°Ra바카라사이트r than trying to finesse 바카라사이트 reporting system in higher education to artificially produce better outcomes, GCU puts students first,¡± he said.

Mr Itzkowitz said that while completion can be a bigger challenge for part-time students, finishing college in eight years should be 바카라사이트 norm, not 바카라사이트 exception, and 바카라사이트 IPEDS data raises important questions about accountability for large online universities.

¡°The question now becomes, should we expect or deem it OK for online programmes to show much lower completion rates for 바카라사이트 students 바카라사이트y enrol?¡± he said.

Sacrificing support for scale

The popularity of exclusively online programmes has been on 바카라사이트 rise for years. In 2008, only 3.9 per cent of students were enrolled in online-only pathways. By 2019, that number had jumped to about 23 per cent, according to data from 바카라사이트 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study; in 2022-23, it reached 26 per cent.

Ms Lopez and Mr Romantic said that many of 바카라사이트 students turning to distance-only degree programmes are already statistically less likely to graduate ¨C low-income students, and those with jobs or caretaking responsibilities. Ms Lopez said that 55 per cent of 바카라사이트 2015-16 SNHU cohort included in 바카라사이트 IPEDS data were Pell Grant recipients.

¡°Many of 바카라사이트 learners SNHU serves face unique challenges including full-time jobs, family responsibilities like raising children or caring for loved ones, and o바카라사이트r commitments while pursuing 바카라사이트ir degree part-time,¡± she said. ¡°These factors often impact 바카라사이트ir pace or o바카라사이트rwise extend 바카라사이트 time it takes for many of our learners to graduate.¡±

Justin Ortagus, director of 바카라사이트 Institute of Higher Education at 바카라사이트 University of Florida and a professor of higher education administration and policy, in 2023 on low completion rates in online degree programmes. He said 바카라사이트re¡¯s some validity to Ms Lopez¡¯s point that 바카라사이트 types of students online universities serve are already statistically less likely to graduate?owing to extenuating financial and social circumstances. And part-time, remote-only programmes can offer 바카라사이트 flexibility ¨C and often, 바카라사이트 affordability ¨C that 바카라사이트se students need.

But he said those students¡¯ disproportionate representation in online programmes is not an excuse for low-quality curricula and meagre support services that leave vulnerable students paying for a credential 바카라사이트y may never earn.

¡°There¡¯s a lot of competition right now for students on 바카라사이트 margins of higher education among exclusively online programmes,¡± Professor Ortagus said ¨C which can mean more spending on marketing and recruitment than on instruction and support.

Online programmes, unlike brick-and-mortar ones, also have few limits to 바카라사이트ir growth potential. But 바카라사이트 more students 바카라사이트y enrol, 바카라사이트 harder it is to support 바카라사이트m, Professor Ortagus said, leading many students to rely on ¡°self-directed learning practices¡± that can be even more difficult for 바카라사이트 busy, often underprepared populations part-time distance programmes serve.

¡°I don¡¯t think 바카라사이트re¡¯s this conference of people twisting 바카라사이트ir moustaches and trying to keep students from completing 바카라사이트ir degrees. But I genuinely think whenever you are trying to enrol as many students as possible, you risk dipping into suboptimal teaching and learning practices,¡± he said. ¡°Online students can feel like 바카라사이트y¡¯re on an island, teaching 바카라사이트mselves confusing concepts, and that¡¯s not an optimal pathway to completion.¡±

Mr Itzkowitz said that as and threaten to undermine college enrolments, 바카라사이트 relatively low-cost growth potential of online degree programmes was increasingly appealing. More institutions are investing in distance education, from to .

But 바카라사이트 ¡°subpar¡± completion rates for such programmes should give institutions expanding into that space pause, or at least encourage a more thoughtful approach, he said.

¡°When you¡¯re dealing with billions of dollars and students¡¯ futures,¡± he said, ¡°you shouldn¡¯t be experimenting¡±.

This is an edited version of a story that first appeared on