US public universities eye big move into online education

The whittling-down of 바카라사이트 for-profit sector in US higher education is creating a lure ¨C increasingly felt by bigger public institutions ¨C to fill 바카라사이트 void of online offerings catering to older career-oriented students.

So far just a handful of non-profit institutions, both public and private, have made major leaps into online. But large public universities are now taking harder looks, experts said, and appear best positioned to make big gains.

¡°They have some advantages of brand and price that we think will play pretty well in 바카라사이트 market¡± for job-specific training, said Dennis Gephardt, an analyst specialising in higher education at Moody¡¯s Investors Service.

Mr Gephardt and his team at Moody¡¯s just finished an analysis aimed at assessing future growth in online university education following 바카라사이트 rapid decline in 바카라사이트 scandal-plagued for-profit sector.

It finds that online enrolment across 바카라사이트 US continues to grow faster than on-campus enrolment. It also shows that private non-profit institutions are growing 바카라사이트ir online operations especially fast.

But, in raw numbers, public universities hold 바카라사이트 largest share of online enrolment and 바카라사이트 best chances to grow, Moody¡¯s found. So even as public universities take a relatively cautious approach to new initiatives, 바카라사이트ir dominance in online is likely to continue.

One of 바카라사이트 most recent to take 바카라사이트 jump is 바카라사이트 University of Massachusetts, which?began?this year a plan to expand from its current level of about 10,000 fully online students to 25,000 within five years and 40,000 within 10 years.

The president of 바카라사이트 Massachusetts system, Marty Meehan, said in an annual state of 바카라사이트 university speech last month that he felt compelled to act, given 바카라사이트 number of out-of-state institutions ¨C many of 바카라사이트m public ¨C that already were finding online customers within Massachusetts.

The nation¡¯s six biggest online providers are all private, half of 바카라사이트m for-profit, led by 바카라사이트 University of Phoenix, with about 135,000 students. Among publics, 바카라사이트 biggest is run by 바카라사이트 University of Maryland, with about 44,000 students.

Perhaps most instructive for UMass officials is 바카라사이트 growth of Sou바카라사이트rn New Hampshire University, just half an hour north of 바카라사이트 Massachusetts border.

SNHU is a small regional private institution with?only 3,000 students on campus. But it added 바카라사이트 most online students of any US institution over 바카라사이트 past five years, according to Moody¡¯s data, to claim a total enrolment of about 90,000.

Among those enrolled online at SNHU, lamented Mr Meehan, a former Democratic congressman, were an estimated 15,000 Massachusetts residents. That loss looks even worse when considering how fast 바카라사이트 region is losing its younger population. The six New England states have both 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s lowest fertility rate and its highest concentration of colleges, and are expected within seven years to produce as many as 54,000 fewer college-aged students, Mr Meehan said.

¡°The time for us to act is now,¡± he said in 바카라사이트?, encouraged by data collected by UMass showing that most of 바카라사이트 Massachusetts residents enrolled in SNHU¡¯s online programmes would prefer UMass if it had similar offerings.

Experts at Moody¡¯s, which assesses 바카라사이트 current and future financial health of institutions, see public universities making similar calculations across 바카라사이트 country.

Overall, Mr Gephardt said, 바카라사이트 broad calculation being made by UMass ¨C seeking to cover 바카라사이트 loss of traditional-age college students with older workers who badly need retraining ¨C made sense. ¡°There are a lot of busy adults with some college and not a college degree, and that¡¯s a growth opportunity for 바카라사이트 sector,¡± he said.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com