More and more colleges are looking to expand their reach online as a way to stave off enrollment declines and tap into new markets. Indeed, enrollment has grown to about 3.1 million online-only students and 3.6 million students taking at least some online classes, according to the report.
Meanwhile, the sector has partially shed its reputation as a watered down version of an institution’s in-person offerings. In 2015, a Gallup-Lumina survey found nearly half (46%) of Americans think online colleges offer high-quality education, rising from fewer than one-third (30%) who said the same in 2011.