This year marks the first time that the number of fully online U.S. college students will exceed the number of students learning 100 percent in person, according to The Hechinger Report. Surprisingly, 83 percent of online programs cost at least as much as in-person programs. This can be expected, since to be fair, the cost and content of a particular degree should be the same whether received online or on campus.
However, some people argue that the online students are having to subsidize campus facilities that they don’t get to use. After all, online courses don’t require classrooms or other physical facilities and can theoretically be taught to a much larger number of students, creating economies of scale.
On the other hand, online programs face steep startup costs and need expensive technology specialists and infrastructure. Moreover, online students tend to have worse academic outcomes, prompting universities to spend more on advising and support.
“You still need advisers, you still need a writing center, a tutoring center, and now you have to provide those services for students who are at a distance,” said Dylan Barth, vice president of innovation and programs at the Online Learning Consortium, which represents online education providers.
Still, 60 percent of public and more than half of private universities take in more money from online education than they spend on it, an online managers’ survey found. About half said they put that money back into their institutions’ general operating budgets.
Regardless, online learning is a great fit for certain students, so the cost may be well worth it for them. Students with ADHD, autism and anxiety are among those students who perform better in virtual classes, according to an article in the Hechinger Report.
Some students split their courses between online and on campus, giving them a taste of both worlds. It can be advantageous to have a combination of virtual learning experiences as well as hands-on educational opportunities. For certain online programs, such as in the sciences and engineering, some in-person labs may be required. Hybrid learning combines the best parts of face-to-face and online learning to create the ideal educational experience.
