Starting as a way to reach non-traditional students, online classes and degree programs have increased in size and popularity in recent years by reaching out to more traditional students. Almost 30% of all higher education students now take at least one class online, and more than 60% of chief academic officers say that online classes are crucial to their long-term strategy.
Back in 2002 only 1.6 million students were taking an online class. Compare that to the numbers in 2007 where just about 4 million students registered for an online class during the fall semester and you can see just how popular this type of higher education is becoming. After the economy went into a recession even more students turned to online classes to earn their college degrees. More than 5.6 million students were enrolled in online classes in 2009.
One reason why there has been such a huge increase in the number of students taking online classes around the country is the decreased stigma associated with these degrees. Previously, the general public felt that a degree from an online college was not as prestigious as a degree from a traditional college. Now that more well known colleges are offering online degrees, such as Penn State University with its Penn State World program, the general public is starting to look at these diplomas in a different light.
Another good example of online degrees being taken more seriously is in the state of Illinois where online enrollments have increased by 27% from the spring of 2009 to the spring of 2010. Some of the best colleges in the state of Illinois are now offering online degrees, which makes it extremely easy for both traditional and non-traditional students to earn their college diplomas.
