Undergraduates' Participation in Distance Education

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Additional comments including potential sensitive issues: Between 2000 and 2008, the percentage of undergraduates enrolled in at least one distance education class increased from 8 percent to 20 percent. This Statistics in Brief explores undergraduates’ enrollment in distance education courses and degree programs both over time and by student characteristics. The results in this report are based on nationally representative student-reported data collected through the three most recent administrations of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:2000, NPSAS:04, and NPSAS:08).

Other findings include:
• Participation in a distance education course was most common among undergraduates attending public 2-year colleges; 22 percent were so enrolled. Participation in a distance education degree program was most common among undergraduates attending for-profit institutions; 12 percent were so enrolled.
• Compared with all students, students studying computer science and those studying business enrolled at higher rates in both distance education classes and distance education degree programs.
• Older undergraduates and those with a dependent, a spouse, or full-time employment participated in both distance education classes and degree programs relatively more often than their counterparts.