Though online technology has generated excitement about its potential to
increase access to education, most research has focused on comparing
student performance across online and in-person formats.
This study of the Georgia Institute of
Technology’s Online M.S. in Computer Science, the earliest model to
combine the inexpensive nature of online education with a highly-ranked
degree program, shows that access to this
online option substantially increases overall enrollment in formal
education, expanding the pool of students rather than substituting for
existing educational options. Demand for the online option is driven by
mid-career Americans.
By satisfying large, previously unmet demand for
mid-career training, this single program will boost annual production of
American computer science master’s degrees by about seven percent. More
generally, these results suggest that low-cost, high-quality online
options may open opportunities for populations who would not otherwise
pursue education.
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