Nearly half of all chief online learning officers stated that enrollment in their online degree programs is growing faster than their on-campus programs, according to a joint-research initiative by Quality Matters, EDUCAUSE and Eduventures Research.
This extends to on-campus students as well: 77% of executives indicated that students are asking for online options and 60% noted that online courses tend to fill up first. The majority also said that, beyond campus, online programs allow them to pursue students inside (92%) and outside their regions (87%).
Consequently, more than half of the surveyed executives (56%) said their institutions are beginning to shift their priorities to match this growing demand for online degrees, according to the report. This represents a 17 percentage-point increase from their report last year.
The report is based on responses from over 320 chief online learning officers at colleges and universities in the United States between January and February 2024.
Headwinds in pursuing online degree programs
However, tight budgets, half-formed institutional strategies and a turbulent online program manager market and third-party service market continue to impede chief online learning officers from advancing innovative programs.
“It’s the nature of big bureaucracies that have to represent different interests, but chief online learning officers getting a seat at the table have opportunities to push further to what’s next,” says Richard Garret, chief research officer at Eduventures.
A big enough budget?
A majority of chief learning officers said their operating budgets aren’t strong enough to kick their degree programs into a higher gear. While 42% reported at least some increase in their online learning budget, 16% reported a decline and 41% stated budgets are flat. Regardless, 42% stated their budget is inadequate.
Promoting your programs
Institutions may also not be collaborating effectively enough with marketing teams to communicate why students should choose their degree programs over others in a fiercely competitive marketplace, per the report. Only 35% of chief online learning offices indicated that their institutions promote the quality of their online programs.
“Creating online versions of popular on-ground courses and programs remains a priority at a majority of institutions, but many are still failing to capitalize on aspects that might be market differentiators, such as program quality or online learner support,” Dr. Bethany Simunich, report co-director and vice president for innovation and research at Quality Matters, said in a press release.
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Moreover, higher ed leaders vying to create online programs that can save their institution money will be disappointed to know that about two-thirds find this goal unrealistic.
Precarious partnerships?
More institutions are working with OPMs than two years ago despite an increasingly shaky market that contributed to 2U’s recent bankruptcy claim. However, leaders are remaining steadfast: the most common response from chief online learning officers was that they had no plans of changing their contracts with partners.
“[N]ot… every school wants an exit—and a complete break will be challenging if a school has grown dependent on partner capability,” the report reads.
However, Garrett sees a potential path forward between OPMs and institutions if they can find a way to adapt to these market challenges by expanding specialized non-degree options. For example, the report found that nearly half of respondents (48%) expressed interest in developing new online degree programs and non-degree offerings, such as certificate programs or microcredentials.
“Higher ed and commercial interests have always been suspicious of each other and critical of each other, but when the two sides recognize their respective strengths and they come together in a complementary way, it can go beyond what a typical nonprofit can do on its own.”
