Staying the Course Online Education in the United States, 2008 I. Elaine Allen, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Statistics & Entrepreneurship Co-Director, Babson Survey Research Group Babson College Jeff Seaman, Ph.D. Survey Director The Sloan Consortium Olin and Babson Colleges Co-Director, Babson Survey Research Group Babson College November 2008 Neither this book nor any part maybe reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The consent of the Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C) does not extend to copying for general distribution, for promotion, for creating new works, or for resale. Specific permission must be obtained in writing from Sloan-C for such copying. Direct all inquiries to Sloan-C, at Olin Way, Needham, MA 02492-1200, or to
[email protected]. Copyright ©2008 by Sloan-C™ All rights reserved. Published 2008 Printed in the United States of America 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 Contents Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... 1 How Many Students are Learning Online? ................................................................................... 1 What Will the Impact of the Economy be on Online Enrollments? ................................................... 1 Do Academic Leaders and Faculty Agree? ...................................................................................