The number of course enrollments in distance education nearly doubled between 1997–98 and 2000–01; by 2000–01, about half of these enrollments were at public 2-year institutions.

Postsecondary institutions offer distance education to improve their ability to reach new audiences as well as to increase enrollments and students’ access to learning (NCES 98–062). In 2000–01, 56 percent of all postsecondary institutions offered distance education courses (up from 34 percent 3 years earlier). Continued growth is expected, with additional institutions planning to offer these courses. The public sector is more likely than the private sector to offer distance education courses, with 90 percent of public 2-year and 89 percent of public 4-year institutions doing so in 2000–01, compared with 40 percent of private 4-year institutions. Nonetheless, growth is also occurring in the private sector: the percentage of private 4-year institutions offering distance education courses approximately doubled between 1997–98 and 2000–01 (19 to 40 percent).

Course enrollments in distance education have increased as well at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, increasing from 1.7 million to 3.1 million between 1997–98 and 2000–01 (see table 32-1).¹ The growth of course enrollments at public 2-year institutions is particularly notable. In 1997–98, public 2- and 4-year institutions each had approximately 710,000 enrollments in distance education courses. In 2000–01, enrollments at public 2-year institutions rose to nearly 1.5 million, compared with 945,000 at public 4-year institutions. By 2000–01, about half of all course enrollments in distance education courses were at public 2-year colleges.

The extent to which colleges and universities offer certificates and degree programs designed to be completed solely through distance education offers an additional indication of the penetration of distance education at the postsecondary level. Among institutions offering any distance education courses, the proportion offering programs designed to be completed entirely by distance education increased between 1997–98 and 2000–01 for degree (22 to 30 percent) and certificate programs (7 to 16 percent) (see table 32-2). The increases occurred among public 2- and 4-year institutions, but the apparent differences were not statistically significant for private 4-year institutions.

¹Some students enroll in more than one distance education course, so the total enrollment is greater than the number of students. (back to text)