Based on their responses, it is estimated that over 1.5 million of the over 17 million higher education students (or 9 percent) in the United States took at least one distance education course during that year (composed of 8 percent of undergraduates and 11 percent of graduate students). How much of this education at a distance does online learning represent?

Slightly less than one-third (31%) of all distance education students had classes that used the Internet only as a delivery mechanism. This is, by far, the most common choice of delivery method. Other students reported that their classes used the Internet and one or more of the video/audio delivery methods (either live or recorded). Overall, 60 percent of distance education students (59 percent of undergraduates and 65 percent of graduates) had at least one course that included the Internet as a delivery mechanism.

Caveats

• The data are old (1999-2000)—an important concern for a field that is evolving so quickly.
• There is no information on which course used which delivery method. A student reporting Internet and recorded video use might be referring to a single course using both or to multiple courses.
• The data cover the United States only.
• Not all courses are counted in this study. Excluded are non-credit courses, courses that were not off-campus, and correspondence courses.