In 2024, 93% of surveyed students told BestColleges their online degree has or will have a positive return on investment (ROI). The percentage of online learners who say this has increased by five percentage points since 2019. More than 8 in 10 online students (81%) also say that online education is better than or equal to on-campus learning. Further, 97% say they would recommend online education to others.Despite online education being perceived as more affordable than in-person instruction, 48% of online learners say tuition costs and program fees were one of the biggest challenges to enrolling.
