The 2008 Sloan Survey of Online Learning reveals that enrollment  in online higher education programs rose by more than twelve percent over 2007. The survey of more than 2,500 colleges and universities nationwide finds approximately 3.94 million students were enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2007. The sixth annual survey, a collaborative effort between the Babson Survey Research Group, the College Board and the Sloan Consortium, is the leading barometer of online learning in the United States.

What Disciplines are Best Represented Online?

Online enrollments have seen steady growth, as has the number of institutions with online program offerings. What is not known, however, is if particular disciplines are better suited to online and others less well suited.

• There is roughly equal penetration for seven of the eight major discipline areas being examined.
• Engineering is the only discipline area where online representation is much lower than for other areas.
• Public institutions have the highest penetration rates for all disciplines other than engineering.
• Associate’s institutions have a wide lead in online penetration for psychology, social sciences, and liberal arts.