This press release originally appeared online.
Key points:
- Students of all ages and backgrounds expect learning to be flexible and accessible
- Students continue to demand online learning options
- Top trends, takeaways point to online learning’s staying power
- For more news on online learning, visit eCN’s Teaching & Learning hub
Ten years after many colleges first started cautiously experimenting with online learning, a new national survey shows just how rapidly the landscape has changed.
According to the tenth edition of the Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE 10) Report, 88 percent of colleges and universities plan to expand online offerings in the next three years. The report–a joint research project released by Quality Matters, Eduventures, and EDUCAUSE–draws on insights from more than 250 senior leaders to reveal how institutions are adapting to surging demand, growing competition, and the rise of AI.
“Over the past decade, we’ve witnessed a profound shift: what began as an exception has become a baseline expectation,” said Dr. Bethany Simunich, Vice President for Innovation and Research at Quality Matters, a nonprofit focused on quality assurance in online learning.
“Today’s students–across every age and background–expect learning to be flexible and accessible. This report shows that institutions are no longer deciding whether to expand online options, but how to do so in ways that are sustainable, accessible, and aligned with long-term strategy.”
Now in its tenth year, the CHLOE report provides a rare longitudinal view of the evolution of online learning in higher education. CHLOE 10 traces how far institutions have come since the inaugural report, revealing sharp contrasts in demand, preparedness and strategy between 2016 and today. With this new decade-long lens into online learning, the report underscores both the progress made–and the persistent gaps that still remain.
Interest in online learning is rising fast–and not just among adult and non-traditional learners. According to the CHLOE 10 Report, demand is growing across the board: 74 percent of institutions report increased interest from graduate students, 66 percent from adult undergrads, and 60 percent from traditional-age undergrads. But the pace of planned growth varies dramatically. At public four-year institutions, over half of online leaders expect to launch five or more new programs. At community colleges, only about one in five do, highlighting a striking mismatch between student demand and institutional capacity.
Other key findings from the report include:
- Online competition hits new high Since the pandemic, institutions across sectors report rising pressure: 83 percent of public four-years say the online marketplace is more competitive than a few years ago. Seventy-nine percent of private four-years and 74 percent of public two-years say the same–both sectors are up 10 percentage points since the question was first asked in 2018.
- Community colleges lead the way on credential innovation. Investment in non-degree credentials like certificates and microcredentials has more than doubled since 2018-19–with nearly 70 percent of public two-year colleges leading the charge. Four-year institutions lag behind, despite similar student demand.
- The digital divide won’t go away. Ten years after CHLOE first flagged digital access gaps, 95 percent of institutions still report persistent concerns. Broadband, device access, and tech readiness remain barriers to access–especially for community college students.
- Data is a priority–but still a problem. While 93 percent of institutions agree that data analytics is a strategic priority and 96 percent agree that it’s necessary for online decision-making, only 40 percent say their data is clearly defined and understood.
- AI strategy is fragmented. Eighty-four percent of institutions report that investments in AI technologies and supports are important for online programs. But nearly 1 in 10 have no AI strategy at all, ironically closely resembling how institutions first approached online learning in the early 2010s.
- AI impacts operations more than instruction. Institutions are leaning on AI for efficiency–49 percent cite workload reduction, 46 percent course prep–while fewer report student-facing uses like advising or personalization.
- Faculty development is still a need. Despite a decade of online growth, just 28 percent of institutions say their faculty are fully prepared to design online courses–an almost flat figure since 2020. Adjuncts teach nearly half (47 percent) of online courses, underscoring the responsibility of institutions to provide consistent training, support, and inclusion in quality‑assurance efforts.
- Unprepared for the next crisis. While the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare gaps in emergency preparedness, approximately one in four colleges has fully developed academic continuity plans in place.
“These findings reaffirm the continued momentum around the adoption of online learning, while also highlighting persistent challenges, including both longstanding concerns and readiness for emerging technologies,” said Richard Garrett, chief research officer at Eduventures, and co-author of CHLOE 10. “Chief among these concerns is artificial intelligence, which poses both promise and uncertainty. As AI begins to reshape assumptions and operations, institutions–and their online learning leaders–are still calibrating their response.”
Now in its tenth edition, the long-running CHLOE report series explores the rapidly-evolving world of online education, rooted in the attitudes and perspectives of institutional leaders working to design, build and scale online programs in higher education. The report surveyed more than 250 COLOs on issues related to demand and availability of online education–and a host of other pressing issues including artificial intelligence.
Platinum sponsors of the report include iDesign and Science Interactive, Gold sponsor Archer Education, and Affiliate the Online Learning Consortium. The report’s directors and co-authors will participate in a free webinar event August 19 at 1:00 p.m. ET to discuss their methods and findings.
