Another university announces increase in online education enrollment

Another university announces increase in online education enrollment

The authorities of Benedictine University have said that based on this fall's numbers, enrollment in its online degree programs has increased "dramatically" compared to previous years.

The school's online master of public health program has experienced the highest growth, registering a 109 percent increase from last year. Meanwhile, for all programs enrollment is up 153 present since 2008.

In 2003, Benedictine partnered with Deltak, a company which provides services to schools launching their online education and distance learning programs, to develop its first online MBAdegree. Since then, the offering has grown to include five fully online graduate programs and a recently launched doctorate of education in higher education and organizational change.

Online education has been hailed as a cheaper and more flexible instruction option that allows adult learners such as busy parents or working professionals to earn a degree without interrupting their lives.

Benedictine University is one of many institutions across the country offering online degrees, and enrollment in such programs is expected to grow by about 18 percent in 2010, according to Gerry DiGiusto of Eduventures, a higher education research and consulting firm, quoted by Reuters.