Midwestern colleges lead in online education

Midwestern colleges lead in online education

Statistics suggest that as much as a quarter of all college students in the U.S. have taken online courses, but in some parts of the country the percentage is much higher.

Unsurprisingly, colleges in the Midwest have seen the popularity of distance education skyrocket in recent years. For example, Laura Wiese, recruitment coordinator for the Office of Extended Education and Outreach at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) says the majority the school's students have taken at least one online course, according to NewsNetNebraska.org.

"Once they've taken one course they find they like it, that it works well with their schedule," she adds.

Wiese's statement reflects the growing popularity of online education among working professionals, busy parents or individuals living in rural areas who would like to achieve better education in order to compete for higher-paying jobs.

As for the UNL, the university is celebrating 100 years of providing distance education, which first came in the form of schoolwork that was sent hundreds of miles away through the regular mail.

However, since the dawn of the internet, students from around the world are able to pursue online degrees at a range of universities and colleges across America in real time.