Growing Number of South Florida Students Opting for Online College

According to the latest national statistics, enrollment in brick-and-mortar colleges and universities are on a steady decline while the number of students taking college courses online is on the rise. South Florida Universities are seeing numbers which are running parallel to national statistics. For many parents and students, online degree programs are making it possible to meet academic goals which would otherwise be unobtainable. Here are a few of the latest statistics and how they are affecting South Florida post-secondary students.

• What Local Students Are Saying About Online Options

For an example of what South Florida students are saying about the amazing benefits of online classes and degree programs, you need to look no further than Everglades University reviews and testimonials. Students are saying that the registration process was made easy and that they had no problems transferring any credits they carried over from other educational institutions. 

Whether taking undergrad or graduate classes, the ease at which they were able to get registered was a definite plus. While most universities are now offering online options, registration can be a bit trying, but this is one school that went the extra mile to help students enroll and register for the classes they needed.

• A Brief Look at Key National Statistics

If there is one key takeaway to be garnered from all this, it would be the fact that at least one-third of all postsecondary students take one or more of their classes online each semester. According to the latest report published by the National Center for Education Statistics (US Department of Education), postsecondary education dropped by about 90,000 between the 2016 and 2017 school years. 

This is referring to those enrolling in classes in a traditional brick-and-mortar institution. However, the number of students enrolling in online courses rose by just over two percent while the number of students enrolling in traditional settings fell by about a percentage point. In other words, thanks to the availability of online degree programs, more students are now making it to the finish line either in part or by taking the entire degree curriculum online.

• Especially Good News for Floridians

One of the major obstacles many Floridians encounter is the high cost of living. Rentals are more expensive than in most areas of the country simply because the Sunshine State has built up beyond what current housing can support. With a growing number of northern residents heading south for retirement, the availability of rentals is limited and those which are available rent for a premium price. More and more students are forced to work full-time and study part-time in order to afford the cost of living, but when studying online they can take a full load simply because of the convenience and lack of travel time on congested highways.

Even the cost of online degrees is lower than the cost of attending classes on campus and that’s another definite plus for South Florida students already burdened by an out-of-control economy. Indeed, there is a growing number of students attending online college courses and this bodes well for the future of postsecondary education in the State.