Even the Ivies know their model is in danger

Parents Forum
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<p>Maybe if more people think the model is in jeopardy, fewer will apply and it won’t be such a mad crazy process. Then maybe the students who just want to go for the sake of a top notch education will continue to apply and at least have a fighting chance of getting in. Just saying!!</p>

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<p>I’ve been poking about online a bit, and I’m not finding programs I’d prefer over an established college for an undergraduate degree. Does anyone have links to universities reporting completion rates for their online degrees? I’d be interested in being able to compare: tuition/fees, net price, net price by income, completion rates, 6-year graduation rates, for different models.</p>

<p>Online resources are wonderful for continuing education for adults. Much like community colleges, though, I suspect if you really looked into it you’d find many people who signed up for courses, yet quit when the work conflicted with other obligations–or when they learned the skills they really wanted. I do listen to lectures available through iTunesU; that doesn’t mean I’m doing the sort of academic work a college student should be doing. It’s nice it’s available, but one would have to prove, rather than merely assert, that it’s a better model of education.</p>

<p>I’ve found some “distance learning only” colleges through college navigator. They seem expensive, and their completion rates are not good. They may be on a level with community colleges? And of course, outcomes depend upon the sorts of people taking courses. </p>

<p>Argosy University, for example, would be more expensive for our kids than the 2nd-tier local state university, assuming our kids lived at home. (Then again, no matter where one lives, even at home, there is a cost; “cost savings” produced by ignoring the cost of room and board is not really cost savings.) Its completion rate for first-time undergraduates is half that of the state U. </p>

<p>I really don’t think the sorts of parents paying to send their kids to established liberal arts colleges and state universities will be flocking to pay more for less, with the added attraction of children living at home. But then, the pundits aren’t interested in attacking community colleges–you get more attention if you attack the Ivies.</p>

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<p>Not exactly what you want but a way to look…</p>

<p><a href=“Best Online Colleges In 2023”>http://www.thebestschools.org/blog/2012/02/20/25-online-colleges/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>You can possibly start here.</p>

<p>Then here for penn state world campus</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/?cid=CPCO17762&gclid=CLyQ2ceooMACFVQV7AodqToA7Q”>Penn State World Campus - Degrees, Certificates, and Courses Offered Online;

<p>Then here for more specifics
<a href=“http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/about-us/mediapress-room”>http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/about-us/mediapress-room&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Just to get started with one program.</p>

<p>One students storyhttp://news.psu.edu/story/322704/2014/08/14/academics/penn-state-online-graduates-come-around-world</p>

<p>I picked Penn State as they usually have an awesome complete website </p>

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<p>Try this one. It is part of the first link above
<a href=“Best Online Colleges In 2023”>http://www.thebestschools.org/rankings/30-best-online-colleges-2014/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Okay. My last but possibly best link addressing your question.
Here is an interesting paper from MIT and Harvard on online courses.</p>

<p><a href=“https://www.edx.org/blog/harvard-mit-release-working-papers-open#.U_PN7su9KK0”>https://www.edx.org/blog/harvard-mit-release-working-papers-open#.U_PN7su9KK0&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;