How many schools are offering courses and/or programs of distance learning? What are the characteristics of these institutions?

According to the U.S Department of Education, 56 percent (2,320 of 4,130) of Title IV, degree granting institutions in the United States offered some type of distance education during the 2000-2001 academic year. Nearly 90 percent of public four years and 90 percent of public two year institutions made distance education available to students during this period.  By contrast, 40 percent of private four-year institutions and 16 percent of private two-year colleges offered distance education.  Since the 1997-1998 academic year, the number of institutions offering distance education has increased 38 percent (Public 28 percent; Private 80 percent).    

Of the institutions that did not offer distance education, 12 percent planned on offering some type of remote delivery service by 2003-04.   Less than 1 in 3 of all institutions (31 percent) not offering distance education courses in 2000-01 planned to offer any in the next three years.

Source: U.S. Department of Education Statistics, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System. Survey on Distance Education at Postsecondary Education Institutions, 2000-01.

Additional Information

Additional information about distance education in higher education can be found in the Online Information Center.