A need to remain professionally competitive in the current economic recession is driving increased interest in online higher education, according to a recent survey by EducationDynamics in association with one of its education websites, eLearners.com. When visitors to eLearners.com who submitted inquiry forms in the last 30 days were surveyed, 33 percent of respondents said they need a college degree to grow in their career or to compete, and 44 percent indicated they want to start a new career.
“There are those who react and there are those who plan,” said Terrence Thomas, chief marketing officer at EducationDynamics. “What we seem to be seeing is a monsoon of planners who in anticipation of difficult economic times are preparing for their next career move. They are also seeking the convenience of online education.”
Sixty-nine percent of respondents said they intend to return to school within the next six months, with 75 percent indicating their preference for online programs because it “fits into their busy schedules.” Seventy-seven percent indicated that they need a diploma and/or need specialized knowledge to get the job they want. However, with nearly 33 percent of respondents making less than $30,000 per year and nearly 20 percent unemployed, paying for school may be an obstacle, particularly in the face of a credit crunch. In fact, 33 percent indicated they were unsure of how they would fund their education with 42 percent saying they would seek student loans.
Compared to last year, eLearners.com has witnessed a 74 percent increase in unique visitors to its website with the majority of that growth coming recently on the heels of the economic crisis. In fact, in November, a seasonally low month for education inquiries, eLearners.com witnessed a spike in unique visitors of 138 percent compared to last year.
eLearners.com’s research was designed to investigate the motivations and perspectives of recent inquirers to gain an understanding of the uptick in interest in online education. eLearners.com received 300 responses of which 65 percent were over the age of 35, with nearly half seeking a bachelor’s degree.
Email us at pulse@educationdynamics.com with any questions or comments on this report.