According to the Online Education Database, tuition is lower at online schools than it is at brick-and-mortar universities. In online education, lessons are written by professors and uploaded as documents for students to read or presented as videos for students to watch. Many online programs do not require textbooks, which further reduces costs.
These cost savings may not be applicable to students enrolled at a regular university and taking distance-learning courses. In such cases, tuition is usually the same as if your were attending classes on campus. Larger universities that have run out of space in their lecture halls have had to make some distance-learning courses mandatory.
For an online course, a student does not have to spend time getting ready and commuting to campus. Students can do their work virtually anywhere and at any time. This is especially helpful for students with families and/or full-time jobs.
Students enrolled in online courses have more flexible study times, because they usually have more freedom to complete their assignments. In some cases, a student can complete several assignments at once if they have a big chunk of time that allows them to do so, or a student may prefer to complete the coursework a little bit at a time.
Online courses are a popular choice for students who want to get an education while continuing their jobs. Coursework can be completed during the student's free time, since there is no set time that they have to go to a classroom. Some students with full-time jobs opt for online schooling in order to advance their careers. For example, a marketing professional may study online for a master's degree in marketing qualify for a higher position with a greater salary. Other full-time employees choose online schooling in order to switch careers.
The rise in popularity of online education has led to a growing number of degree choices and specialized programs. According to the Online Education Database, some of the most popular degrees offered online are business management, communications, computer programming, human resources, marketing and nursing. Some students take online courses during their spare time and transfer the credits to another university at which they enroll in on-campus programs.