Dispelling Myths about the Online College Student [#Infographic]

Although online college enrollment continues to rise, some higher ed leaders still hold onto misconceptions about the types of students who pursue this alternative learning model.

The fifth annual Online College Students 2016: Comprehensive Data on Demands and Preferences report, published by The Learning House, attempts to clear up the questions by taking a deeper look at the demographics, fields of study and expectations of 1,500 past, present and prospective online college students.

According to the data, the average age of online students fell from 36 in 2014 to 29 in 2016. The report attributes the change to an increasing number of students in the 18-to-24 age group, which has doubled in size since 2012. The findings chip away at the commonly held belief that online students are older, the report states.

Discover more surprising facts about distance-learning students by checking out The Learning House infographic below.