Adult Learners - Factors for Selection in Online or Blended Degree Programs

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I collected this information from the 2008 Eduventures White Paper on Adult Learners. It is a great read, I highly recommend it:

http://www.eduventures.com/resources/whitepapers/the-adult-learner

These statistics are just for the adult learner market, 22 and up. This chart zooms in on what is important to them, and indicates the areas you can consider differentiating with. Now, I’m sure you realize that quality can be defined in a variety of ways and can be the subject of endless debate. But for the purposes of this website, I am going to go with my marketing background and take the stance that the only definition of quality that matters here is how the student defines it. In general, the student is most interested in the program & teaching quality, and in fact, these are the two most important factors in program selection. I realized it is sometimes difficult and expensive to attract expert faculty, but I would actually say three of the top four elements are within reach of every program in North America.

Cost on the other hand, while still important in general, falls below many other factors for students. When you talk about the cost of program, it may seem simple, but it can quickly become very complex. There are so many issues to consider, such as trying to make your programs affordable to parts of the community that are underserved, or the negative press that can come with a price increase. But purely from a business and ROI case for the student, you still have a lot of room to raise the pricing on most programs out there.

So if you are ready to proactively mold your brand to become a nationally competitive online program, these are the elements that should likely be your starting point.