tag: Online education
Blog Post
November 13, 2025
New Report Explores Online Enrollment Trends in the Era of State Authorization Reciprocity
Prior work by Ithaka S+R found that the introduction of SARA expanded online enrollment, especially among institutions that were early adopters. However, less is known about how SARA has influenced the composition of enrollment, particularly for students enrolled in out-of-state, exclusively online programs, the type of program most likely influenced by SARA’s implementation. Using nationally representative survey data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, this report documents who is enrolling in different program modalities, and how those enrollment patterns…
Research Report
November 13, 2025
Exploring Online Enrollment Trends in the Era of State Authorization Reciprocity
By 2020, one in four undergraduates were enrolled in exclusively online programs, double the number enrolled in 2012. The policy landscape concerning online education changed markedly with the establishment of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) in 2014. This regulatory change made it easier for institutions to offer online programs to students who reside out of state while completing the program. Using nationally representative survey data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, this report documents who is enrolling in…