tag: Online education
Blog Post
May 7, 2026
Employers’ Perceptions of Online Credentials
Findings from a New Report
With support from the Joyce Foundation and Strada Education Foundation, Ithaka S+R conducted what is, to our knowledge, the first causal study of how employers value online degrees from out-of-state institutions. The primary objectives of our research were to compare employer evaluations of job candidates who earned a bachelor’s degree online with those who earned a bachelor’s degree in person, and to assess whether and to what extent those evaluations varied depending on whether the degree-granting institution was in- or…
Research Report
May 7, 2026
Examining Employers’ Perceptions of Online Credentials
A Discrete Choice Experiment
In this study, supported by Strada Education Foundation and the Joyce Foundation, we conduct a discrete choice experiment with professional recruiters and hiring managers to better understand how they respond to online credentials, including those earned from out-of-state institutions.[9] Our research asks whether employers prefer hypothetical job applicants with in-person degrees compared to online degrees, if this preference differs based on whether the degree was earned from an in- or out-of-state institution, and how these preferences may vary by other…
Past Event
March 19, 2026
Examining Employers’ Perceptions of Online Credentials
A Discrete Choice Experiment
At the 2026 Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) Annual Conference, Ithaka S+R’s Bethany Lewis will give a poster presentation focused on an Ithaka S+R study examining whether and to what extent online learners are earning credentials that are valued by the labor market. This study explores the implications of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA), which streamline the authorization process for institutions offering online education across state lines. To answer these questions, Ithaka…
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…