Many thanks for sharing the results of your survey with us in regards to affects of ed tech on college course pricing.

Much of the national debate, as you so state, has been on the promise or “vision” that online learning and ed tech will unquestionably produce a lower cost, more affordable or cheaper college experience.

But that “idea” is not necessarily being realized.
The higher ed course pricing cycle is both complex and irrational. With your efforts we now have some hard data on that complexity as it exists in reality.

For the last decade the online college affordability project at Get Educated has tracked the sticker price of an online degree. What we have found is that the sticker price of an online degree is determined primarily by the business structure of the institution — not whether that degree is offered online or on campus.

For profit online schools charge about 3 times more for their online courses and degrees than non-profit institutions. After that, price elasticity is impacted by whether the school is public or private.

Many public institutions can’t raise “tuition” which may be set by law or policy BUT they can legally hike or add “fees” — hence the addition of “distance learning fees” to online learning courses by state schools. These oft hidden course “fees” have to be ferreted out and analyzed on their own rite. (Thank you for some great weaseling in this regard.)

Thanks again for bringing some hard data and common sense to this debate. (As always.)

Vicky Phillips
Founder – Get Educated