In a study published online Tuesday, U.s. agricultural school and online university Purdue University found that online students earned more than 90 percent of their degree on-campus, with the highest percentage earning a degree in a three-year program.
The study found that Purdue’s online degree program is the best in the country and ranked third among all private schools in terms of on- and off-campus success.
The online program also earned the highest number of graduates in three-quarters of the states studied, and the lowest percentage of students who took remedial courses, according to the Purdue study.
The university also found that students who were on- or off-site earned more on average, and that the students who went off- and on-site had better job prospects and improved overall academic outcomes.
In the Purdue analysis, students who completed a three years online degree received an average of $41,400 in financial aid and a median of $34,000 in Pell grants.
Students who completed four years online received an annualized cost of $51,000.
In comparison, students with a three or four years degree who completed remedial programs earned about $13,800, or about $10,000 more annually, according the study.
