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Distance learning offers more accessibility than in-person programs, which is one of its greatest advantages. Students who opt to learn online can choose from any school in any state based on which institutions offer the best programs for their field of study.

There's no need to relocate or commute, and students with physical disabilities, family commitments, or both aren't forced to choose a school just because it's nearby. Yet, current research shows that many students consider proximity a major selling point when it comes to choosing an online college.

Online Undergraduates Favor Their State

Data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) shows that many online students still opt to attend colleges located in their home state. This is especially true of undergraduates- 71% pursued an in-state online degree in 2022. 

This figure is down from 2020, when 81% of online students studied in-state, but that's to be expected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent data reveals that the preference among undergraduates for online institutions within their own state has steadily increased since 2018.

Additionally, undergraduates in some states favor in-state distance learning at higher rates than they do nationally.

States with the highest percentage of in-state online students in 2022

Some states, however, break the mold- especially states boasting colleges with well-known global campuses that tend to draw in students from all over the country. Examples include:

• New Hampshire, the home of Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), with 94% of online students located out-of-state.
• Arizona, home of Arizona State University Global (ASU), has 71% of online students located out-of-state.
• Indiana, where Purdue Global is located, has 54% of online students studying from another state.

Graduate Students Seemingly Face Fewer Constraints

According to similar research on graduate student trends at online universities, students pursuing advanced degrees are much more likely to attend an out-of-state school. This was true even before COVID-19.

In 2022, only 47% of graduate students chose an in-state online university, dropping 2% from the previous year. During 2020, when 81% of undergraduates attended in-state online programs, the percentage of graduate students studying online at an in-state school jumped only slightly to 55%.

Similar to online learning trends for undergraduates, some states featured more online graduate students attending an in-state program than others. 

States with the highest percentage of online graduate students in 2022

Once again, some states bring in droves of out-of-state students to attend online graduate school. Generally speaking, these states align with expectations based on the undergraduate learning trends mentioned above, given their large global campuses and robust online learning programs. 

Examples include Arizona (home to ASU Global), where 82% of online graduate students are not from the state. In Minnesota, 84% are from elsewhere. Another example is Indiana, where 71% of the graduate student population attends school online from outside the state.

The Most Popular Choices for UUÖ±²¥

Breaking down the research further, some colleges and universities with serious distance learning programs are educating more students from other areas of the country. This is largely due to factors like the allure of their online programming and the impressive number of distance learning degrees they offer.

 For online undergraduate education, these are the schools with the most out-of-state students:

• Southern New Hampshire University (128,485 students)
• Western Governors University (106,233 students)
• University of Phoenix (66,191 students) 
• American Public University System (37,078 students)
• Arizona State University Digital Immersion (36,370 students)
• Grand Canyon University (35,955 students)
• Purdue Global (29,136 students)

Among online graduate programs, some of the same schools have the largest numbers of learners from out-of-state. However, a few different colleges and universities are also thrown into the mix. 

Graduate schools with the most online students from other parts of the country are listed below:

• Western Governors University (41,273 students)
• Liberty University (37,907 students)
• Walden University (33,993 students)
• Grand Canyon University (28,269 students)
• Capella University (25,500 students)
• Southern New Hampshire University (20,253 students)
• University of Phoenix (17,572 students) 

Online Learning: What's Next?

Our research indicates that since 2018, a majority of undergraduate students choosing online learning have preferred in-state institutions. In the meantime, graduate students have been just as likely to earn an online degree in-state as they have out-of-state.

That said, history shows that these trends can and often do change from one year to the next. For example, the likelihood of both undergraduate and graduate students learning online in their own state was lower before 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic first started and online learning spiked across the board. Percentages dropped for both undergraduate and graduate students from 2020 to 2021, then again for 2022.

This suggests that as we move away from 2020, more students might be open to distance learning options farther from their homes. Breaking down this data shows us that institutions of higher learning in some states have more effective outreach when it comes to attracting students from elsewhere in the country. It's up to students and their families to research available online schools and then choose the best option to suit their learning needs and career goals.

Methodology

Data in this study originated from the , which is offered through the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Data was restricted to schools that offered undergraduate and graduate distance education courses from 2018 to 2022. We only included schools that reported values for students enrolled exclusively in distance education courses either located in the same state, another state, or unknown jurisdictions.