Distance Education in the Illinois Community College System - Fiscal Year 2024

Oct 15, 2026

Comprehensive overview of distance education offerings across the Illinois Community College System for fiscal year 2024, defining major instructional delivery types including online/Internet-based, interactive instructional TV, broadcast audio/video, stored media, correspondence, and hybrid/blended formats. Assesses key findings on online student characteristics and enrollment patterns, presenting overall headcount and FTE trends, demographic breakdowns, program areas, term and attendance types, and prior credit and academic performance indicators. Highlights the growth of online enrollments in 2024 and related course count and delivery comparisons, supported by figures and citations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages69

Reading Time2 h 54 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Key Findings

Characteristics of Online Students

Overall Headcount and FTE

Overall FTE

Enrollment by Instructional Program Area

Intent and Degree Objective

Enrollment by Term and Type of Attendance

Highest Degree Earned Prior to Attending Community College

Distance Education Course Count and Course Section Enrollment

Bibliography

Appendix A

Appendix B

|
DISTANCE EDUCATION
IN THE
ILLINOIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM
FISCAL YEAR 2024 | | --- | |
April 2025 | Compiled by ICCB Nathan R. Wilson, Deputy Director for Research and Information Technology Jay Brooks, Associate Deputy Director for Research and Analytics Michelle Dufour, Director for Research and Analytics Cecilia Elhaddad, Data Analyst Mitchell Gaffney, Data Analyst Jana Ferguson, Consultant, Data and Research Services Printed by Authority of the State of Illinois 04/25 TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents .................................................................................................................. 3 Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 4 Key Findings ......................................................................................................................... 6 Characteristics of Online Students ........................................................................................ 7 OVERALL HEADCOUNT AND FTE........................................................................ 7 OVERALL FTE ......................................................................................................... 7 GENDER, ETHNIC ORIGIN, AND AGE CHARACTERISTICS.............................. 7 ENROLLMENT BY INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM AREA..................................... 9 INTENT AND DEGREE OBJECTIVE ................................................................... 10 ENROLLMENT BY TERM AND TYPE OF ATTENDANCE................................... 11 HIGHEST DEGREE EARNED BY STUDENTS PRIOR TO ATTENDING COMMUNITY COLLEGE........................................................................................ 11 ACCUMULATED COLLEGE-LEVEL CREDIT HOURS......................................... 11 GRADE POINT AVERAGE ..................................................................................... 11 HOURS ATTEMPTED AND EARNED ................................................................... 11 Distance Education Course Count And Course Section Enrollment ...................................... 12 COURSE COUNT BY INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY............................................ 12 COURSE SECTION ENROLLMENT BY INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY..............13 AVERAGE CLASS SIZE IN INTERNET-BASED AND HYBRID COURSES .........13 COURSE SECTION ENROLLMENT IN CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ........................................................................................................... 13 Bibliography........................................................................................................................ 15 Appendix A.......................................................................................................................... 16 Appendix B.......................................................................................................................... 17 INTRODUCTION Distance education courses include online/Internet-based instructional delivery, interactive instructional TV/distance learning, broadcast television/audio, stored media, correspondence, and hybrid/blended instructional delivery. Online/Internet-based courses are courses in which Internet/World Wide Web serves as the primary (51 percent or more) delivery method for instruction. Interactive instructional TV/distance learning courses include fully interactive video courses provided via two-way video/two-way audio compressed video telecommunication technology and one-way video/two-way audio, which provide for immediate interaction with students. Broadcast television/audio courses are courses broadcasted via one-way audio/video, cable, satellite TV or radio. Stored media courses are courses taught primarily through instructional audiotapes, videotapes, CD-ROM, DVD, or other stored disc/media technology. Correspondence courses are courses provided in pr

FAQs

What instructional delivery methods are included in distance education for this report?

The report covers online/Internet-based delivery, interactive instructional TV/distance learning, broadcast television/audio, stored media, correspondence, and hybrid/blended delivery.

How did online enrollments change in fiscal year 2024 compared with prior years?

Illinois community colleges reported 162,062 headcount enrollments in online credit courses in fiscal year 2024, a 36.3% increase from fiscal year 2020 and a 47.6% increase from fiscal year 2015.

Which student and enrollment dimensions does the report analyze for online students?

It examines characteristics of online students, including overall headcount and FTE, demographic traits (gender, ethnic origin, and age), enrollment by program area, intent and degree objective, term and type of attendance, and measures such as prior college credit hours and grade point average.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Maya Linwood