An independent, third-party organization that was founded to help support adult students reports a 24% increase in the number of quality online course offerings over the past four years. The information from the Online University Consortium notes a steady rise in the expectations being placed on students within the course offerings.

The Online UC, founded a little over four years ago, qualifies online degree programs offered by accredited colleges and universities. The consortium seeks to identify the best online degree programs available to students.

Greg Eisenbarth, executive director of the consortium, states, "In 2004, when The Boston Globe first recognized Online UC as a group that was leading the initiative in setting standards of quality for online education, only six out of every 10 programs met our criteria. As of the end of this year, the Consortium has approved five out of every six programs that have applied, which is evidence more institutions are stepping up to quality standards demanded by students and employers."

The increase in quality matches up with the increased interest in online learning. The Sloan Consortium's annual report, "Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning", reveals an estimated enrollment growth of about 10 percent each year.

In fact, that demand for courses now outpaces the supply of quality offerings. According to the Online UC, quality programs are growing at only about six percent annually.