A recent survey by CourseAdvisor.com reveals that a college's online presence outranks the importance of university brand when it comes to students selecting a postsecondary program. The survey of 2,800 current and prospective students found that 74 percent of students currently involved in a program first heard about program from an online search, a web site or an online education agency.

In the survey, 40 percent of those responding noted they were currently enrolled in a higher education program. Though four out of every five of those students reported they had known about their selected school before their search for the ideal program, nearly three quarters of those indicated they had learned about that ideal program through the school's online presence.

In addition, a recent study by Eduventures revealed that convenience is now the primary driver for why students enroll in particular programs. Though program reputation is still very important, the major reasons students enrolled in a particular program involved items of convenience, anything from the course schedule to the course delivery format to program location.