CHLOE 10 | Meeting the Moment: Navigating Growth, Competition, and AI in Online Higher Education
The tenth installment of the Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) report — produced by Quality MattersTM, Eduventures® and EDUCAUSE — offers an overview of the current state of online learning in higher education as well as insights into its future development. The report was compiled by surveying chief online learning officers (COLOs) — the professionals best situated to assess the current state of this ever-developing field — at U.S. two- and four-year colleges and universities.
The majority of survey participants report a surge in learner demand for online learning amid an increasingly competitive environment as AI looms without a coordinated strategy for its use. Notable findings from the 73-page report include:
- Online Interest Surges Across Student Populations: From adult learners to traditional undergraduates, COLOs report sustained and growing demand for online education. Seventy-four percent report increased graduate student interest, and 66% cite rising adult-age undergraduate interest—both up from CHLOE 8. Even traditional-age students are showing strong demand (60%). Students increasingly expect flexible learning options to accommodate work, family, and financial realities.
- Institutional Preparedness Falters Amid Rising Demand: Despite accelerating demand, institutional readiness has stagnated—or regressed—in key areas. Only 83% of institutions now offer online-specific student orientations (down from 93% in 2021), and faculty preparedness remains largely unchanged since the pandemic. Just 28% of faculty are considered fully prepared for online course design, and 45% for teaching. Alarmingly, only 28% of institutions report having fully developed academic continuity plans for future emergency pivots to online.
- The Online Education Marketplace Is Increasingly Competitive: Across sectors, COLOs describe a more competitive online program landscape than pre-pandemic. This reveals a clear increase in perceived competitiveness, especially among private four-year institutions and community colleges. As more institutions enter the space, differentiation and program quality are becoming strategic imperatives.
- Alternative Credentials Take Center Stage: Investment in nondegree offerings like certificates, micro-credentials, and bootcamps has surged. Sixty-five percent of COLOs now report some or major investment, more than doubling from 29% in 2018-19. Major investment alone quadrupled from 3% to 15%. Community colleges lead this trend, positioning nondegree pathways as a cornerstone of their online strategies.
- AI Integration Lacks Strategic Coordination: Two-thirds of COLOs report that some institutional areas are working on an AI strategy, but few have a unified or coordinated plan. Nine percent have no strategy at all. Disparities extend to students: 57% of COLOs report that uneven access to AI tools is affecting at least some learners. However, 72% expect AI to become very or extremely important within two years.
