ies.ed.govwww.ed.gov
Distance Education at 

Degree-Granting Postsecondary 

Institutions: 2006–07 

First Look 

December 2008 

Basmat Parsad 

Laurie Lewis 

Westat 

Peter Tice 

Project Officer 

National Center for Education Statistics 

NCES 2009–044 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 
U.S. Department of Education

Margaret Spellings 

Secretary

Institute of Education Sciences 

Sue Betka 

Acting Director

National Center for Education Statistics

Stuart Kerachsky 

Acting Commissioner

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in the public domain. 

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Washington, DC 20006-5651 

December 2008 

The NCES World Wide Web Home Page address is http://nces.ed.gov. 

The NCES World Wide Web Electronic Catalog is http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch. 

Suggested Citation 

Parsad, B., and Lewis, L. (2008). Distance Education at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions: 2006–07 (NCES 

2009–044). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of 

Education. Washington, DC. 

For ordering information on this report, write to 

U.S. Department of Education 

ED Pubs 

P.O. Box 1398 

Jessup, MD 20794-1398 

or call toll free 1-877-4ED-Pubs or order online at http://www.edpubs.org. 

Content Contact

Peter Tice 

(202) 502-7497 

peter.tice@ed.gov
iii 

Acknowledgments 

The authors would like to recognize the respondents from postsecondary institutions who provided 

data on distance education upon which the report is based. We also thank the sponsors from the Office of 

Educational Technology. 
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v 

Contents 

Page 

Acknowledgments ..........................................................................................................................iii 

List of Tables ..................................................................................................................................vi 

Appendix A Tables.......................................................................................................................viii 

First Look Summary ........................................................................................................................ 1 

Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 1 

Selected Findings..................................................................................................................... 2 

Tables............................................................................................................................................... 5 

References...................................................................................................................................... 19 

Appendix A: Standard Error Tables ...........................................................................................A-1 

Appendix B: Technical Notes..................................................................................................... B-1 

Appendix C: Questionnaire ........................................................................................................ C-1 
vi 

List of Tables 

Table Page 

1 Total number of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary 

institutions, and percent that offered distance education courses, by course type, 

institutional type, and institution size: 2006–07......................................................... 5 

2 Percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions 

offering online, hybrid/blended online, and other types of college-level creditgranting distance education courses, by course type, institutional type, and 

institution size: 2006–07.............................................................................................. 6 

3 Percentage distribution of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions offering distance education that reported the minimum 

amount of online instruction or other criteria required to formally designate courses 

as online, by institutional type and institution size: 2006–07 ...................................... 7 

4 Total number of enrollments in college-level credit-granting distance education 

courses at 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions, 

by course type, institutional type, and institution size: 2006–07 ................................. 8 

5 Total enrollments in online, hybrid/blended online, and other types of college-level 

credit-granting distance education courses at 2-year and 4-year Title IV degreegranting postsecondary institutions, and percent of total distance education 

enrollments, by course level, institutional type, and institution size: 2006–07 ........... 9 

6 Percent of all 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions 

offering any college-level credit-granting distance education courses, and percent 

that had college-level degree or certificate programs designed to be completed 

totally through distance education, by program level, institutional type, and 

institution size: 2006–07.............................................................................................. 10 

7 Total number of college-level degree or certificate programs designed to be 

completed totally through distance education at 2-year and 4-year Title IV degreegranting postsecondary institutions, and percent of total distance education 

programs, by program type, program level, institutional type, and institution size: 

2006–07 ........................................................................................................................ 11 

8 Percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions 

offering any academic distance education courses for elementary or secondary 

students, by course type, institutional type, and institution size: 2006–07 .................. 12 

9 Percentage distribution of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions that offered distance education reporting frequency of 

requests for accommodations for students with disabilities in distance education 

courses over the last 3 years, by institutional type and institution size: 2006–07........ 13 
vii 

List of Tables (Continued) 

Table Page 

10 Percentage distribution of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions offering any distance education courses reporting use of 

various technologies or media for instruction in college-level credit-granting 

distance education courses: 2006–07........................................................................... 14 

11 Percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions 

offering any distance education courses reporting that they used various 

technologies or mediums to a moderate or large extent for instructional delivery of 

college-level credit-granting distance education courses, by institutional type and 

institution size: 2006–07.............................................................................................. 15 

12 Percentage distribution of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions offering any distance education courses reporting the 

extent to which various factors affected decisions regarding distance education 

offerings: 2006–07....................................................................................................... 16 

13 Percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions 

offering any distance education courses reporting that various factors affected 

decisions regarding distance education offerings to a moderate or major extent, 

by institutional type and institution size: 2006–07 ...................................................... 17 

14 Percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions 

indicating means for acquiring or developing distance education courses, 

by credit/noncredit courses, institutional type, and institution size: 2006–07 ............. 18 
viii 

Appendix A Tables 

Table Page 

1a Standard errors for the total number of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions, and percent that offered distance education courses, 

by course type, institutional type, and institution size: 2006–07 ............................... A-3 

2a Standard errors for the percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions offering online, hybrid/blended online, and other types 

of college-level credit-granting distance education courses, by course type, 

institutional type, and institution size: 2006–07......................................................... A-4 

3a Standard errors for the percentage distribution of 2-year and 4-year Title IV 

degree-granting postsecondary institutions offering distance education that 

reported the minimum amount of online instruction or other criteria required to 

formally designate courses as online, by institutional type and institution size: 

2006–07....................................................................................................................... A-5 

4a Standard errors for the total number of enrollments in college-level credit-granting 

distance education courses at 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions, by course type, institutional type, and institution size: 

2006–07....................................................................................................................... A-6 

5a Standard errors for the total enrollments in online, hybrid/blended online, and 

other types of college-level credit-granting distance education courses at 2-year 

and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions, and percent of 

total distance education enrollments, by course level, institutional type, and 

institution size: 2006–07 ............................................................................................ A-7 

6a Standard errors for the percent of all 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions offering any college-level credit-granting distance 

education courses, and percent that had college-level degree or certificate 

programs designed to be completed totally through distance education, 

by program level, institutional type, and institution size: 2006–07 ........................... A-8 

7a Standard errors for the total number of college-level degree or certificate programs 

designed to be completed totally through distance education at 2-year and 4-year 

Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions, and percent of total distance 

education programs, by program type, program level, institutional type, and 

institution size: 2006–07 ............................................................................................ A-9 

8a Standard errors for the percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions offering any academic distance education courses for 

elementary or secondary students, by course type, institutional type, and 

institution size: 2006–07 ............................................................................................ A-10 
ix 

Appendix A Tables (Continued) 

Table Page 

9a Standard errors for the percentage distribution of 2-year and 4-year Title IV 

degree-granting postsecondary institutions that offered distance education 

reporting frequency of requests for accommodations for students with disabilities 

in distance education courses over the last 3 years, by institutional type and 

institution size: 2006–07 ............................................................................................ A-11 

10a Standard errors for the percentage distribution of 2-year and 4-year Title IV 

degree-granting postsecondary institutions offering any distance education courses 

reporting use of various technologies or media for instruction in college-level 

credit-granting distance education courses: 2006–07.................................................. A-12 

11a Standard errors for the percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions offering any distance education courses reporting that 

they used various technologies or mediums to a moderate or large extent for 

instructional delivery of college-level credit-granting distance education courses, 

by institutional type and institution size: 2006–07..................................................... A-13 

12a Standard errors for the percentage distribution of 2-year and 4-year Title IV 

degree-granting postsecondary institutions offering any distance education courses 

reporting the extent to which various factors affected decisions regarding distance 

education offerings: 2006–07..................................................................................... A-14 

13a Standard errors for the percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions offering any distance education courses reporting that 

various factors affected decisions regarding distance education offerings to a 

moderate or major extent, by institutional type and institution size: 2006–07........... A-15 

14a Standard errors for the percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions indicating means for acquiring or developing distance 

education courses, by credit/noncredit courses, institutional type, and institution 

size: 2006–07 ............................................................................................................. A-16 
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1 

First Look Summary 

Introduction 

This report provides national estimates on distance education at degree-granting postsecondary 

institutions in the 2006–07 academic year.1 The survey is the fourth of its kind undertaken by the 

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES); the first survey was conducted in 1995, the second in 

1998, and the third in 2002. For the 2006–07 study, distance education was defined as a formal education 

process in which the student and instructor are not in the same place. Thus, instruction may be 

synchronous or asynchronous, and it may involve communication through the use of video, audio, or 

computer technologies, or by correspondence (which may include both written correspondence and the 

use of technology such as CD-ROM).2

 While this report covers many of the topics in the previous 

reports, the data are not comparable. The definition of distance education in the 2006–07 study reflected 

two major changes from earlier studies. First, the definition no longer included a criterion for 

instructional delivery to off-campus or remote locations because online courses could be accessed on 

campus at a convenient time and place (e.g., between classes and in a computer lab). Second, the 

definition included correspondence courses and distance education courses that were designated by 

institutions as hybrid/blended online courses. 

The questionnaire instructed institutions to include distance education courses and programs that 

were formally designated as online, hybrid/blended online, and other distance education courses and 

programs. Institutions may have varied in the proportion of online instruction required for a course to be 

considered an online course or a hybrid/blended online course. For example, some institutions considered 

online courses as courses in which 100 percent of the instruction was delivered online, while others used 

various percentage cutoffs such as 80 percent, 70 percent, and 50 percent of online instruction. 

Hybrid/blended online courses were defined as a combination of online and in-class instruction with 

reduced in-class seat time for students. Thus, web-enhanced courses that did not result in reduced seat 

time (i.e., class time) were not intended to be included in the counts of hybrid/blended online courses. 

The 2006–07 study on distance education collected information on the prevalence, types, delivery, 

policies, and acquisition or development of distance education courses and programs. Specifically, the 

survey covered the following: 

• Whether institutions offered various types of distance education courses, and enrollment in 

those courses, including online, hybrid/blended online, and other distance education courses; 

• Number and types of degree or certificate programs designed to be completed totally through 

distance education; 

• Technologies used for the instructional delivery of distance education courses; 

• Factors affecting institutions’ decisions about distance education; 

 

1

 The term distance education has been used interchangeably with distance learning in the literature. 2

 Synchronous Internet-based technologies refer to simultaneous or “real-time” computer-based instruction, while asynchronous Internet-based 

technologies are used for courses that are not based on simultaneous computer-based instruction. 
2 

• Distance education offerings for elementary or secondary students; and 

• Ways in which institutions acquired or developed their distance education courses. 

The survey was conducted for NCES in fall 2007 using the Postsecondary Education Quick 

Information System (PEQIS). PEQIS is a survey system designed to collect small amounts of issueoriented data from a previously recruited, nationally representative sample of institutions with minimal 

burden on respondents and within a relatively short period of time. Questionnaires were mailed to 

approximately 1,600 Title IV eligible, degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the 50 states and the 

District of Columbia. 3

 The unweighted survey response rate was 90 percent, and the weighted response 

rate was 87 percent. Data were adjusted for questionnaire nonresponse and weighted to yield national 

estimates that represent the estimated 4,200 Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the 

United States. 

Because the purpose of this report is to introduce new NCES data through the presentation of tables 

containing descriptive information, only selected findings are presented. These findings have been 

chosen to demonstrate the range of information available from the PEQIS study rather than to discuss all 

of the observed differences; they are not meant to emphasize any particular issue. The findings are based 

on self-reported data from postsecondary institutions. Some of the survey responses (e.g., small, 

moderate, and large extent) were not defined for respondents. 

All specific statements of comparisons made in the bullets have been tested for statistical 

significance at the .05 level using Student’s t-statistics to ensure that the differences are larger than those 

that might be expected due to sampling variation. Adjustments for multiple comparisons were not 

included. Many of the variables examined are related to one another, and complex interactions and 

relationships have not been explored. Tables of standard error estimates are provided in appendix A. 

Detailed information about the survey methodology is provided in appendix B, and the questionnaire can 

be found in appendix C. 

Selected Findings 

This section presents key findings on distance education at Title IV degree-granting postsecondary 

institutions. 

• During the 2006–07 academic year, two-thirds (66 percent) of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degreegranting postsecondary institutions reported offering online, hybrid/blended online, or other distance 

education courses for any level or audience (table 1). Sixty-five percent of the institutions reported 

college-level credit-granting distance education courses, and 23 percent of the institutions reported 

noncredit distance education courses. 

• Sixty-one percent of 2-year and 4-year institutions reported offering online courses, 35 percent 

reported hybrid/blended courses, and 26 percent reported other types of college-level credit-granting 

distance education courses in 2006–07 (table 2). Among institutions that offered online courses, 62 

percent reported that 100 percent of the instruction in those courses must be online (table 3). 

 

3

 Institutions participating in Title IV federal student financial aid programs (such as Pell grants or Stafford loans) are accredited by an agency or 

organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, have a program of more than 300 clock hours or 8 credit hours, have been in 

business for at least 2 years, and have a signed Program Participation Agreement with the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), U.S. 

Department of Education. Degree-granting institutions are those that offer an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, doctor’s, or first-professional 

degree (Knapp et al. 2001). 
3 

• In the 2006–07 academic year, 2-year and 4-year institutions reported an estimated 12.2 million 

enrollments (or registrations) in college-level credit-granting distance education courses (table 4). Of 

these distance education enrollments, 77 percent were reported in online courses, 12 percent were 

reported in hybrid/blended online courses, and 10 percent were reported in other types of distance 

education courses (table 5). 

• Thirty-two percent of all 2-year and 4-year institutions reported offering college-level degree or 

certificate programs that were designed to be completed totally through distance education in 2006–

07 (table 6). Twenty-nine percent of 2-year and 4-year institutions reported degree programs and 17 

percent reported certificate programs that were designed to be completed totally through distance 

education. 

• Of the estimated 11,200 college-level programs that were designed to be completed totally through 

distance education in 2006–07, 66 percent were reported as degree programs while the remaining 34 

percent were reported as certificate programs (table 7). 

• Twelve percent of all 2-year and 4-year institutions reported offering academic distance education 

courses for elementary or secondary students in 2006–07 (table 8). Of these institutions, 38 percent 

reported Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses, 65 percent reported other 

academic high school courses, and 3 percent reported academic courses specifically for elementary or 

middle school students. 

• Asynchronous (not simultaneous or real-time) Internet-based technologies were cited as the most 

widely used technology for the instructional delivery of distance education courses; they were used to 

a large extent in 75 percent and to a moderate extent in 17 percent of the institutions that offered 

college-level credit-granting distance education courses (table 10). The proportion of institutions that 

reported using various other types of technologies or media to a moderate or large extent ranged from 

4 percent for other technologies to 31 percent for synchronous (simultaneous or real-time) Internetbased technologies (table 11). 

• The most common factors cited as affecting distance education decisions to a major extent were 

meeting student demand for flexible schedules (68 percent), providing access to college for students 

who would otherwise not have access (67 percent), making more courses available (46 percent), and 

seeking to increase student enrollment (45 percent) (table 12). These same factors were rated as 

affecting distance education decisions to a moderate or major extent in 82 percent to 92 percent of the 

2-year and 4-year institutions that offered college-level credit-granting distance education courses 

(table 13). The proportion of institutions that rated various other factors as affecting distance 

education to a moderate or major extent ranged from 6 percent for “other factors” to 63 percent for 

maximizing the use of existing college facilities. 

• Most 2-year and 4-year institutions that reported offering credit-granting distance education courses 

indicated that their institutions developed the distance education courses (94 percent) (table 14). 

Among institutions that reported offering noncredit distance education courses, 64 percent indicated 

that they developed their noncredit distance education courses, and 62 percent reported that they 

acquired the courses from a commercial vendor. 
This page intentionally left blank. 
5 

Table 1. Total number of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions, 

and percent that offered distance education courses, by course type, institutional type, 

and institution size: 2006–07 

Percent offered college-level credit-granting online, 

hybrid/blended online, or other distance education courses 

Institutional type and size 

Total 

number of 

institutions 

Percent offered 

any online, 

hybrid/blended 

online, or other 

distance 

education 

courses1

Courses at 

either level1

Undergraduate 

courses2

Graduate/ 

first-professional 

courses3

Percent 

offered 

noncredit 

distance 

education 

courses1

 

 All institutions....................... 4,200 66 65 66 60 23

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ........................... 1,000 97 97 97 † 50

 Private for-profit 2-year .......... 500 18 16 16 † ‡

 Public 4-year ........................... 600 89 88 87 82 42

 Private not-for-profit 4-year.... 1,500 53 53 51 46 10

 Private for-profit 4-year .......... 300 70 70 70 ‡ 2

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000........................ 2,700 51 51 51 44 11

 3,000 to 9,999.......................... 900 91 91 88 77 42

 10,000 or more ........................ 500 97 96 93 90 53

† Not applicable. Two-year institutions do not offer graduate degrees, although they sometimes offer individual graduate courses. 

‡ Reporting standards not met. 

1

Based on the estimated 4,160 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the nation. 2

Based on the estimated 3,890 institutions that had undergraduate programs in 2006–07. 3

Based on the estimated 1,810 institutions that had graduate or first-professional programs in 2006–07. 

NOTE: Data for private not-for-profit 2-year institutions are not reported in a separate category because too few private not-for-profit 2-year 

institutions in the sample offered distance education courses in 2006–07 to make reliable estimates (unweighted N=15, weighted N=113). Data 

for these private not-for-profit 2-year institutions are included in the totals and in analyses by other institutional characteristics. Institutions may 

offer both undergraduate and graduate/first-professional courses. Although 2-year institutions do not offer graduate degrees, they sometimes 

offer individual graduate courses. Detail for the number of institutions may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
6 

Table 2. Percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions offering 

online, hybrid/blended online, and other types of college-level credit-granting distance 

education courses, by course type, institutional type, and institution size: 2006–07 

Online courses Hybrid/blended online courses Other distance education courses 

Institutional type and size 

Courses 

at either 

level1

Undergraduate 

courses2

Graduate/ 

first-professional 

courses3

Courses 

at either 

level1

Undergraduate 

courses2

Graduate/ 

first-professional 

courses3

Courses 

at either 

level1

Undergraduate 

courses2

Graduate/ 

first-professional 

courses3

 

 All institutions........................... 61 62 52 35 34 27 26 25 20

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ............................... 96 96 † 66 66 † 51 50 †

 Private for-profit 2-year .............. 15 15 † 44† ‡ ‡ †

 Public 4-year ............................... 86 86 80 49 48 36 46 44 35

 Private not-for-profit 4-year........ 48 47 41 23 20 19 11 9 9

 Private for-profit 4-year .............. 52 52 ‡ 24 24 ‡ 20 20 ‡

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000............................ 46 46 34 22 21 20 14 15 12

 3,000 to 9,999.............................. 89 86 71 58 55 34 43 40 24

 10,000 or more ............................ 95 91 88 64 61 42 55 50 41

† Not applicable. Two-year institutions do not offer graduate degrees, although they sometimes offer individual graduate courses. 

‡ Reporting standards not met. 

1

Based on the estimated 4,160 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the nation. 2

Based on the estimated 3,890 institutions that had undergraduate programs in 2006–07. 3

Based on the estimated 1,810 institutions that had graduate or first-professional programs in 2006–07. 

NOTE: Data for private not-for-profit 2-year institutions are not reported in a separate category because too few private not-for-profit 2-year 

institutions in the sample offered distance education courses in 2006–07 to make reliable estimates. Data for these private not-for-profit 2-year 

institutions are included in the totals and in analyses by other institutional characteristics. Institutions may offer both undergraduate and 

graduate/first-professional courses. Although 2-year institutions do not offer graduate degrees, they sometimes offer individual graduate courses. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
7 

Table 3. Percentage distribution of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary 

institutions offering distance education that reported the minimum amount of online 

instruction or other criteria required to formally designate courses as online, 

by institutional type and institution size: 2006–07 

Minimum percent of online instruction used to 

designate courses as online

Institutional type and size 100 percent 

80 to 

99 percent 

50 to 

79 percent 

25 to 

49 percent 

Some other 

criterion is used 

to designate 

online courses 

No standard 

criterion is used 

to designate 

online courses

 

 All institutions...................................... 62 12 8 6 4 7

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year .......................................... 63 12 11 5 5 4

 Public 4-year .......................................... 48 16 11 12 5 6

 Private not-for-profit 4-year................... 71 11 5 4 3 4

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000....................................... 68 10 5 4 3 10

 3,000 to 9,999......................................... 60 15 9 5 5 4

 10,000 or more ....................................... 49 11 16 12 6 4

NOTE: Percentages are based on estimated 2,550 institutions that offered online courses in 2006–07. Data for private not-for-profit 2-year and 

for-profit 2-year and 4-year institutions are not reported in separate categories because too few of these institutions in the sample offered distance 

education courses in 2006–07 to make reliable estimates. Data for these institutions are included in the totals and in analyses by other 

institutional characteristics. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
8 

Table 4. Total number of enrollments in college-level credit-granting distance education courses 

at 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by course type, 

institutional type, and institution size: 2006–07 

Enrollments in college-level creditgranting online, hybrid/blended 

online, or other distance education 

courses at the:1

 

Institutional type and size 

Total number of 

institutions that 

offered any college-level 

credit-granting online, 

hybrid/blended online, or other 

distance education courses 

Total number of 

enrollments in 

college-level 

credit-granting online, 

hybrid/blended online, 

or other distance 

education courses1 

Undergraduate 

level 

Graduate/firstprofessional 

level 

 

 All institutions.................................. 2,720 12,153,000 9,803,000 2,349,900

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ...................................... 1,020 4,844,000 4,840,000 3,700

 Private not-for-profit 2-year............... 30 11,000 11,000 †

 Private for-profit 2-year ..................... 80 72,000 72,000 †

 Public 4-year ...................................... 560 3,502,000 2,611,000 890,900

 Private not-for-profit 4-year............... 790 1,854,000 1,124,000 730,400

 Private for-profit 4-year ..................... 240 1,869,000 1,144,000 724,800

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000................................... 1,390 2,122,000 1,591,000 531,000

 3,000 to 9,999..................................... 870 3,772,000 3,274,000 497,700

 10,000 or more ................................... 470 6,259,000 4,938,000 1,321,000

† Not applicable. Two-year institutions do not offer graduate degrees, although they sometimes offer individual graduate courses. 1 Enrollments include duplicated counts because they refer to the number of registrations. 

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
9 

Table 5. Total enrollments in online, hybrid/blended online, and other types of college-level 

credit-granting distance education courses at 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions, and percent of total distance education enrollments, 

by course level, institutional type, and institution size: 2006–07 

Percent of total distance education enrollments 

Online enrollments Hybrid/blended online enrollments 

Other distance education 

enrollments 

Institutional type 

and size 

Total 

enrollments in 

college-level 

credit-granting 

online, 

hybrid/blended 

online, or other 

distance 

education 

courses 

Courses 

at either 

level 

Undergraduate 

courses 

Graduate/ 

first-professional 

courses 

Courses 

at either 

level 

Undergraduate 

courses 

Graduate/ 

first-professional 

courses 

Courses 

at either 

level 

Undergraduate 

courses 

Graduate/ 

first-professional 

courses 

 

 All institutions.... 12,153,000 77 63 14 12 9 3 10 8 2

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ........ 4,844,000 80 80 † 10 10 † 9 9 †

 Private not-for- 

 profit 2-year.... 11,000 1001

 1001 † # # † # # †

 Private for-profit 

 2-year.............. 72,000 96 96 † 3 3 † # # †

 Public 4-year ........ 3,502,000 70 54 17 15 11 4 15 11 4

 Private not-for- 

 profit 4-year.... 1,854,000 74 46 28 13 8 5 13 7 6

 Private for-profit 

 4-year.............. 1,869,000 87 56 31 12 4 7 1 1 1

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000..... 2,122,000 73 58 14 19 10 9 9 7 2

 3,000 to 9,999....... 3,772,000 74 66 8 12 11 2 13 10 3

 10,000 or more ..... 6,259,000 81 63 17 10 8 2 10 7 2

† Not applicable. Two-year institutions do not offer graduate degrees, although they sometimes offer individual graduate courses. 

# Rounds to zero. 

1 Rounds to 100 percent. 

NOTE: Enrollments include duplicated counts because they refer to the number of registrations. Percentages are based on the total number of 

enrollments in that row. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
10 

Table 6. Percent of all 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions 

offering any college-level credit-granting distance education courses, and percent that 

had college-level degree or certificate programs designed to be completed totally through 

distance education, by program level, institutional type, and institution size: 2006–07 

Program to be completed through distance education 

Offered any college-level Program type 

degree or certificate 

programs Degree programs Certificate programs 

Institutional type and 

size 

Offered any 

college-level 

creditgranting 

online, 

hybrid/ 

blended 

online, or 

other 

distance 

education 

courses 1

All 

institutions1

Institutions 

with 

college-level 

creditgranting 

distance 

education2

Degree 

programs at 

either level1

Undergraduate 

degree 

programs3

Graduate/ 

firstprofessional 

degree 

programs4

Certificate 

programs at 

either level1 

Undergraduate 

certificate 

programs3

Graduate/ 

firstprofessional 

certificate 

programs4

 

 All institutions........ 65 32 49 29 25 31 17 13 18

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ............ 97 45 46 39 39 † 28 28 †

 Private for-profit 

 2-year.................. 16 7 ‡ 7 7 † ‡ ‡ †

 Public 4-year ............ 88 58 66 54 40 52 35 19 31

 Private not-for- 

 profit 4-year........ 53 24 45 21 16 21 13 7 12

 Private for-profit 

 4-year.................. 70 27 38 27 27 ‡ 1 ‡ ‡

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000......... 51 19 38 17 16 16 9 7 8

 3,000 to 9,999........... 91 49 54 46 39 40 27 21 20

 10,000 or more ......... 96 67 70 63 47 70 47 30 47

† Not applicable. Two-year institutions do not offer graduate degrees, although they sometimes offer individual graduate courses. 

‡ Reporting standards not met. 

1

Based on the estimated 4,160 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the nation. 2

Based on the estimated 2,720 institutions that offered any college-level credit-granting distance education courses in 2006–07. 3

Based on the estimated 3,890 institutions that had undergraduate programs in 2006–07. 4

Based on the estimated 1,810 institutions that had graduate or first-professional programs in 2006–07. 

NOTE: Data for private not-for-profit 2-year institutions are not reported in a separate category because too few private not-for-profit 2-year 

institutions in the sample offered distance education courses in 2006–07 to make reliable estimates. Data for these private 2-year institutions are 

included in the totals and in analyses by other institutional characteristics. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
11 

Table 7. Total number of college-level degree or certificate programs designed to be completed 

totally through distance education at 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions, and percent of total distance education programs, 

by program type, program level, institutional type, and institution size: 2006–07 

Percent of total distance education programs 

Degree programs Certificate programs 

Institutional type and size 

Total 

number of 

programs 

designed to 

be completed 

entirely 

through 

distance 

education 

Degree 

programs at 

either level

Undergraduate 

degree 

programs

Graduate/ 

firstprofessional 

degree 

programs

Certificate 

programs at 

either level

Undergraduate 

certificate 

programs

Graduate/ 

firstprofessional 

certificate 

programs

 

 All institutions......................... 11,240 66 41 25 34 22 12

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ............................. 3,590 50 49 † 50 50 †

 Private not-for-profit 2-year...... 70 100 100 † # # †

 Private for-profit 2-year ............ 90 65! 65 † 35! 35 †

 Public 4-year ............................. 3,550 69 29 40 31 10 21

 Private not-for-profit 4-year...... 3,230 72 38 34 28 8 20

 Private for-profit 4-year ............ 710 99 64 35 1! # 1

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000.......................... 2,960 71 52 20 29 23 6

 3,000 to 9,999............................ 4,080 64 44 19 36 25 11

 10,000 or more .......................... 4,210 64 30 34 35 18 19

† Not applicable. Two-year institutions do not offer graduate degree or certificate programs, although they sometimes offer individual graduate 

courses. 

# Rounds to zero. 

! Interpret data with caution; the coefficient of variation is greater than 50 percent. 

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding or because too few cases were reported for a reliable estimate for private 2-year 

institutions. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
12 

Table 8. Percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions offering 

any academic distance education courses for elementary or secondary students, 

by course type, institutional type, and institution size: 2006–07 

Offered any academic distance education 

courses for elementary/secondary students 

Type of distance education course 

for elementary/secondary students1

Institutional type and size 

All 

institutions2

Institutions with 

any college-level 

credit-granting 

distance education3

Advanced 

Placement or 

International 

Baccalaureate 

courses 

Other academic 

high school 

courses 

Academic courses 

for elementary or 

middle school 

students 

 

 All institutions......................... 12 19 38 65 3

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ............................. 29 30 35 73 2

 Public 4-year ............................. 19 22 41 66 5

 Private not-for-profit 4-year...... 4 8 ‡ ‡ ‡

 Private for-profit 4-year ............ 4 6 # # #

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000.......................... 8 16 38 57 ‡

 3,000 to 9,999............................ 19 21 37 72 ‡

 10,000 or more .......................... 21 22 39 71 9

# Rounds to zero. 

‡ Reporting standards not met. 

1

Based on the estimated 510 institutions that offered distance education courses for elementary or secondary students in 2006–07. 2

Based on the estimated 4,160 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the nation. 3

Based on the estimated 2,720 institutions that offered any college-level credit-granting distance education courses in 2006–07.

NOTE: Data for private 2-year institutions are not reported in a separate category because too few private 2-year institutions in the sample 

offered distance education courses in 2006–07 to make reliable estimates. Data for private 2-year institutions are included in the totals and in 

analyses by other institutional characteristics. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
13 

Table 9. Percentage distribution of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary 

institutions that offered distance education reporting frequency of requests for 

accommodations for students with disabilities in distance education courses over the last 

3 years, by institutional type and institution size: 2006–07 

Institutional type and size Never Occasionally Frequently Don’t know 

 

 All institutions ......................................................... 20 49 7 24

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year.............................................................. 17 59 8 17

 Public 4-year.............................................................. 10 57 6 27

 Private not-for-profit 4-year...................................... 30 41 2 28

 Private for-profit 4-year ............................................ 26 19 18 37

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000.......................................................... 29 41 7 23

 3,000 to 9,999............................................................ 11 58 7 24

 10,000 or more .......................................................... 8 58 9 26

NOTE: Data for private 2-year institutions are not reported in separate categories because too few private 2-year institutions in the sample 

offered distance education courses in 2006–07 to make reliable estimates. Data for private 2-year institutions are included in the totals and in 

analyses by other institutional characteristics. Percentages are based on the estimated 2,720 institutions that offered any college-level creditgranting distance education courses in 2006–07. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
14 

Table 10. Percentage distribution of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary 

institutions offering any distance education courses reporting use of various 

technologies or media for instruction in college-level credit-granting distance education 

courses: 2006–07 

Extent to which institution used technology/medium 

for instructional delivery of college-level creditgranting distance education courses 

Technology or medium for instructional delivery 

Large 

extent 

Moderate 

extent

Small 

extent

Not 

at all

 

Asynchronous Internet-based technologies1......................................................................... 75 17 6 2

Synchronous Internet-based technologies1 ........................................................................... 12 19 44 25

Two-way interactive video (i.e., two-way video with two-way audio)................................ 8 15 26 51

One-way prerecorded video (including prerecorded videos provided to students, and 

 television broadcast and cable transmission using prerecorded videos) ........................ 5 14 35 46

One-way video with two-way audio (e.g., interactive television)........................................ 1 5 17 77

One-way audio transmission (e.g., podcasting, radio broadcasts, and prerecorded 

 audiotapes provided to students)..................................................................................... 3 9 39 49

Correspondence only (print-based documents exchanged via postal delivery or email)..... 8 8 14 69

Correspondence combined with the use of distance education technology such as CD-ROM 4 10 20 65

Other technologies................................................................................................................. 2 2 2 93 1

Synchronous Internet-based technologies refer to simultaneous or “real-time” computer-based instruction, while asynchronous Internet-based 

technologies are used for courses that are not based on simultaneous computer-based instruction. 

NOTE: Percentages are based on estimated 2,720 institutions that offered any college-level credit-granting distance education courses in 

2006–07. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
15 

Table 11. Percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions 

offering any distance education courses reporting that they used various technologies or 

mediums to a moderate or large extent for instructional delivery of college-level creditgranting distance education courses, by institutional type and institution size: 2006–07 

Technology or medium used to a moderate or large extent 

Institutional type and size 

Asynchronous 

Internetbased 

technologies1

Synchronous 

Internetbased 

technologies1

Two-way 

interactive 

video2

One-way 

prerecorded 

video3

One-way 

video with 

two-way 

audio4

One-way 

audio 

transmission5

Correspondence 

only6

Correspondence 

combined 

with technology7

Other 

technologies 

 

 All institutions........................ 92 31 23 19 6 12 16 14 4

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ............................ 93 28 30 21 8 10 9 11 4

 Public 4-year ............................ 90 42 37 19 7 12 11 8 2

 Private not-for-profit 4-year..... 90 32 13 19 3 15 17 18 9

 Private for-profit 4-year ........... 95 13 ‡ 11 ‡ 8 52 20 #

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000......................... 89 28 20 12 5 10 22 17 6

 3,000 to 9,999........................... 94 33 24 23 5 14 11 12 3

 10,000 or more ......................... 95 37 26 31 9 14 12 11 3

# Rounds to zero. 

‡ Reporting standards not met. 

1

Synchronous Internet-based technologies refer to simultaneous or “real-time” computer-based instruction, while asynchronous Internet-based 

technologies are used for courses that are not based on simultaneous computer-based instruction. 2

The wording in the questionnaire was “Two-way video with two-way audio (i.e., two-way interactive video).” 3

The wording in the questionnaire was “One-way prerecorded video (including prerecorded videos provided to students, and television broadcast 

and cable transmission using prerecorded videos).” 

4

The wording in the questionnaire was “One-way video with two-way audio (e.g., interactive television).” 5

The wording in the questionnaire was “One-way audio transmission (e.g., podcasting, radio broadcasts, and prerecorded audiotapes provided to 

students).” 

6

The wording in the questionnaire was “Correspondence only (print-based documents exchanged via postal delivery or email).” 7

The wording in the questionnaire was “Correspondence combined with the use of distance education technology such as CD-ROM.” 

NOTE: Data for private 2-year institutions are not reported in a separate category because too few private 2-year institutions in the sample 

offered distance education courses in 2006–07 to make reliable estimates. Data for private 2-year institutions are included in the totals and in 

analyses by other institutional characteristics. Percentages are based on estimated 2,720 institutions that offered any college-level credit-granting 

distance education courses in 2006–07. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
16 

Table 12. Percentage distribution of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary 

institutions offering any distance education courses reporting the extent to which 

various factors affected decisions regarding distance education offerings: 2006–07 

Extent to which factor affected decisions regarding 

distance education offerings 

Factor 

Major 

extent 

Moderate 

extent

Small 

extent

Not 

at all

Seeking to increase student enrollment................................................................................ 45 37 13 4

Making more courses available............................................................................................ 46 40 10 4

Making more degree programs available............................................................................. 28 27 24 21

Making more certificate programs available ....................................................................... 13 21 28 37

Meeting student demand for flexible schedules .................................................................. 68 24 7 1

Providing access to college for students who otherwise would not have access 

 (e.g., because of geographic, family, or work-related reasons)..................................... 67 22 8 3

Responding to the needs of employers/business ................................................................. 26 36 28 10

Maximizing the use of existing college facilities ................................................................ 24 39 25 12

Meeting student demand for reduced seat time ................................................................... 16 30 31 22

Other factors......................................................................................................................... 4 2 1 93

NOTE: Percentages are based on estimated 2,720 institutions that offered any college-level credit-granting distance education courses in 

2006–07. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
17 

Table 13. Percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions 

offering any distance education courses reporting that various factors affected decisions 

regarding distance education offerings to a moderate or major extent, by institutional 

type and institution size: 2006–07 

Factor affecting institutions’ decisions to a moderate or major extent 

Institutional type 

and size 

Seeking 

to 

increase 

student 

enrollment

Making 

more 

courses 

available 

Making 

more 

degree 

programs 

available 

Making 

more 

certificate 

programs 

available 

Meeting 

student 

demand 

for 

flexible 

schedules 

Providing 

access to 

college 

Responding to the 

needs of 

employers/ 

business

Maximiz

-ing the 

use of 

existing 

college 

facilities

Meeting 

student 

demand 

for 

reduced 

seat time 

Other 

factors

 

 All institutions........................ 82 86 55 34 92 89 62 63 47 6

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ............................ 89 92 56 49 98 97 65 71 56 5

 Public 4-year ............................ 78 84 64 38 89 85 62 56 39 8

 Private not-for-profit 4-year..... 81 77 46 24 85 85 52 47 31 7

 Private for-profit 4-year ........... 76 91 63 4 95 79 74 83 72 ‡

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000......................... 80 85 48 25 92 86 60 61 44 6

 3,000 to 9,999........................... 87 87 59 40 93 91 63 64 51 4

 10,000 or more ......................... 82 86 67 51 92 93 66 64 46 9

‡ Reporting standards not met. 

NOTE: Percentages are based on estimated 2,720 institutions that offered any college-level credit-granting distance education courses in 

2006–07. Data for private 2-year institutions are not reported in a separate category because too few private 2-year institutions in the sample 

offered distance education courses in 2006–07 to make reliable estimates. Data for private 2-year institutions are included in the totals and in 

analyses by other institutional characteristics. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
18 

Table 14. Percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions 

indicating means for acquiring or developing distance education courses, by credit/ 

noncredit courses, institutional type, and institution size: 2006–07 

Ways in which credit-granting distance education 

courses were acquired or developed 1

Ways in which noncredit-granting distance education 

courses were acquired or developed2

Institutional type 

and size 

Developed 

 by 

institution

Developed 

with other 

postsecondary 

institutions 

Acquired 

from 

another 

postsecondary 

institution 

Acquired 

from a 

commercial 

vendor 

Acquired 

in other 

ways 

Developed 

by 

institution

Developed 

with other 

postsecondary 

institutions 

Acquired 

from 

another 

postsecondary 

institution 

Acquired 

from a 

commercial 

vendor 

Acquired 

in other 

ways 

 

 All institutions.... 94 26 13 25 2 64 12 7 62 1

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ........ 99 32 18 42 1 52 12 7 79 ‡

 Public 4-year ........ 97 32 10 21 ‡ 76 18 10 52 2

 Private not-for- 

 profit 4-year.... 96 12 8 12 1 92 ‡ ‡ 18 #

 Private for-profit 

 4-year.............. 72 25 10 12 ‡ ‡ # # ‡ #

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000..... 89 24 16 19 4 59 9 6 53 ‡

 3,000 to 9,999....... 99 29 12 31 2 62 13 6 68 ‡

 10,000 or more ..... 98 25 10 32 1 75 14 9 63 1

# Rounds to zero. 

‡ Reporting standards not met. 

1

Percentages are based on the estimated 2,720 institutions that offered any college-level credit-granting distance education courses in 2006–07. 2

Percentages are based on the estimated 970 institutions that offered any noncredit distance education courses in 2006–07. 

NOTE: Institutions could report more than one means of acquiring or developing their credit-granting and noncredit distance education courses. 

Data for private 2-year institutions are not reported in a separate category because too few private 2-year institutions in the sample offered 

distance education courses in 2006–07 to make reliable estimates. Data for private 2-year institutions are included in the totals and in analyses by 

other institutional characteristics. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
19 

References 

Chowdhury, S., Chu, A., and Kaufman, S. (2000). Minimizing overlap in NCES surveys. Proceedings of 

the Survey Methods Research Section. American Statistical Association, 174-179. 

Knapp, L.G., Kelly, J.E., Whitmore, R.W., Wu, S., Gallego, L.M., and Grau, E. (2001). Postsecondary 

Institutions in the United States: Fall 2000 and Degrees and Other Awards Conferred: 1999–2000

(NCES 2002–156). National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. 

Washington, DC. 

Lewis, L., Alexander, D., and Farris, E. (1997). Distance Education in Higher Education Institutions

(NCES 97–062). National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. 

Washington, DC. 

Lewis, L., Snow, K., Farris, E., and Levin, D. (1999). Distance Education at Postsecondary Education 

Institutions: 1997–98 (NCES 2000–013). National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. 

Department of Education. Washington, DC. 

Lewis, L., and Waits, T. (2003). Distance Education at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Education 

Institutions: 2000–2001 (NCES 2003–017). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of 

Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC. 
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A-1 

Appendix A 

Standard Error Tables 
This page intentionally left blank. 
A-3 

Table 1a. Standard errors for the total number of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions, and percent that offered distance education courses, 

by course type, institutional type, and institution size: 2006–07 

Percent offered college-level credit-granting online, 

hybrid/blended online, or other distance education courses 

Institutional type and size 

Total 

number of 

institutions 

Percent offered 

any online, 

hybrid/blended 

online, or other 

distance 

education 

courses 

Courses at 

either level 

Undergraduate 

courses 

Graduate/ 

first-professional 

courses 

Percent 

offered 

noncredit 

distance 

education

 courses

 

 All institutions....................... 24.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.8 0.7

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ........................... 11.7 1.1 1.1 1.1 † 1.5

 Private for-profit 2-year .......... 17.6 4.4 3.4 3.4 † †

 Public 4-year ........................... 9.4 1.7 1.7 1.6 2.3 2.0

 Private not-for-profit 4-year.... 13.9 2.3 2.3 3.1 2.5 1.2

 Private for-profit 4-year .......... 18.2 8.1 8.1 8.1 † 1.4

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000........................ 33.0 1.9 2.0 2.3 2.9 1.1

 3,000 to 9,999.......................... 16.2 1.1 1.1 1.2 2.4 1.2

 10,000 or more ........................ 2.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.3

†Not applicable. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
A-4 

Table 2a. Standard errors for the percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions offering online, hybrid/blended online, and other types of 

college-level credit-granting distance education courses, by course type, institutional 

type, and institution size: 2006–07 

Online courses Hybrid/blended online courses Other distance education courses 

Institutional type and size 

Courses 

at either 

level 

Undergraduate 

courses 

Graduate/ 

first-professional 

courses 

Courses 

at either 

level 

Undergraduate 

courses 

Graduate/ 

first-professional 

courses 

Courses 

at either 

level 

Undergraduate 

courses 

Graduate/ 

first-professional 

courses 

 

 All institutions........................... 1.4 1.5 1.7 0.9 1.1 1.4 1.0 0.9 1.3

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ............................... 1.2 1.2 † 2.1 2.1 † 2.1 2.1 †

 Private for-profit 2-year .............. 3.3 3.3 † 2.2 2.2 † † † †

 Public 4-year ............................... 1.9 1.6 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.1 1.9 1.6 2.1

 Private not-for-profit 4-year........ 2.2 2.9 2.4 1.9 2.4 1.8 1.4 1.5 1.4

 Private for-profit 4-year .............. 9.0 9.0 † 4.5 4.5 † 4.8 4.9 †

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000............................ 2.1 2.3 2.8 1.3 1.7 2.0 1.4 1.3 1.8

 3,000 to 9,999.............................. 1.3 1.3 2.6 1.8 1.7 2.7 1.7 1.6 2.6

 10,000 or more ............................ 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2

†Not applicable. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
A-5 

Table 3a. Standard errors for the percentage distribution of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degreegranting postsecondary institutions offering distance education that reported the 

minimum amount of online instruction or other criteria required to formally designate 

courses as online, by institutional type and institution size: 2006–07 

Minimum percent of online instruction used to 

designate courses as online

Institutional type and size 100 percent 

80 to 

99 percent 

50 to 

79 percent 

25 to 

49 percent 

Some other 

criterion is used 

to designate 

online courses 

No standard 

criterion is used 

to designate 

online courses

 

 All institutions...................................... 1.4 1.0 0.5 0.7 0.5 1.2

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year .......................................... 1.9 1.3 0.9 1.0 0.6 0.7

 Public 4-year .......................................... 2.4 1.4 1.1 0.8 0.8 1.7

 Private not-for-profit 4-year................... 2.9 2.0 1.4 1.2 0.9 1.1

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000....................................... 2.7 1.9 0.9 1.2 1.0 2.4

 3,000 to 9,999......................................... 1.8 1.4 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.7

 10,000 or more ....................................... 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
A-6 

Table 4a. Standard errors for the total number of enrollments in college-level credit-granting 

distance education courses at 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary 

institutions, by course type, institutional type, and institution size: 2006–07 

Enrollments in college-level creditgranting online, hybrid/blended 

online, or other distance education 

courses at the: 

Institutional type and size 

Total number of 

institutions that 

offered any college-level 

credit-granting online, 

hybrid/blended online, or other 

distance education courses 

Total number of 

enrollments in 

college-level 

credit-granting online, 

hybrid/blended online, 

or other distance 

education courses

Undergraduate 

level 

Graduate/firstprofessional 

level 

 

 All institutions.................................. 57.2 335,674.0 280,152.1 149,984.1

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ...................................... 14.4 80,716.8 80,708.1 1,991.2

 Private not-for-profit 2-year............... 13.5 6,391.4 6,391.4 † 

 Private for-profit 2-year ..................... 16.9 40,644.2 40,644.2 † 

 Public 4-year ...................................... 12.2 97,974.4 71,817.5 38,002.3

 Private not-for-profit 4-year............... 34.6 121,601.7 91,774.4 58,831.7

 Private for-profit 4-year ..................... 29.7 297,571.7 234,444.1 148,087.6

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000................................... 55.3 309,421.5 247,431.8 149,634.6

 3,000 to 9,999..................................... 13.8 182,881.6 151,738.5 47,015.5

 10,000 or more ................................... 2.3 23,084.3 20,796.9 4,873.5

†Not applicable. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
A-7 

Table 5a. Standard errors for the total enrollments in online, hybrid/blended online, and other 

types of college-level credit-granting distance education courses at 2-year and 4-year 

Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions, and percent of total distance 

education enrollments, by course level, institutional type, and institution size: 2006–07 

Percent of total distance education enrollments 

Online enrollments Hybrid/blended online enrollments 

Other distance education 

enrollments 

Institutional type 

and size 

Total 

enrollments in 

college-level 

credit-granting 

online, 

hybrid/blended 

online, or other 

distance 

education 

courses 

Courses 

at either 

level 

Undergraduate 

courses 

Graduate/ 

first-professional 

courses 

Courses 

at either 

level 

Undergraduate 

courses 

Graduate/ 

first-professional 

courses 

Courses 

at either 

level 

Undergraduate 

courses 

Graduate/ 

first-professional 

courses 

 

 All institutions.... 335,674.0 1.0 1.1 0.4 0.8 0.5 0.8 0.5 .04 0.2

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ........ 80,716.8 0.6 0.6 † 0.3 0.2 † 0.5 0.5 †

 Private not-for- 

 profit 2-year.... 6,391.4 0.9 0.9 † † † † † † †

 Private for-profit 

 2-year.............. 40,644.2 1.6 1.6 † 1.6 1.6 † † † †

 Public 4-year ........ 97,974.4 0.9 0.8 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.2 0.6 0.5 0.3

 Private not-for- 

 profit 4-year.... 121,601.7 2.8 2.8 1.9 2.2 1.9 0.9 1.9 1.1 1.4

 Private for-profit 

 4-year.............. 297,571.7 5.3 7.6 3.5 5.3 1.6 5.1 0.5 0.3 0.2

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000..... 309,421.5 5.4 6.7 2.5 4.8 2.7 4.3 1.9 1.4 0.8

 3,000 to 9,999....... 182,881.6 1.6 1.4 0.6 0.9 0.7 0.2 1.1 0.8 0.6

 10,000 or more ..... 23,084.3 1.0 1.1 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

†Not applicable. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
A-8 

Table 6a. Standard errors for the percent of all 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions offering any college-level credit-granting distance education 

courses, and percent that had college-level degree or certificate programs designed to 

be completed totally through distance education, by program level, institutional type, 

and institution size: 2006–07 

Program to be completed through distance education 

Offered any college-level Program type 

degree or certificate 

programs Degree programs Certificate programs 

Institutional type and 

size 

Offered any 

college-level 

creditgranting 

online, 

hybrid/ 

blended 

online, or 

other 

distance 

education 

courses 

All 

institutions 

Institutions 

with 

college-level 

creditgranting 

distance 

education

Degree 

programs at 

either level1

Undergraduate 

degree 

programs

Graduate/ 

firstprofessional 

degree 

programs

Certificate 

programs at 

either level

Undergraduate 

certificate 

programs

Graduate/ 

firstprofessional 

certificate 

programs

 

 All institutions...... 1.4 1.1 1.8 1.2 1.3 1.4 0.7 0.6 1.3

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year .......... 1.1 1.9 2.0 1.7 1.7 † 1.6 1.6 †

 Private for-profit 

 2-year................ 3.4 2.9 † 2.9 2.9 † † † †

 Public 4-year .......... 1.7 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.3 2.3 2.0 1.5 2.2

 Private not-for- 

 profit 4-year...... 2.3 1.6 3.1 1.6 1.9 1.7 1.6 1.3 1.8

 Private for-profit 

 4-year................ 8.1 9.7 12.4 9.7 9.7 † 0.4 † †

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000....... 2.0 1.6 3.3 1.8 2.0 2.4 1.0 0.8 2.0

 3,000 to 9,999......... 1.1 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.7 2.7 1.5 1.3 1.8

 10,000 or more ....... 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3

†Not applicable. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
A-9 

Table 7a. Standard errors for the total number of college-level degree or certificate programs 

designed to be completed totally through distance education at 2-year and 4-year Title 

IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions, and percent of total distance education 

programs, by program type, program level, institutional type, and institution size: 

2006–07 

Percent of total distance education programs 

Degree programs Certificate programs 

Institutional type and size 

Total 

number of 

programs 

designed to 

be completed 

entirely 

through 

distance 

education 

Degree 

programs at 

either level

Undergraduate 

degree 

programs

Graduate/ 

firstprofessional 

degree 

programs

Certificate 

programs at 

either level

Undergraduate 

certificate 

programs

Graduate/ 

firstprofessional 

certificate 

programs

 

 All institutions......................... 501.9 1.6 1.7 1.1 1.6 1.5 0.8

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ............................. 226.3 2.6 2.6 † 2.6 2.6 †

 Private not-for-profit 2-year...... 62.8 † † † † † †

 Private for-profit 2-year ............ 51.8 33.9 33.9 † 33.9 33.9 †

 Public 4-year ............................. 158.7 0.8 1.5 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.7

 Private not-for-profit 4-year...... 353.7 2.7 4.0 2.6 2.7 1.7 2.3

 Private for-profit 4-year ............ 260.7 0.6 6.1 6.4 0.6 † 0.4

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000.......................... 398.8 5.2 5.0 2.9 5.2 5.1 1.5

 3,000 to 9,999............................ 347.9 2.4 2.3 2.1 2.4 2.4 2.0

 10,000 or more .......................... 31.1 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1

†Not applicable. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
A-10 

Table 8a. Standard errors for the percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions offering any academic distance education courses for 

elementary or secondary students, by course type, institutional type, and institution 

size: 2006–07 

Offered any academic distance education 

courses for elementary/secondary students 

Type of distance education course 

for elementary/secondary students 

Institutional type and size 

All 

institutions

Institutions with 

any college-level 

credit-granting 

distance education 

Advanced 

Placement or 

International 

Baccalaureate 

courses 

Other academic 

high school 

courses 

Academic courses 

for elementary or 

middle school 

students 

 

 All institutions......................... 0.8 1.1 2.6 2.7 0.7

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ............................. 2.0 2.0 3.9 3.7 0.6

 Public 4-year ............................. 1.5 1.7 4.4 4.3 0.3

 Private not-for-profit 4-year...... 1.1 2.0 † † †

 Private for-profit 4-year ............ 2.3 3.3 † † †

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000.......................... 1.1 2.0 5.2 5.5 †

 3,000 to 9,999............................ 1.3 1.4 4.0 3.7 †

 10,000 or more .......................... 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

†Not applicable. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
A-11 

Table 9a. Standard errors for the percentage distribution of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degreegranting postsecondary institutions that offered distance education reporting frequency 

of requests for accommodations for students with disabilities in distance education 

courses over the last 3 years, by institutional type and institution size: 2006–07 

Institutional type and size Never Occasionally Frequently Don’t know 

 

 All institutions......................................................... 1.1 1.3 0.9 1.5 

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year.............................................................. 1.9 1.8 0.7 1.6 

 Public 4-year.............................................................. 1.6 2.3 0.9 2.1 

 Private not-for-profit 4-year...................................... 3.3 3.4 0.5 3.5 

 Private for-profit 4-year ............................................ 6.0 5.9 9.5 7.6 

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000.......................................................... 2.4 2.4 1.8 2.7 

 3,000 to 9,999............................................................ 1.0 1.6 0.7 1.6 

 10,000 or more .......................................................... 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.2 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
A-12 

Table 10a. Standard errors for the percentage distribution of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degreegranting postsecondary institutions offering any distance education courses reporting 

use of various technologies or media for instruction in college-level credit-granting 

distance education courses: 2006–07 

Extent to which institution used technology/medium 

for instructional delivery of college-level creditgranting distance education courses 

Technology or medium for instructional delivery 

Large 

extent 

Moderate 

extent

Small 

extent

Not 

at all

 

Asynchronous Internet-based technologies .......................................................................... 1.4 1.4 0.7 0.4

Synchronous Internet-based technologies............................................................................. 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.7

Two-way interactive video (i.e., two-way video with two-way audio)................................ 0.7 1.0 1.3 1.5

One-way prerecorded video (including prerecorded videos provided to students, and 

 television broadcast and cable transmission using prerecorded videos) ........................ 0.5 1.0 1.5 1.9

One-way video with two-way audio (e.g., interactive television)........................................ 0.2 0.6 1.0 1.1

One-way audio transmission (e.g., podcasting, radio broadcasts, and prerecorded 

 audiotapes provided to students)..................................................................................... 0.5 0.9 1.5 1.4

Correspondence only (print-based documents exchanged via postal delivery or email)..... 1.4 0.9 1.2 1.4

Correspondence combined with the use of distance education technology such as 

 CD-ROM......................................................................................................................... 0.7 1.0 1.3 1.5

Other technologies................................................................................................................. 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.8

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
A-13 

Table 11a. Standard errors for the percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions offering any distance education courses reporting that they 

used various technologies or mediums to a moderate or large extent for instructional 

delivery of college-level credit-granting distance education courses, by institutional 

type and institution size: 2006–07 

Technology or medium used to a moderate or large extent 

Institutional type and size 

Asynchronous 

Internetbased 

technologies 

Synchronous 

Internetbased 

technologies 

Two-way 

interactive 

video 

One-way 

prerecorded 

video 

One-way 

video with 

two-way 

audio 

One-way 

audio 

transmission 

Correspondence 

only 

Correspondence 

combined 

with technology 

Other 

technologies 

 

 All institutions........................ 0.8 1.6 1.1 1.1 0.6 0.9 1.1 1.3 0.6 

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ............................ 1.4 1.8 1.9 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.2 0.9 0.9 

 Public 4-year ............................ 1.5 2.1 2.4 1.3 1.0 1.4 1.5 0.9 0.6 

 Private not-for-profit 4-year..... 1.8 3.7 2.1 2.6 0.9 2.2 2.4 2.9 2.0 

 Private for-profit 4-year ........... 3.0 4.2 † 4.2 † 3.9 5.6 9.2 † 

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000......................... 1.5 3.0 2.1 1.8 1.1 1.5 2.2 2.4 1.2 

 3,000 to 9,999........................... 0.9 1.6 1.3 1.4 1.1 1.6 1.1 1.3 0.5 

 10,000 or more ......................... 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 

†Not applicable. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
A-14 

Table 12a. Standard errors for the percentage distribution of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degreegranting postsecondary institutions offering any distance education courses reporting 

the extent to which various factors affected decisions regarding distance education 

offerings: 2006–07 

Extent to which factor affected decisions regarding 

distance education offerings 

Factor 

Major 

extent 

Moderate 

extent

Small 

extent

Not 

at all

Seeking to increase student enrollment................................................................................ 1.8 1.7 1.0 0.6

Making more courses available............................................................................................ 1.5 1.6 0.9 0.7

Making more degree programs available............................................................................. 1.4 1.5 1.7 1.3

Making more certificate programs available ....................................................................... 0.8 1.2 1.2 1.5

Meeting student demand for flexible schedules .................................................................. 1.7 1.6 0.9 0.5

Providing access to college for students who otherwise would not have access 

 (e.g., because of geographic, family, or work-related reasons)..................................... 1.5 1.6 1.0 0.5

Responding to the needs of employers/business ................................................................. 1.3 1.7 1.1 0.9

Maximizing the use of existing college facilities ................................................................ 1.4 1.8 1.5 1.1

Meeting student demand for reduced seat time ................................................................... 1.3 1.7 1.3 1.3

Other factors......................................................................................................................... 0.6 0.4 0.1 0.6

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
A-15 

Table 13a. Standard errors for the percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions offering any distance education courses reporting that 

various factors affected decisions regarding distance education offerings to a moderate 

or major extent, by institutional type and institution size: 2006–07 

Factor affecting institutions’ decisions to a moderate or major extent 

Institutional type 

and size 

Seeking 

to 

increase 

student 

enrollment

Making 

more 

courses 

available 

Making 

more 

degree 

programs 

available 

Making 

more 

certificate 

programs 

available 

Meeting 

student 

demand 

for 

flexible 

schedules 

Providing 

access to 

college 

Responding to the 

needs of 

employers/ 

business

Maximiz

-ing the 

use of 

existing 

college 

facilities

Meeting 

student 

demand 

for 

reduced 

seat time

Other 

factors

 

 All institutions........................ 1.2 1.2 1.7 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.5 1.4 1.7 0.6 

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ............................ 1.2 1.1 2.1 2.0 0.3 0.5 1.8 1.9 2.4 0.7 

 Public 4-year ............................ 2.1 1.8 2.4 2.0 1.2 1.8 2.2 2.3 2.0 1.6 

 Private not-for-profit 4-year..... 2.4 2.6 3.1 2.2 2.6 2.4 3.1 3.3 2.5 2.0 

 Private for-profit 4-year ........... 11.1 4.4 11.2 2.6 3.4 10.9 8.9 8.5 8.0 † 

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000......................... 2.1 2.0 3.0 2.3 1.8 2.1 2.7 2.5 3.2 1.2 

 3,000 to 9,999........................... 1.2 1.4 1.8 1.5 1.1 0.9 1.9 1.7 1.9 0.9 

 10,000 or more ......................... 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.3 

†Not applicable. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
A-16 

Table 14a. Standard errors for the percent of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting 

postsecondary institutions indicating means for acquiring or developing distance 

education courses, by credit/noncredit courses, institutional type, and institution size: 

2006–07 

Ways in which credit-granting distance education 

courses were acquired or developed 

Ways in which noncredit-granting distance education 

courses were acquired or developed 

Institutional type 

and size 

Developed 

by 

institution

Developed 

with other 

postsecondary 

institutions 

Acquired 

from 

another 

postsecondary 

institution 

Acquired 

from a 

commercial 

vendor 

Acquired 

in other 

ways 

Developed 

by 

institution

Developed 

with other 

postsecondary 

institutions 

Acquired 

from 

another 

postsecondary 

institution 

Acquired 

from a 

commercial 

vendor 

Acquired 

in other 

ways 

 

 All institutions..... 1.1 1.5 1.0 1.1 0.8 1.6 1.1 0.9 1.6 0.3 

 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year ......... 0.4 1.9 1.8 1.8 0.3 2.1 1.6 1.1 1.7 † 

 Public 4-year ......... 0.8 2.0 1.2 1.9 † 2.5 1.9 2.5 3.1 1.1 

 Private not-for- 

 profit 4-year..... 2.0 2.3 2.6 2.1 0.7 2.4 † † 4.3 † 

 Private for-profit 

 4-year............... 11.3 10.5 4.0 7.0 † † † † † † 

 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000...... 2.0 2.9 1.8 1.9 1.6 4.7 2.5 2.7 4.2 † 

 3,000 to 9,999........ 0.3 1.1 1.0 1.8 0.3 1.6 1.8 1.0 2.1 † 

 10,000 or more ...... 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 

†Not applicable. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
B-1 

Appendix B 

Technical Notes 
This page intentionally left blank. 
B-3 

Technical Notes 

Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

The Postsecondary Education Quick Information System (PEQIS) was established in 1991 by the 

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education (ED). PEQIS is 

designed to conduct brief surveys of postsecondary institutions or state higher education agencies on 

postsecondary education topics of national importance. Surveys are generally limited to 3 pages of 

questions, with a response burden of 30 to 45 minutes per respondent. Most PEQIS institutional surveys 

use a previously recruited, nationally representative panel of institutions. The PEQIS panel was originally 

selected and recruited in 1991–92. In 1996, 2002, and 2006, the PEQIS panel was reselected to reflect 

changes in the postsecondary education universe that had occurred since the original panel was selected. 

A modified Keyfitz approach was used to maximize overlap between the panels for each reselection. 

This approach resulted in about 80 percent of the institutions overlapping for each reselection of the panel 

(Chowdhury, Chu, and Kaufman 2000). 

The sampling frame for the 2006 PEQIS panel was constructed from the 2005 Integrated 

Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Institutional Characteristics file. Institutions eligible for 

the 2006 PEQIS frame included 2-year and 4-year (including graduate-level) institutions that are both 

Title IV eligible and degree granting, and are located in the 50 states and the District of Columbia: a total 

of 4,265 institutions. The 2006 PEQIS sampling frame was stratified by instructional level (4-year, 

2-year), control (public, private not-for-profit, private for-profit), highest level of offering (doctor’s/firstprofessional, master’s, bachelor’s, less than bachelor’s), and total enrollment. Within each of the strata, 

institutions were sorted by region (Northeast, Southeast, Central, West) and by whether the institution had 

a relatively high minority enrollment. The sample of 1,627 institutions was allocated to the strata in 

proportion to the aggregate square root of total enrollment. Institutions within a stratum were sampled 

with equal probabilities of selection. Panel recruitment was conducted with the 339 institutions that were 

selected for the 2006 panel that were not part of the 2002 panel. 

Each institution in the PEQIS panel was asked to identify a campus representative to serve as 

survey coordinator. The campus representative facilitated data collection by identifying the appropriate 

respondent for each survey and forwarding the questionnaire to that person. Data were weighted to 

produce national estimates, and the sample size allowed for limited breakouts by classification variables. 

However, as the number of categories within the classification variables increased, the sample size within 

categories decreased, which resulted in larger sampling errors for the breakouts by classification 

variables. 

Sample Selection and Response Rates 

The sample for the distance education survey consisted of all of the institutions in the 2006 PEQIS 

panel. Questionnaires (see appendix C) were mailed to the PEQIS coordinators at the 1,627 institutions in 

fall 2007. Coordinators were told that the survey was designed to be completed by the person at the 

institution most knowledgeable about the institution’s distance education programs. In addition, data 

were collected from one 4-year private for-profit institution that was added to the sample for this survey 

only because it is the largest provider of online distance education courses in the nation, bringing the total 

sample size for this survey to 1,628 institutions. Respondents had the option of completing the survey 

online. Telephone follow-up of nonrespondents was initiated 3 weeks after mailout; data collection and 

clarification were completed in March 2008. During data collection, 18 institutions were determined to 
B-4 

be ineligible for the PEQIS distance education survey. These were mostly branch campuses of 

institutions for which distance education data were reported through a main campus. For the eligible 

institutions, an unweighted response rate of 90 percent (1,448 responding institutions divided by the 1,610 

eligible institutions in the sample for this survey) was obtained. The weighted response rate for this 

survey was 87 percent. Of the institutions that completed the survey, 72 percent completed it online, 20 

percent completed it by mail, 5 percent completed it by fax, and 4 percent completed it by telephone. The 

weighted number of eligible institutions in the survey represents the estimated universe of eligible 

postsecondary institutions in the 50 states and the District of Columbia (see table B-1). 

Table B-1. Number and percent of Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions in study, 

and estimated number and percent in the nation, for the total sample and for 

institutions that offered any distance education courses, by institutional type and 

institution size: 2006–07 

Total sample 

Offered any distance education courses 

during the 2006–07 12-month academic year 

Responding 

institutions 

(unweighted) 

National estimate 

(weighted) 

Responding 

institutions 

(unweighted) 

National estimate 

(weighted) 

Institutional type and size Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent 

 All institutions ........................................... 1,448 100 4,200 100 1,179 100 2,750 100 

Institutional type 

 Public 2-year................................................ 509 35 1,000 25 502 43 1,020 37 

 Private not-for-profit 2-year ........................ 15 1 100 3 5 # 30 1 

 Private for-profit 2-year............................... 65 4 500 12 12 1 90 3 

 Public 4-year................................................ 390 27 600 15 361 31 570 21 

 Private not-for-profit 4-year ........................ 419 29 1,500 36 262 22 790 29 

 Private for-profit 4-year............................... 50 3 300 8 37 3 240 9 

Size of institution 

 Less than 3,000............................................ 511 35 2,700 65 294 25 1,400 51 

 3,000 to 9,999.............................................. 487 34 900 23 449 38 870 32 

 10,000 or more............................................. 450 31 500 12 436 37 480 17 

# Rounds to zero. 

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 

Imputation for Item Nonresponse 

Data were imputed for all missing questionnaire items. These 42 items are listed in table B-2. The 

missing items included both numerical data such as counts of students in online courses, as well as 

categorical data such as the extent to which institutions used various technologies for the instructional 

delivery of distance education courses. The missing data were imputed using a “hot-deck” approach to 

obtain a “donor” institution from which the imputed values were derived. Under the hot-deck approach, a 

donor institution that matched selected characteristics of the institution with missing data (the recipient 

institution) was identified. The matching characteristics included PEQIS stratum (defined by sector, 

highest level of offering, and enrollment size) and whether the institution offered any distance education 

courses. Once a donor was found, it was used to derive the imputed values for the institution with 

missing data. For categorical items, the imputed value was simply the corresponding value from the 

donor institution. For numerical items, the imputed value was calculated by taking the donor’s response 

for that item (e.g., enrollment in online courses) and dividing that number by the total number of students 

enrolled in the donor institution. This ratio was then multiplied by the total number of students enrolled 
B-5 

in the recipient institution to provide an imputed value. All missing items for a given institution were 

imputed from the same donor whenever possible. 

Table B-2. Percent of cases with imputed data in study sample, and percent of cases with imputed 

data the sample represents, by questionnaire items: 2006–07 

Questionnaire item

Responding 

institutions 

(unweighted) 

National 

estimate 

(weighted) 

Q4btotenr Total number of students enrolled in online courses .......................................................................... 0.90 0.62 

Q4bungenenr Number of undergraduate students enrolled in online courses........................................................... 1.38 0.84 

Q4bgradenr Number of graduate students enrolled in online courses.................................................................... 1.10 0.66 

Q7btotenr Total number of students enrolled in hybrid online courses............................................................... 1.66 0.87 

Q7bungenenr Number of undergraduate students enrolled in hybrid online courses ............................................... 1.80 0.93 

Q7bgradenr Number of graduate students enrolled in hybrid online courses ........................................................ 1.45 0.70 

Q9btotenr Total number of students enrolled in other types of distance education courses ............................... 0.62 0.44 

Q9bungenenr Number of undergraduate students enrolled in other types of distance education courses................ 0.97 0.59 

Q9bgradenr Number of graduate students enrolled in other types of distance education courses......................... 0.97 0.59

Q11ungdeg Number of undergraduate degree programs completed totally through distance education.............. 0.07 0.04 

Q11ungcert Number of undergraduate certificate programs completed totally through distance education......... 0.07 0.04 

Q11gradcert Number of graduate certificate programs completed totally through distance education.................. 0.07 0.04 

12a Seeking to increase student enrollment............................................................................................... 0.35 0.14 

12b Making more courses available........................................................................................................... 0.35 0.14

12c Making more degree programs available............................................................................................ 0.35 0.14

12d Making more certificate programs available....................................................................................... 0.35 0.14

12e Meeting student demand for flexible schedules.................................................................................. 0.35 0.14

12f Providing access to college for students who otherwise would not have access ............................... 0.35 0.14

12g Responding to the needs of employers/business................................................................................. 0.35 0.14

12h Maximizing the use of existing college facilities................................................................................ 0.35 0.14

12i Meeting student demand for reduced seat time .................................................................................. 0.35 0.14

12j Other factors ........................................................................................................................................ 0.35 0.14

Q13a Asynchronous Internet-based technologies......................................................................................... 0.21 0.09 

Q13b Synchronous Internet-based technologies........................................................................................... 0.21 0.08 

Q13c Two-way interactive video (i.e., two-way video with two-way audio).............................................. 0.21 0.08 

Q13d One-way prerecorded video ................................................................................................................ 0.21 0.08 

Q13e One-way video with two-way audio ................................................................................................... 0.21 0.08 

Q13f One-way audio transmission ............................................................................................................... 0.28 0.12 

Q13g Correspondence only........................................................................................................................... 0.21 0.08 

Q13h Correspondence combined with the use of distance education technology such as CD-ROM ......... 0.28 0.18 

Q13i Other technologies............................................................................................................................... 0.14 0.06 

Q14 Received requests to provide accommodations for students with disabilities.................................... 0.14 0.05 

Q18acred Credit-granting distance education courses were developed by institution ....................................... 0.41 0.20 

Q18bacred Credit-granting distance education courses were developed in collaboration with other institution. 0.41 0.20 

Q18cacred Credit-granting distance education courses were acquired from another postsecondary institution . 0.35 0.16 

Q18dacred Credit-granting distance education courses were acquired from a commercial vendor..................... 0.41 0.19 

Q18eacred Credit-granting distance education courses were acquired in some other ways ................................ 0.35 0.16

Q18anoncred Noncredit distance education courses were developed by institution ................................................ 0.21 0.08 

Q18bnoncred Noncredit distance education courses were developed in collaboration with other institution ......... 0.21 0.08

Q18cnoncred Noncredit distance education courses were acquired from another postsecondary institution.......... 0.21 0.08

Q18dnoncred Noncredit distance education courses were acquired from a commercial vendor ............................. 0.21 0.08

Q18enoncred Noncredit distance education courses were acquired in some other ways ......................................... 0.21 0.08

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Postsecondary Education Quick Information System 

(PEQIS), “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions,” 2007. 
B-6 

Data Reliability 

While the “Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions” survey was designed to account for 

sampling error and to minimize nonsampling error, estimates produced from the data collected are subject 

to both types of error. Sampling error occurs because the data are collected from a sample rather than a 

census of the population, and nonsampling errors are errors made during the collection and processing of 

the data. 

 Sampling Errors 

The responses were weighted to produce national estimates (see table B-1). The weights were 

designed to adjust for the variable probabilities of selection and differential nonresponse. The findings in 

this report are estimates based on the sample selected and, consequently, are subject to sampling 

variability. General sampling theory was used to estimate the sampling variability of the estimates and to 

test for statistically significant differences between estimates. 

The standard error is a measure of the variability of an estimate due to sampling. It indicates the 

variability of a sample estimate that would be obtained from all possible samples of a given design and 

size. Standard errors are used as a measure of the precision expected from a particular sample. If all 

possible samples were surveyed under similar conditions, intervals of 1.96 standard errors below to 1.96 

standard errors above a particular statistic would include the true population parameter being estimated in 

about 95 percent of the samples. This is a 95 percent confidence interval. For example, the estimated 

percentage of Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions that offered any distance education 

courses is 65.9 percent and the standard error is 1.3 percent (see tables 1 and 1a). The 95 percent 

confidence interval for the statistic extends from [65.9 – (1.3 x 1.96)] to [65.9 + (1.3 x 1.96)], or from 

63.4 to 68.4 percent. The 1.96 is the critical value for a statistical test at the 0.05 significance level (where 

0.05 indicates the 5 percent of all possible samples that would be outside the range of the confidence 

interval). 

Because the data from the PEQIS distance education survey were collected using a complex 

sampling design, the variances of the estimates from this survey (e.g., estimates of proportions) are 

typically different from what would be expected from data collected with a simple random sample. Not 

taking the complex sample design into account can lead to an underestimation of the standard errors 

associated with such estimates. To generate accurate standard errors for the estimates in this report, 

standard errors were computed using a technique known as jackknife replication. As with any replication 

method, jackknife replication involves constructing a number of subsamples (replicates) from the full 

sample and computing the statistic of interest for each replicate. The mean square error of the replicate 

estimates around the full sample estimate provides an estimate of the variance of the statistic. To 

construct the replications, 50 stratified subsamples of the full sample were created and then dropped 1 at a 

time to define 50 jackknife replicates. A computer program (WesVar) was used to calculate the estimates 

of standard errors. 

All specific statements of comparisons made in this report have been tested for statistical 

significance at the .05 level using Student’s t-statistics to ensure that the differences are larger than those 

that might be expected due to sampling variation. Adjustments for multiple comparisons were not 

included. Student’s t values were computed to test the difference between estimates with the 

following formula: 

2

2

2

1

1 2

se se

E E

t

+

− =
B-7 

where E1 and E2 are the estimates to be compared and se1 and se2 are their corresponding standard errors. 

Many of the variables examined are related to one another, and complex interactions and relationships 

have not been explored. 

 Nonsampling Errors 

Nonsampling error is the term used to describe variations in the estimates that may be caused by 

population coverage limitations and data collection, processing, and reporting procedures. The sources of 

nonsampling errors are typically problems like unit and item nonresponse, differences in respondents’ 

interpretations of the meaning of questions, response differences related to the particular time the survey 

was conducted, and mistakes made during data preparation. It is difficult to identify and estimate either 

the amount of nonsampling error or the bias caused by this error. To minimize the potential for 

nonsampling error, this study used a variety of procedures, including a pretest of the questionnaire with 

individuals at postsecondary institutions deemed to be the most knowledgeable about the distance 

education offerings at their institutions. The pretest provided the opportunity to check for consistency of 

interpretation of questions and definitions and to eliminate ambiguous items. The questionnaire and 

instructions were also extensively reviewed by NCES and the data requestor at the Office of Educational 

Technology. In addition, extensive editing of the questionnaire responses was conducted to check the 

data for accuracy and consistency. Cases with missing or inconsistent items were recontacted by 

telephone to resolve problems. Data were keyed with 100 percent verification for surveys received by 

mail, fax, or telephone. 

Definitions of Analysis Variables 

• Institutional type: public 2-year, private not-for-profit 2-year, private for-profit 2-year, 

public 4-year, private not-for-profit 4-year, private for-profit 4-year. Type was created from 

a combination of level (2-year, 4-year) and control (public, private not-for-profit, private forprofit). Two-year institutions are defined as institutions at which the highest level of offering 

is at least 2 but less than 4 years (below the baccalaureate degree); 4-year institutions are 

those at which the highest level of offering is 4 or more years (baccalaureate or higher 

degree).1

 

• Institution size: less than 3,000 students; 3,000 to 9,999 students; and 10,000 or more 

students. 

For more information about the Postsecondary Education Quick Information System or the Survey 

on Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions, contact Peter Tice, Early Childhood, International, 

and Crosscutting Studies Division, National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education 

Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006; e-mail: 

Peter.Tice@ed.gov; telephone (202) 502-7497. 

 

1

Definitions for level are from the data file documentation for the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Institutional 

Characteristics file, U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. 
C-1 

Appendix C 

Questionnaire 
This page intentionally left blank. 
C-3 

 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FORM APPROVED 

 NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS O.M.B. No.: 1850–0733 

 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20006–5651 EXPIRATION DATE: 10/2009

 DISTANCE EDUCATION AT POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS 

POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION QUICK INFORMATION SYSTEM

This survey is authorized by law (P.L. 103-382). While participation in this survey is voluntary, your cooperation is critical

to make the results of this survey comprehensive, accurate, and timely. 

This survey focuses on courses and programs that your institution formally designates as distance education; i.e., a 

formal education process in which the student and instructor are not in the same place. This includes three types of 

distance education courses and programs: online, hybrid/blended online, and other distance education courses and 

programs. 

 Instruction may be synchronous or asynchronous, and it involves communication through the use of video, audio, 

or computer technologies, or by correspondence (which may include both written correspondence and the use of 

technology such as CD-ROM). 

 Institutions may vary in the proportion of online instruction required for a course to be considered an online course 

or a hybrid/blended online course. Hybrid/blended online courses refer to a combination of online and in-class 

instruction with reduced in-class seat time for students. This survey excludes web-enhanced courses that do 

not reduce in-class seat time. 

 The time frame for this survey is the 12-month 2006–07 academic year. This includes distance education 

courses during the summer of 2006 or the summer of 2007, depending on how records are kept at your 

institution. 

IF ABOVE INSTITUTION INFORMATION IS INCORRECT, PLEASE UPDATE DIRECTLY ON LABEL. 

Name of Person Completing This Form: ________________________________________________________________ 

Title/Position: _____________________________________________________________________________________ 

Telephone Number: ___________________________________ E-mail: _____________________________________ 

THANK YOU. PLEASE KEEP A COPY OF THE SURVEY FOR YOUR RECORDS 

PLEASE RETURN COMPLETED FORM TO: IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, CONTACT: 

Mail: Basmat Parsad (8096.09.03) Basmat Parsad at Westat 

 Westat 800-937-8281, Ext. 8222 or 301-251-8222 

 1650 Research Boulevard E-mail: basmatparsad@westat.com 

 Rockville, Maryland 20850-3195 

Fax: 800-254-0984 

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid 

OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1850-0733. The time required to complete this 

information collection is estimated to average 45 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data 

resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of 

the time estimate or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC 20202-4651. If you 

have any comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: National Center for Education 

Statistics, 1990 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006. 

PEQIS Form No. 16, 08/2007 
C-4 

Please read the instructions below and on the cover page before answering the questions. 

 This survey focuses on courses and programs that your institution formally designates as distance education. This 

includes three types of distance education: online, hybrid/blended online, and other distance education

courses and programs. 

 Institutions may vary in the proportion of online instruction required for a course to be considered online or 

hybrid/blended online. Hybrid/blended online courses refer to a combination of online and in-class instruction 

with reduced in-class seat time. This excludes web-enhanced courses that do not reduce in-class seat time. 

 If a course had multiple sections or was offered multiple times during the academic year, count it as only one

course; i.e., provide counts of different courses. However, enrollments may include duplicated counts because 

they refer to the number of registrations; i.e., a student should be counted for each course in which he/she was 

enrolled. If your institution did not offer a particular type or level of distance education course in 2006–07, enter 0. 

 Include distance education courses offered at the undergraduate and graduate/first-professional levels. Dual-level 

courses (i.e., courses that can be taken for either undergraduate or graduate courses) should be reported as 

undergraduate courses, and enrollments for these courses should be counted as undergraduate enrollments. 

1. In 2006–07 (12-month academic year), did your institution offer any distance education courses? Include credit and 

noncredit distance education courses. See instruction box above. 

Yes.................. 1 (Continue with question 2.) No.................... 2 (Complete front page and return questionnaire.) 

2. In 2006–07 (12-month academic year), did your institution offer any college-level, credit-granting distance 

education courses? See instruction box above. 

Yes................... 1 (Continue with question 3.) No.................... 2 (Skip to question 15.) 

I. Online Courses 

3. In 2006–07 (12-month academic year), did your institution offer any college-level, credit-granting courses that are 

formally designated as online courses? Do not include courses that your institution designates as hybrid/blended 

online courses. See instruction box above. 

Yes.................. 1 (Continue with question 4.) No.................... 2 (Skip to question 6.) 

4. Please report the number of online college-level, credit-granting courses and the enrollment in those courses in 

2006–07. Do not include courses that are designated as hybrid/blended online courses. See instruction box above.

Online credit-granting 

courses (2006–07)

Total 

(undergraduate and graduate)

Undergraduate 

(including dual-level)

Graduate/ 

first-professional 

a. Number of courses 

b. Number of enrollments 

5. What is the minimum amount of online instruction or other criterion that your institution requires to formally

designate courses as online courses? Do not consider criteria used for hybrid/blended online courses. Give one 

answer only.

 a. Minimum percent of course instruction that has to be online: _____________% 

OR b. Other criterion, if no minimum online instruction is used to designate courses as online (specify criterion). 

Criterion: ___________________________________________________________________________ 

II. Hybrid/Blended Online Courses 

6. In 2006–07 (12-month academic year), did your institution offer any college-level, credit-granting distance 

education courses that are formally designated as hybrid/blended online courses? Hybrid/blended online courses 

refer to a combination of online and in-class instruction with reduced in-class seat time for students. Exclude webenhanced in-class courses that do not reduce in-class seat time. 

Yes.................. 1 (Continue with question 7.) No .................... 2 (Skip to question 8.) 

7. Please report the number of college-level, credit-granting distance education courses that your institution designates 

as hybrid/blended online courses and the enrollment in those courses in 2006–07. See instruction box above.

Hybrid/blended online, creditgranting courses (2006–07)

Total 

(undergraduate and graduate)

Undergraduate 

(including dual-level)

Graduate/ 

first-professional 

a. Number of courses 

b. Number of enrollments 
C-5 

III. All Other Distance Education Courses 

8. In 2006–07 (12-month academic year), did your institution offer any other college-level, credit-granting distance 

education courses; i.e., apart from the online and hybrid/blended online courses reported in questions 3 through 7? 

See instruction box on previous page. 

Yes.................. 1 (Continue with question 9.) No .................... 2 (Skip to question 10.) 

9. Please report the number of other types of college-level, credit-granting distance education courses offered by your 

institution in 2006–07 and the enrollment in those courses. Do not include the online or hybrid/blended online 

courses reported in questions 3 through 7. See instruction box on previous page. 

Other types of distance 

education courses (2006–07)

Total 

(undergraduate and graduate)

Undergraduate 

(including dual-level)

Graduate/ 

first-professional 

a. Number of courses 

b. Number of enrollments 

IV. Degree or Certificate Programs Designed to be Completed Totally Through Distance Education 

10. In 2006–07 (12-month academic year), did your institution have any college-level degree or certificate programs 

designed to be completed totally through distance education? Include online and other modes of distance education. 

Include only degree or certificate programs that are based on credit-granting courses. Include programs that may 

require a small amount of on-campus course or lab work, clinical work in hospitals, or similar arrangements, and 

baccalaureate degree completion programs. 

Yes.................. 1 (Continue with question 11.) No .................... 2 (Skip to question 12.) 

11. How many different college-level degree or certificate programs designed to be completed totally through distance 

education did your institution offer in 2006–07? 

College-level distance educat Undergraduate Graduate/first-professional ion degree and certificate 

programs based on credit-granting courses (2006–07) Degree Certificate Degree Certificate 

 Number of programs 

V. Other Distance Education Topics 

12. To what extent do the following factors affect your institution’s decisions regarding college-level, credit-granting

distance education offerings? (Circle one on each line.)

Factor Not 

at all 

Minor 

extent 

Moderate 

extent 

Major 

extent 

a. Seeking to increase student enrollment..................................................... 1 2 3 4 

b. Making more courses available.................................................................. 1 2 3 4 

c. Making more degree programs available................................................... 1 2 3 4 

d. Making more certificate programs available .............................................. 1 2 3 4 

e. Meeting student demand for flexible schedules......................................... 1 2 3 4 

f. Providing access to college for students who otherwise would not have 

access (e.g., because of geographic, family, or work-related reasons) .... 1 2 3 4 

g. Responding to the needs of employers/business ...................................... 1 2 3 4 

h. Maximizing the use of existing college facilities......................................... 1 2 3 4 

i. Meeting student demand for reduced seat time......................................... 1 2 3 4 

j. Other factor (Specify)_______________________________________ 1 2 3 4 
C-6 

13. To what extent did your institution use the following technologies for the instructional delivery of college-level,

credit-granting distance education courses in 2006–07? Include online and other modes of distance education. 

(Circle one on each line.) 

Technology Not at 

all 

Small 

extent 

Moderate 

extent 

Large 

extent 

a. Asynchronous Internet-based technologies ...................................... 1 2 3 4 

b. Synchronous Internet-based technologies ........................................ 1 2 3 4 

c. Two-way interactive video (i.e., two-way video with two-way 

audio) ................................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 

d. One-way prerecorded video (including prerecorded videos 

provided to students, and television broadcast and cable 

transmission using prerecorded videos)............................................ 1 2 3 4 

e. One-way video with two-way audio (e.g., interactive television) ....... 1 2 3 4 

f. One-way audio transmission (e.g., podcasting, radio broadcasts, 

and prerecorded audiotapes provided to students)........................... 1 2 3 4 

g. Correspondence only (print-based documents exchanged via 

postal delivery or email)..................................................................... 1 2 3 4 

h. Correspondence combined with the use of distance education 

technology such as CD-ROM ............................................................ 1 2 3 4 

i. Other technology (Specify) ________________________________ 1 2 3 4 

14. How often in the last 3 years has your institution received requests to provide accommodations for students with 

disabilities in your college-level, credit-granting distance education courses? (Circle one.) 

 Never........... 1 Occasionally ........... 2 Frequently ......... 3 Don’t know............ 4 

15. Did your institution offer any academic distance education courses for elementary/secondary students in 2006–07?

Yes................... 1 (Continue with question 16.) No.................... 2 (Skip to question 17.) 

16. Did your institution offer the following types of distance education courses for elementary or secondary students

during the 2006–07 academic year? Include online and other modes of distance education. (Circle one on each line.) 

Distance education course for elementary/secondary students Yes No 

a. Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses........................................ 1 2 

b. Other academic high school courses .............................................................................. 1 2 

c. Academic courses for elementary or middle school students ......................................... 1 2 

17. In the 2006–07 academic year, did your institution offer any noncredit distance education courses? Do not include 

academic courses for elementary/secondary students as noncredit. 

Yes................ 1 No.................. 2

18. In the 2006–07 academic year, did your institution acquire or develop its distance education courses in the following 

ways? Include online and other modes of distance education. Include academic courses for elementary/secondary 

students as credit-granting courses. 

 If your institution has credit-granting distance education courses (i.e., you answered “yes” to question 2 or

question 15), check here and complete column 1.

 If your institution has noncredit distance education courses (i.e., you answered “yes” to question 17), check 

here and complete column 2. 

1. Credit courses 2. Noncredit courses Means of acquisition/development Yes No Yes No

a. Developed by your institution.............................................................. 1 2 1 2 

b. Developed in collaboration with other postsecondary institutions ..... 1 2 1 2 

c. Acquired from another postsecondary institution ............................... 1 2 1 2 

d. Acquired from a commercial vendor................................................... 1 2 1 2 

e. Acquired in some other way(s) (Specify)______________________ 1 2 1 2