With two small children, a long commute to work and an upcoming cross-country move, Amanda Tutlewski knew that taking on-campus classes to complete a master’s degree in nursing wasn’t an option.
Instead, she looked for virtual programs, eventually choosing an online master’s program at Simmons College. When the family moved from Indiana to Key West, Florida, for her husband’s job several months later, the academic transition was seamless. Now, more than halfway through the program, Tutlewski says she’d pick an online program again in a heartbeat.
“It’s convenient and it’s flexible,” she says.
In the world of online learning, female students like Tutlewski predominate. At the undergraduate level, 70 percent of online students were women in spring 2015, according to a recent survey. Among graduate students, 72 percent of students were female.
[Explore secrets of success shared by online students who are moms.]
Some online bachelor’s programs are made up almost entirely of women, according to U.S. News data. In 2013-2014, these 10 schools had the highest percentages of female undergraduates among the 224 ranked programs that submitted data, excluding female-only programs.
| School name (state) | Total enrollment in 2013-2014 | Percentage female | U.S. News rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| D’Youville College (NY) | 16 | 94% | RNP |
| Sacred Heart University (CT) | 392 | 94% | 87 (tie) |
| Stephens College (MO) | 143 | 94% | 184 (tie) |
| Dakota Wesleyan University (SD) | 42 | 93% | 167 (tie) |
| St. Mary-of-the-Woods College (IN) | 881 | 93% | 199 (tie) |
| University of Missouri–St. Louis | 86 | 93% | 50 (tie) |
| Georgia College & State University | 36 | 92% | 125 (tie) |
| Stockton University (NJ) | 26 | 92% | 214 (tie) |
| University of Georgia | 24 | 92% | 90 (tie) |
| Wheeling Jesuit University (WV) | 89 | 92% | 125 (tie) |
There are several possible reasons for the overall gender imbalance in online learning, experts say. One answer may be that more women are pursuing higher education in general. According to a May 2015 report by the National Center for Education Statistics, women made up 56 percent of undergraduates and 59 percent of graduate students in fall 2013.
Another explanation for the higher percentages of women in online education could be the kind of jobs they pursue, says Carol Aslanian, senior vice president of Aslanian Market Research and an author of the recent study of online students.
“Women tend to enter professions where continuous education is needed and degrees and certificates are valued and even required,” she says. ” Education, the social services, the health professions — all have requirements for further education to move up the career ladder.”
That’s part of the reason why women constitute 94 percent all online undergraduates at Connecticut’s Sacred Heart University, says Linda L. Strong, associate professor of nursing. The school’s largest online bachelor’s program is in nursing, which tends to draw more women in general, she says.
[Learn how to get into a top online graduate nursing program.]
Another reason women may be drawn to online learning — regardless of their profession — is because of how it allows them to juggle school with work and family commitments.
When U.S. News asked women on Twitter why they chose online education, family responsibility was a common thread:
@DevonHaynie Doing a mixture of online & classroom courses for my MA allows me to feel like I’m not shirking my mom-duties. Also e-mailed.
— Jennifer Starkey (@JennyStarkey) July 27, 2015
@DevonHaynie flexibility! Being able to wife/mom/work/volunteer as needed and fit school time in around those priorities
— Carol Raisner (@mrsraisner) July 27, 2015
@DevonHaynie Kids
— Diana L. Thomas (@Diana_L_Thomas) July 29, 2015
“A lot of us have more responsibility, family responsibilities, kids — even grandkids,” Tutlewski says. “It’s more convenient for us, and it makes education more accessible.”
Trying to fund your online education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for Online Education center.
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Why Women Are Drawn to Online Learning in Higher Numbers Than Men originally appeared on usnews.com