More mid-career adults are now enrolled in online degree programs than ever in history. With the current ultra-competitive job market and speedily emerging technology, that’s easy to understand.

What does surprise people, though, is the number of traditional age folks opting for online education. To some people, that is tougher to understand.

Why have so many 18-24 year old students decided to pursue an online degree instead of choosing the more traditional alternative?

First of all, many traditional age students need to work. And, it is very difficult to work and get a good schedule of on-campus classes. There are no such scheduling problems for those who attend an online college. They can do their coursework whenever they wish, day or night.

Next, there is the issue of flexibility. Traditional college programs rarely allow students to accelerate the pace at which they can earn a degree. Conversely, online colleges frequently offer accelerated degree options. Some enable students to earn a bachelors degree in as little as two years.

Also, online degree programs are generally cheaper than traditional college and university programs. And, many online institutions of higher education offer tuition installment plans.

Finally, the widespread acceptance of online degrees is influencing more and more traditional age college students to choose online education. Today, almost all employers value an online degree as much as they do a traditional one. Many are especially eager to hire a student with the goal-orientation strong enough to earn a degree while working.

While it’s true that students pursuing higher education online miss out on campus life, more and more 18-22 year olds are willing to trade it for the flexibility, and low cost online degree programs offer.

For the most part, 18-24 year olds choose online education for the same reasons as students many years their senior. And, most educators expect the trend to continue.