ASU Online courses help stem rising cost of higher ed

In January 2015, U.S. News & World Report ranked Arizona State University among the top 10 best schools in the nation for online education.

As the cost of higher education continues to rise, online courses and degree programs offer students a cost-effective alternative to traditional, face-to-face instruction.

According to a recent article in The Economist, these MOOCs (massive open online courses) "have enabled universities to beam lectures to wide audiences for a tiny marginal cost."

Titled "The log-on degree," the article mentions ASU President Michael Crow, who it states affirms that "digital technology can make college cheaper without making it worse."

ASU Online currently offers 41 undergraduate and 38 graduate online degrees and continues to see tremendous enrollment growth, with a 42.6 percent increase since 2013.