New Survey Reveals High Satisfaction with the Affordability and Quality of Online Degree Programs Supported by Academic Partnerships

Results provide perspective on the value of online higher education

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May 12, 2021, 08:00 ET

DALLAS, May 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Academic Partnerships (AP), a leading online facilitator for affordable higher education, and Chief Outsiders, a leading strategic marketing and management firm, today announced the results of a survey showing that 93% of alumni of AP-supported degrees are satisfied with their online degree program. The survey also showed that 97% of all survey respondents were employed, primarily in nursing, education and business.

The survey, conducted by Chief Outsiders in collaboration with numerous university partners, included online surveys with more than 6,200 responding graduates of AP-supported degree programs, the majority of which were working nurses, teachers and business professionals. Other highlights of the survey in addition to those noted above include the following:

Alumni expressed high satisfaction with several features of their program, including the quality of the education, affordability, types of degrees offered and convenience with their schedule.

Large numbers said their degrees had positive impacts on their career and work, including:

86% agreed their degree improved their industry knowledge.
81% agreed their degree had made them an attractive candidate for employers.
79% agreed their degree prepared them for leadership positions.

The survey revealed that the three top factors in selecting their university were affordability, time to completion, and the reputation of the institution and program.

It also shed light on why alumni had decided to obtain their degrees, with the top three reasons being a personal goal, greater employment opportunities, and career advancement within their industry.

"These survey results underscore the importance of expanding access to top quality, affordable and workforce relevant education," said Rob Ganji, AP CEO. "While we are proud of the role AP plays, the high satisfaction of students is a testament to the trusted brands of our university partners and their high-quality degree programs. As the results show, these degrees make a real difference in the advancement of these students, and importantly, this is all done with a weighted average tuition of $14,000 or less for the entire degree for AP-supported programs overall. The pandemic has only further exacerbated the need for affordable and accessible online higher education, especially in critical areas such as healthcare and education."

"The survey results show that Academic Partnerships is delivering on its mission to help universities and students succeed," said Ed Valdez, Partner and CMO at Chief Outsiders. "More than 90% of alumni surveyed in AP-supported degree programs are satisfied with the education they received, giving high marks for quality, convenience, and affordability. These student insights reveal that providing career-advancing degrees has become a university imperative to enable a future-ready workforce; AP is enabling universities to meet that imperative. With 87 percent of professionals experiencing or anticipating skills gaps, online degrees provide a compelling option for reskilling or upskilling in a post-digital era."

Based in Dallas, Texas, Academic Partnerships is a leading online facilitator that serves more than 50 universities across the country to help expand access to top-quality, affordable, and workforce-relevant education.

About Academic Partnerships
Academic Partnerships is an online facilitator that assists primarily regional public institutions of higher education in taking their academic programs online and recruits and retains qualified students through program completion. AP's mission is to expand access to top quality, affordable and workforce relevant education, especially for working and adult students. Founded in digital innovation more than a decade ago, Academic Partnerships brings single-minded dedication, an integrated set of services and data-driven performance to our collaboration with university partners—even more so as we face the challenges brought on by COVID-19. For more information on innovative online learning solutions, please visit www.academicpartnerships.com.

About Chief Outsiders
Chief Outsiders, LLC is a nationwide "Executives-as-a-Service" firm, with more than 80 part-time, or fractional, Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) engaged from coast-to-coast. Unlike other strategic marketing and management consulting firms, each CMO has held the position of VP Marketing or higher at one or more operating companies. Chief Outsiders have served on the executive team of over 1,100 client companies to drive growth strategy and execution plans for a fraction of the cost of a full-time executive. For additional information about the companies who trust Chief Outsiders as their premier source for business growth acceleration, click here.

SOURCE Academic Partnerships