Q&A: Online degrees viewed more positively post-pandemic, research finds

"All of the research I found prior to the pandemic consistently showed a clear preference for traditional-degree job candidates. When the pandemic forced us all into a virtual environment, I wanted to see whether that shift changed perceptions of online degrees during the hiring process, and our data shows the impact was dramatic."

"The researchers' survey-based study found that some hiring managers are now almost 10 times more likely to hire a job applicant with an online degree than they were pre-pandemic, and top executives are 13 times more likely to do so compared to other survey respondents."

"The findings could be consequential for traditional universities, which increasingly have to compete with one another as well as nontraditional programs. The results also echo a societal shift toward increased legitimization of online degrees, as well as the rise of micro-credential courses and a movement toward skills-based versus degree-based hiring."

A Virginia Commonwealth University study published in the American Journal of Distance Education reveals that COVID-19 significantly transformed how hiring professionals and human resources managers perceive online degrees. Researchers Heather Millar and Elsie Harper-Anderson found that some hiring managers are now almost 10 times more likely to hire applicants with online degrees than before the pandemic, while top executives show 13 times greater likelihood. Prior pandemic research consistently demonstrated preference for traditional degrees, but the forced shift to virtual environments during COVID-19 fundamentally altered these perceptions. This shift reflects broader societal changes including increased legitimization of online education, growth of micro-credential courses, and movement toward skills-based hiring rather than degree-focused recruitment.

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