Communications of the ACM
The Greatest Degree Program Ever
Georgia Tech's online master's in computer science has taken off like a rocket ship. It is the most successful degree program in the history of higher education.
Credit: Getty
Enrollments in degree-seeking programs across U.S. higher education have been on the decline since 2011 with roughly 4 million fewer students today. The most recent data from the National Student Clearinghouse showed master's degree growth at a meager .2% over last year. In stark contrast to these national trends is Georgia Tech's online master's in computer science. Launched just 10 years ago, it now boasts more than 10,000 graduates and currently enrolls more than 12,000 students. It is - by nearly any measure - the most successful degree program in history.
The formula for why and how it has been so successful is critical for all U.S. higher ed to understand. Unlike the closely guarded recipe for Coca-Cola kept in a vault just down the street from Georgia Tech's campus, the formula for success behind this online degree program has been evident for anyone who has cared to take notice. And once it is understood, its success is at once less surprising than the question as to why virtually no other major universities have followed this Yellow Jacket road to degree conferral riches.
Georgia Tech's online master's in computer science is priced at ~$7k (all-in). Its disruptive price point caught lots of attention when it was first announced – but mostly skeptical attention from the rest of higher education. Prospective students, however, felt otherwise – choosing to enroll in droves from across the U.S. and around the world, too. At its launch, AT&T jumped in to validate the program with a $2M investment. And that was it. The formula for explosive growth?
From Forbes
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