Universities with shrinking budgets could consider online education to save money. A recent study shows similar outcomes between traditional learning and interactive online learning. Critics of online learning claim that students are exposed to an inferior education when compared to traditional in-class instruction, but a recent study from Ithaka S+R, a strategic consulting and research nonprofit, questions this notion. The report, "Interactive Learning Online at Public Universities: Evidence from Randomized Trials," notes that students who utilize interactive online learning—or hybrid learning—produce equivalent, or better, results than students participating in face-to-face education.
http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2012/07/25/study-online-learning-outcomes-similar-to-classroom-results
