Examining Employers' Perceptions of Online Credentials: A Discrete Choice Experiment
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| Title: | Examining Employers' Perceptions of Online Credentials: A Discrete Choice Experiment |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Daniel Rossman, Bethany Lewis, Ini-Abasi Umosen, James Dean Ward, Ithaka S+R |
| Source: | ITHAKA S+R. 2026. |
| Availability: | ITHAKA S+R. Available from: ITHAKA. One Liberty Plaza, 165 Broadway 5th Floor, New York, NY 10006. Tel: 212-500-2355; e-mail: ithakasr@ithaka.org; Web site: https://sr.ithaka.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 80 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Strada Education Foundation Joyce Foundation |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Employer Attitudes, Personnel Selection, Virtual Universities, Electronic Learning, In Person Learning, Learning Modalities, Preferences, School Location, Job Applicants, Employment Qualifications, Bachelors Degrees, Institutional Characteristics |
| DOI: | 10.18665/sr.325531 |
| Abstract: | US colleges and universities received roughly $900 billion in total revenue in fiscal year 2024, with public funding and students' tuition dollars making up the lion's share. This level of investment requires significant public oversight to ensure institutions use public and private funds effectively and to protect students and taxpayers from fraud and waste. State authorization is one important aspect of this oversight, wherein state governments serve a consumer protection role by authorizing institutions to operate within their jurisdiction and providing a legal framework to enforce state consumer protection laws. In this study, the authors conduct a discrete choice experiment with professional recruiters and hiring managers to better understand how they respond to online credentials, including those earned from out-of-state institutions. The research asks whether employers prefer hypothetical job applicants with in-person degrees compared to online degrees, if this preference differs based on whether the degree was earned from an in- or out-of-state institution, and how these preferences may vary by other candidate, respondent, and employer characteristics. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED681076 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | US colleges and universities received roughly $900 billion in total revenue in fiscal year 2024, with public funding and students' tuition dollars making up the lion's share. This level of investment requires significant public oversight to ensure institutions use public and private funds effectively and to protect students and taxpayers from fraud and waste. State authorization is one important aspect of this oversight, wherein state governments serve a consumer protection role by authorizing institutions to operate within their jurisdiction and providing a legal framework to enforce state consumer protection laws. In this study, the authors conduct a discrete choice experiment with professional recruiters and hiring managers to better understand how they respond to online credentials, including those earned from out-of-state institutions. The research asks whether employers prefer hypothetical job applicants with in-person degrees compared to online degrees, if this preference differs based on whether the degree was earned from an in- or out-of-state institution, and how these preferences may vary by other candidate, respondent, and employer characteristics. |
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| DOI: | 10.18665/sr.325531 |
