Here’s a milestone you might not have heard about: It’s projected that this year, for the first time, more college students will take all of their courses online than will take all of their courses in person.

Online higher education has come a long way since its predecessor, the correspondence school. The universal shift to remote learning during the pandemic only accelerated that momentum. It has also allowed more comprehensive research into whether online teaching works as well as the in-person kind.

But even as more students go online to learn, there are many caveats about this fast-growing innovation. We talk to the experts about who should take online courses, where they should take them and in what subjects. We also lay out questions to ask of online providers, such as what kinds of real-world supports — faculty office hours, tutors — are available.

Finally we solve a mystery that frustrates countless consumers: how in the world it’s possible that most online courses cost as much as, or more than, the brick-and-mortar kind. After all, technology has lowered prices in almost every industry. Come with us as we expose the reason higher education can find a way to charge more for yet another product that by all rights should cost less.

The single fastest-growing group of students in college? This may come as a surprise — they’re still in high school.

So-called “dual enrollment” — also known as “early college” and “concurrent enrollment” — seems a win-win.

Institutions get students, at a time when demographic shifts are making that more difficult; that’s especially true at community colleges, whose enrollment has declined the most.

Meanwhile, high school students rack up credits, potentially saving time and money. Some finish their associate degrees at the same time that they get their diplomas. And studies show that they’re more likely to go on to and graduate from college than their classmates who don’t.

The Department of Education didn’t even track how many students were taking dual-enrollment courses until last year. It turned out that two and a half million of them are. Studies show they’re more likely to go to and graduate from college than their classmates who don’t.

High school students now make up a fifth of community college enrollment. At 37 community colleges nationwide, more than half of students are still in high school.

But like much in higher education, there are traps and pitfalls. Not all of those credits transfer, for example.

In this episode, we provide a road map to navigating dual enrollment.

U.S. colleges have long relied on international students – and the big tuition checks they bring – to hit enrollment goals and keep the lights on. But now, just as the number of American college-aged students starts to fall – a trend known as the “demographic cliff”– global tensions are making international students think twice about coming to the U.S. for college.

In this episode, hosts Kirk Carapezza and Jon Marcus take you inside the world of international admissions. With student visa revocations on the rise – often without explanation – and a growing number of detentions tied to student activism, some international families say they are rethinking their U.S. college plans. And that has college leaders sounding the alarm.

As the Trump administration ramps up immigration crackdowns on campuses across the country, many worry the U.S. could lose its status as the top destination for global talent. So what happens if international enrollment drops just as domestic numbers dry up?

The stakes are high – not just for students and colleges but for the entire U.S. economy.