More and more high school students and their parents are questioning the value of a college degree, especially regarding career readiness. The most recent numbers from the National Center for Education Statistics show that the percentage of high school students enrolling in college following graduation has dropped from 70% in 2016 to 63% in 2020. Undergraduate student enrollment is down 9.4%—nearly 1.4 million students—from two years ago. So, how are higher-ed institutions responding? They’re offering more accredited online classes and access to online course material. Many schools shifted online during the pandemic, but there was concern that online classes weren’t up to par with in-person learning. However, recent studies have demonstrated that online instruction offers a richer learning experience (paywall) than expected. Contrary to conventional wisdom, synchronous online instruction can drive more student engagement and enable learning.