WSU Global Campus was ranked as the third most popular in the state by the SR Education Group.

 “After getting pregnant at such a young age, it would have been difficult to commit to a campus lifestyle,” ASWSU Online President Brianna Lisenbee said. “Through the WSU Global Campus I feel a sense of community and don’t feel disconnected from WSU in any way.”

The SR Education Group, an organization that helps students choose the best school for their career goals and budget, recently came across a study from The Learning House, an online education partner. The study found that 80 percent of online students live within 100 miles of a campus or service center of the institution they attend.

With this information, professionals in the SR Education Group conducted their own study to find out which online schools were the most popular in each state by using the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

Out of 65 colleges in Washington state with a physical address, WSU Global Campus came in at third. Pierce College at Fort Steilacoom placed second and Bellevue College placed first.

Kimberly Wetter, SR Education Group marketing coordinator, said it is surprising to see many students prefer a local college.

“If people really do care, we wanted people to see what are the best online schools,” Wetter said.

Students may choose a local online college for accessibility, name recognition, and the fact that traditional universities are now making their online programs similar to the campus experience, she said.

David Cillay, WSU Global Campus vice president, said the online college at WSU is different from other online programs because it focuses on engagement.

“Students are able to interact with WSU faculty, they can do extracurricular activities, and get a degree from Washington State University,” Cillay said.

The WSU Global Campus is also distinguished by its Global Campus Connections, which refers to engagement opportunities like online student government, events held around the state, social events, and undergraduate research, he said.

Lisenbee said the WSU Global Campus provides many different opportunities outside of just logging in for classwork.

“I like that we are held to a higher standard,” Lisenbee said. “Not a lot of schools offer opportunities like the WSU Global Campus does.”

Cillay said the WSU Global Campus allows students to personalize a schedule in combination with outside experiences.

“They’ve got opportunities to learn outside of the classroom just as much as they do inside of the classroom,” Cillay said. “We are really trying to make them Cougs.”