By Natalie Schwartz

More than 70,000 students in Georgia attended an online college based in another state or territory in the fall of 2019, according to data from NC-SARA, an organization that oversees how distance education is offered across state lines.

While there’s “a good chance” Valdosta could shave off a meaningful part of that market, it will be difficult to compete against institutions with more prominent brands, said Michael Horn, who has authored books on the future of education and is a senior strategist at Guild Education, a tuition benefits platform.

Strayer University, a for-profit college, drew 8,350 students from Georgia that fall, more than any other out-of-state provider. Other top competitors for Georgia students include the University of Phoenix, Liberty University and Western Governors University, which each enrolled more than 4,500 students from the state in 2019.