There has always been conflict over whether or not online universities are a legitimate form of education. From its unconventional style to the scams on the Internet these days, it's clear why people feel a kind of skepticism when thinking about online universities. There are over 200 online universities on the World Wide Web, but how do you really know whether or not these online institutions offer viable forms of education? I will attempt to draw a conclusion to this question at the end of this research paper. To do this, I will focus on how online universities came to be, who enrolled in them, the pros and cons, and some background information about America's first online university. History There are nearly 2,000 universities in the United States today. . With so many options, how did the idea of ​​an online institution come about? It all started with CALcampus; it was the first institution to offer courses entirely online. The CAL campus was founded in 1982 but began offering exclusively online courses in 1986 as CALC, also known as the Computer Assisted Learning Center; in 1995, the institution changed its name to CALCampus. CALCampus has made it possible for people around the world to earn a degree from the comfort of their home. After the launch of CALCampus, new, more sophisticated online universities began to emerge in the United States, each of them drawing on each other's ideas. Since the late 1980s and early 1990s, these distance learning centers have grown along with the number of professors who teach them and the students who are enrolled there. Online StudentsAre there certain students who tend to lean more toward online learning rather than in the classroom? indoor learning? Who exactly are these students...... middle of paper ......ella University. (2009, January). Retrieved December 2009 from Capella University: http://www.capellauniversity.org/Columbia University Statistical Abstract. (2002). Retrieved November 2009 from Columbia University: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/opir/abstract/enrollment_ethnicity_2002.htmlDonahue, T. (October 19, 2009). University data online. Accessed November 2009 from http://onlineuniversitydata.com/2009/10-famous-and-successful-alumni-of-online-colleges/History and Vision. (nd). Retrieved October 2009 from CALCampus: http://www.calcampus.com/about.htm#historyPro and Disadvantages of Online Education. (nd). Accessed November 2009 from Education-Portal: http://education-portal.com/articles/Pros_and_Cons_of_Online_Education.htmlUniversity of Phoenix. (nd). Retrieved from Wikipedia in November 2009: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Phoenix