Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann said, "We have the largest commencing online headcount in the country, and are the leading provider of online university courses and education.

"More students choose to study online with Charles Sturt University than any other university in Australia.

"I'm proud that Charles Sturt University is Australia's most experienced online university, and online university of choice."

In 2019, Charles Sturt enrolled 26,370 online students and despite the current COVID-19 pandemic, the University maintains its position with current 2020 enrolments.

Professor Vann noted that the University has long held an historic lead in what was previously known as 'distance education', with its predecessor institution Mitchell College of Advanced Education (MCAE) being the leading national provider.

"The University has maintained its leading role and transition to online learning and teaching by maintaining investment research, testing, and deployment of evolving technology," he said.

"Achieving high levels of teaching and learning for all our students in all study modes, including online, is central to our Mission of educating professionals for our regions and the world, and creating a world worth living in."

"Charles Sturt University welcomes anyone who wants to try online study for the first time and those ready to return to the books.

"As Australia's largest and most experienced online university, we have led the way in online study and online qualifications."

With people turning to online courses to make the most of their time and secure their future, July is the perfect time to start a course at Charles Sturt University.

What's known as 'midyear intake' has been a popular time for online students to start in the past.

In 2019, 91 per cent of people who started studying in July were online students.

There are more than 250 courses available at Charles Sturt for people to pursue their interests.

Some of these are short courses – for example, a graduate certificate that can be completed in six months – while others are full degrees that people can enrol in.

See the free guide to studying online https://study.csu.edu.au/online/online-guide, also the online page https://study.csu.edu.au/online

In another reflection of the University's extensive online expertise, Executive Dean of the Charles Sturt Faculty of Science Professor Megan Smith said the University was proud to play a leading role in the presentation of the NSW Department of Education's 'STEM 2020 On Demand: Strategies for a Rapidly Changing World', an event that was delivering vital STEM information on a global platform.

"Charles Sturt University is a leading institute when it comes to the online delivery of learning, especially in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects," she said.