A new report from Labster ApS, a leading platform for immersive STEM education, found that many online and hybrid STEM students question whether they can complete their degrees, with inadequate access to hands-on lab experiences emerging as one of the most significant—and most solvable—barriers.
The survey of students enrolled in online and hybrid STEM programs at four-year universities and graduate schools in the U.S. and Canada found that 40 percent of fully online students have questioned whether continuing their program is realistic because of competing demands such as work, caregiving and other responsibilities.
The report notes that these are the same demands that led many students to choose online learning. However, when experiential learning is missing or inadequate, students begin to question whether they will be fully prepared for their careers.
Among students considering leaving their programs, 54 percent cited difficulty balancing coursework with other responsibilities, 31 percent expressed concerns about career readiness and 15 percent pointed to insufficient hands-on or interactive learning opportunities.
Overall, 41 percent of online and hybrid STEM students said a lack of hands-on learning has made them question whether to finish their program, while 35 percent said their program simply does not provide enough hands-on experiences. That concern was 24 percent higher among fully online students than among their hybrid peers.
“Flexibility matters, but hands-on experimentation matters as well,” said Christina Fleming, chief revenue officer at Labster. “Students need the time and space to make mistakes, build readiness for the physical lab—whether in school or on the job—and feel confident that they’ve truly mastered the material. This research shows what happens when that’s missing: students don’t just feel underprepared, they start to question whether finishing the program is worth it.”
The research also highlights a structural mismatch. While 82 percent of students chose an online or hybrid program for its flexibility and 73 percent enrolled so they could continue working, 68 percent are still required to attend in-person labs. Among those students, 52 percent said scheduling is a significant challenge, 32 percent reported work conflicts and 14 percent cited caregiving conflicts.
Overall, 65 percent said the way labs are delivered affects how manageable their program feels. The in-person lab environment also creates less visible barriers. One-third of students said they hold back from fully participating unless they can practice without risking harm to themselves or equipment, while another one-third said fear of making mistakes limits their participation.
In addition, 63 percent felt less confident entering in-person labs when they had not been able to prepare beforehand, and 79 percent said meaningful hands-on experiences influence how they judge the quality of a program.
The research found markedly better outcomes among students with access to high-quality virtual lab platforms. For prospective students, 84 percent said knowing a program offered flexible, interactive virtual labs would have made it more appealing during their college search, while 81 percent said access to virtual labs would have positively influenced their enrollment decision.
Among enrolled students, 92 percent said virtual labs provided a safe place to practice before applying skills in real-world settings, and 88 percent said the ability to repeat exercises improved their confidence. Students with access to virtual labs also reported engagement levels that were 62 percent higher than those without access. Throughout the study, students consistently linked meaningful experiential learning with feeling more prepared, more capable and more confident in their ability to succeed.
“Confidence is the least talked about outcome with the most impact,” Fleming said. “When students have the space to make mistakes and prove mastery before it counts, that’s what carries them through to a STEM career. The research clearly points to this. We found that students who feel confident in their lab skills are more likely to say they’re very likely to continue in STEM, and that’s precisely what we want to hear.”
Taken together, the findings suggest experiential learning plays a critical role throughout the student journey—from attracting prospective students and improving retention to building the confidence needed for career readiness. The report added as institutions seek to expand access to STEM education, providing meaningful hands-on learning experiences, regardless of location, may be one of the most effective ways to improve both enrollment and student retention.
