Universities Offering Online Higher Education in Mexico 2023: Focus on Postgraduate Degrees

Higher education enables students to obtain a better job and improve their standard of living and can also help the region or country to reach higher levels of development. However, significant challenges such as unequal access, lack of recognition for non-formal programs, and quality assurance issues persist, which hinder the potential benefits of higher education. The aim of this article is to analyze higher education in Mexico in the 2022-2023 school year, as well as to study the non-school-based modality, with emphasis on doctoral and master’s degrees. The work is presented using the descriptive method, with a qualitative approach. Data collection techniques included surveys and interviews, while data analysis was conducted through thematic analysis. In Mexico, there are 5.2 million students enrolled in higher education, of which 575,447 are non-school students. The number of distance doctoral students is 11,484, with the most demanded areas of study being education sciences and pedagogy (50.7%). There are 107,728 students registered in non-school-based master’s programs, where the areas with the highest student numbers are administration and management (33.6%). This research is relevant as it highlights the impact of non-formal education on the evolution and improvement of higher education, addressing key challenges and providing insights for policy development.