Community colleges, including those in Virginia, continue to increase online course offerings in an effort to provide access and cost effective education to a growing student population. With increased student demand for online learning, community colleges should explore further the possibility of offering more science courses online. This research study investigated the success of non-science major Virginia Community College System (VCCS) students in BIO 102 who had previously completed BIO 101 online. This multi-institutional, multi-semester study of community college online biology students collected data from the VCCS and found that the mode of instruction in BIO 101 was not predictive of student success in BIO 102 on campus students. Both online and on campus BIO 101 included higher percentages of female students, Caucasian students, and college age students. Additionally, more students enrolled in online BIO 101 after completing a previous online course. Overall, the findings indicate that online biology is a viable option for community colleges to address effectively the needs of their students
