New Labster Research Reveals a Confidence Gap Threatening Online STEM Program Retention, Points to Missing Experiential Learning as a Fixable Cause
A research study of online and hybrid STEM students finds a persistent gap between the flexibility that draws them into these programs and the hands-on lab experience that keeps them enrolled, with virtual labs emerging as one of the most addressable levers for retention
BOSTON, July 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Labster ApS, the creator of the world’s leading platform for immersive STEM education, today released new research showing that a significant share of online and hybrid STEM students are questioning whether they can finish their degree, and that inadequate access to hands-on lab experience is one of the clearest, most fixable reasons why.
The survey of students currently enrolled in online or hybrid STEM programs at four-year universities and graduate schools in the U.S. and Canada found that 40% of fully online students have questioned whether continuing their program is realistic, given the competing demands of work, caregiving, and other responsibilities. These are the very same demands that led them to these programs in the first place, but if experiential learning is missing or inadequate, some students question whether they will be fully prepared.
The Online Retention Challenge
Among students weighing whether to leave, three factors surface consistently: difficulty balancing coursework with other responsibilities (54%), concerns about career readiness (31%), and insufficient hands-on or interactive learning opportunities (15%). More broadly, 41% of all online and hybrid STEM students say a lack of hands-on learning has made them question whether to finish their program at all, and 35% say their program simply doesn’t provide enough of it; a figure that climbs 24% higher among fully online students than 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 points to a structural mismatch at the center of the problem. Eighty-two percent of students chose an online or hybrid program specifically for its flexibility, and 73% enrolled because it allowed them to keep working. Yet a staggering 68% are still required to attend in-person labs, and among those students, 52% say scheduling is a meaningful challenge, 32% report work conflicts, and 14% face caregiving conflicts. Sixty-five percent say the way labs are delivered affects how manageable their entire program feels.
The in-person lab environment creates other, less visible barriers. One third of students say they hold back from fully engaging in labs unless they can practice without risk to themselves or the equipment, and another third say fear of making mistakes limits their participation. Sixty-three percent feel less confident walking into in-person labs when they haven’t had adequate time to prepare beforehand. A significant 79% said they judge the program’s quality based on having meaningful hands-on experiences.
One Simple Solution? Virtual Labs
The research points to a measurably different experience for students who used high-quality virtual lab platforms. For prospective students evaluating STEM programs, access to virtual labs is already a meaningful differentiator: 84% of respondents say knowing a program offered flexible, interactive virtual labs would have made it more appealing while they were evaluating schools, and 81% say access to virtual labs would have positively influenced their decision to enroll.
Once enrolled, students report tangible benefits from virtual lab access. Ninety-two percent say virtual labs gave them a safe space to practice before real-world application, 88% say the ability to repeat exercises improved their confidence, and virtual lab users report 62% higher engagement compared to students without access. Throughout the research, students consistently linked meaningful experiential learning with feeling more prepared, more capable, and more confident in their ability to succeed.
The effect is even more pronounced among Labster users specifically: students who use Labster for their virtual labs are 60% more likely than average to say they feel very confident in their lab skills, and 56% more likely to say they feel very confident applying those skills in a future job. Students who are confident in their lab skills are significantly more likely to stay on the STEM pathway, with 95% saying they are likely to continue pursuing a career in a STEM field.
“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 that experiential learning plays a critical role across the entire student journey—from attracting prospective students and supporting persistence to building the confidence needed for career readiness. As institutions look to expand access to STEM education, the ability to deliver meaningful hands-on learning experiences, regardless of location, may be one of the most effective ways to improve both enrollment and retention outcomes.
The full research report is available at: www.labster.com/online-stem-retention-research.
Methodology
The Online STEM Retention Challenge survey was conducted from April 24 to June 9, 2026, at 95% confidence with a ±4.8% margin of error. The survey included 411 students currently enrolled in online or hybrid STEM degree or certificate programs at four-year universities or graduate schools in the United States and Canada, excluding computer science and IT programs. Respondents represented all four years of study across fields including biology and life sciences, health science, engineering, mathematics, nursing, and chemistry.
About Labster
Labster® is redefining STEM education with immersive learning platforms built for engagement, designed for equitable learning, and focused on preparing learners for success from classroom to career. Over six million learners in 3,000 institutions across 100 countries have seen breakthrough learning outcomes using the Labster interactive lab platform for science and pre-health courses and the UbiSim™ immersive virtual reality simulation platform for nursing. UbiSim was recognized as a TIME Best Invention of 2024 for helping nurses practice empathetic patient care. Visit http://www.labster.com and http://www.ubisimvr.com.
Media Contact
Rebecca Reese
labster@meetkickstand.com
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