This article aims to compare, at the level of higher education, distance education taught by educational conglomerates, with distance education conveyed, mainly, by public universities, Catholic Private Universities (PUCs), institutions linked to the Federal Network of Scientific and Technological Professional Education (Rede Federal de Educação Profissional Científica e Tecnológica - RFEPCT). After analyzing vis a vis the application of distance education, in the referred loci, it is concluded that, distance education, privileged by the market, by globalized and oligopolized institutions aims to increase its profitability levels and, consequently, its teaching lacks the necessary quality, to form students, in a competent and committed way. Differently, higher education offered, notably, by the referred public institutions and by Catholic Private Universities (PUCs) have made possible to provide education, with a high level of theoretical, practical, social and ethical quality, capable of forming students committed both to the society, raising citizens who are involved to become protagonists of their stories, and in the labor world in a responsible and competent manner.

Este artigo objetiva comparar, no nível do ensino superior, a educação a distância ministrada pelos conglomerados educacionais com a EaD veiculada, sobretudo, pelas universidades públicas, PUCs, e instituições ligadas à Rede Federal de Educação Profissional Científica e Tecnológica (RFEPCT). Após analisar, vis a vis, a aplicação da EaD nos referidos loci, conclui-se que a EaD privilegiada pelas instituições mercantis, globalizadas e oligopolizadas, visa a aumentar seus níveis de lucratividade e, consequentemente, seu ensino carece da qualidade necessária para formar alunos de forma competente e compromissada. Diferentemente, o ensino superior ofertado, notadamente, pelas referidas instituições públicas e pelas PUCs vem possibilitando a oferta de uma educação com alto nível de qualidade teórica, prática, social e ética capaz de formar alunos comprometidos tanto com a sociedade, formando cidadãos que se inserem, para se tornarem protagonistas de suas histórias, quanto no mundo do trabalho, de forma responsável e competente.