CSS 205, Soils: Sustainable Ecosystems, an introductory soil course with a lab for non-majors, has been taught via online delivery for four years. The question remains of how does such an online course compare to an on-campus offering with respect to student learning. This study compares student learning results for an on-campus and an online version of the same course. Students in both modes were assessed for soils knowledge pre-course using identical tests; answers for the assessment were not released to the students. In each course the same lecture notes and lab assignments were used. Soils samples (texture known by instructor) were mailed to online students and also used by on-campus students to provide consistent comparisons between the courses. Assessment at the end of the term consisted of assessment questions from the pre-assessment, additional course-relevant questions, and hand-texturing using the known texture samples. Demographic information, pre- and post-assessment scores, and student responses are used to determine the efficacy of the online and on-campus versions.