Students who are able to complete classroom-based or online college courses on a computer may be more likely to succeed, a new study suggests.

A recent study at a North Carolina-based university revealed that making classrooms more internet-accessible may cut school costs while improving the quality of education, MyNC.com reports.

Researchers at the school launched a pilot program that required students to bring their laptops to a writing course. To accommodate these learners, school officials installed power outlets and wireless routers in their classrooms.

Although some administrators worried that students would become distracted by having the devices readily available, the results found that individuals who had their laptops in class with them were generally more focused. The scientists explain that this learning platform enabled students to become more familiar with their equipment and may have inspired them to take their work with them after class.

In addition, school officials reported that laptop-ready classrooms were more cost-effective than computer labs for these classes.

Similar initiatives could help some campus-based and online schools keep their tuition down, as the College Board reports the average cost of attending a public four-year university rose 4.4 percent last year.