The rapid integration of online learning into higher school practice has stimulated the development of psychological and pedagogical researchеs. The paper presents a comparative analysis of students' academic success in online courses and in the traditional face-to-face format in relation to their individual psychological characteristics. The authors conclude that students' personal characteristics do not affect academic results. The key conclusion of this study is that a successful student is successful in any training format. In this regard, the focus of the scientific search for ways to improve the effectiveness of online learning should not be focused on the psychological characteristics of students, but on solving the problems of improving the pedagogical design of an online course.