On campus is exactly what it sounds like, "on campus" (think your typical school. You go to campus, take classes, everything is there). Distance learning means you are not "on-campus". This could be like UF where they have distance campuses where you do the majority of your work online and you need to go to campus every once in a while for labs, tests, meetings, etc... Or like Creighton where they have a full-blown distance program, and everything is online and you take tests at certified centers and have to go to campus for a couple of weeks in the summers for required courses.