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Looking for the latest statistics and facts on the topic of online learning?
My updated guide for 2024 has everything you need, and more.
Feel free to use the jump links below to go to the section that interests you the most.
You can also use this jump link to quickly jump to the KEY STATS section.
Also, all the references and resources I used in crafting my guide are listed at the bottom of the page.
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Jump here: Key Online Learning Statistics, Facts and Trends for This Year| Online Learning Statistics, Facts and Trends for This Year (Detailed Info)
Table of Contents
Key Online Learning Statistics, Facts and Trends for This Year
Key Online Learning Statistics, Facts and Trends for 2024
- Online learning has grown 900% since its creation in 2000.
- Online learning will have a 9.1% compound annual growth rate by 2030.
- The online learning industry is projected to be worth more than $370 billion by 2026. By 2030 online learning industry will be worth more than $900 billion.
- America’s online learning industry will be worth $687 billion by 2030.
- The online learning sector grew to be a $240 billion industry by 2022.
- The United States will generate $75 billion in online learning revenue this year (2025).
- University education is the largest market share in the industry, with a projected market volume of $113.8 billion in 2025.
- Worldwide, 49% of students have completed some sort of online learning.
- In 2022, 10.1 million college students (54%) took at least one class online. In 2024 that percentage rose to 64% of students having some experience with online learning. In 2025 it’s predicted that close to 70% of all students worldwide will have at least some experience with online learning.
- More than 30% of American students have taken at least one online course.
- About 4.9 million students (26%) take college classes exclusively online.
- 63% of students in the US engage in online learning activities daily.
- The number of undergraduates enrolled exclusively in online college courses jumped from 2.4 million to 7.0 million between 2019 and 2020.
- More than 200 million learners signed up for at least one massive open online course last year.
- Of those pursuing online education, 42% are 30 or older.
- 75% of US schools operated completely online during Covid-19.
- 7 in 10 K-12 students currently use cloud-based educational tools.
- 75% of undergraduates take at least one online course during their time, compared to 71% of graduate students.
- 77% of public college students take at least one online course.
- 76% of students at four-year institutions will take an online course, compared to 69% of students at two-year institutions.
- 70% of students say online learning is better than traditional classroom learning.
- Online learning can increase student and employee retention to as much as 50%.
- Online learning can reduce the time needed to learn a subject by 40% to 60%.
- Online learning and training can improve employee performance by 15% to 25%.
- 8 in 10 students claim that digital technology helps them improve their grades.
- 85% of students say critical thinking and problem-solving are the areas they see the most improvement in with online learning.
- 60% of online students reported improved soft skills.
- 41% of US graduate students prefer online education to traditional education.
- 95% of those who have taken an online course recommend them to their friends and family.
- 36% say completing an online course is easier than learning in a classroom.
- 96% of online program alums recommended online learning.
- 93% of graduates said their online degree will result in a positive return on investment.
- 75% of students said online education was better than or equal to in-person learning.
- 80% of businesses now offer online learning or training solutions.
- More than 3 in 4 companies (77%) provide online learning opportunities.
- Online learning boosts employee engagement by 18%.
- 42% of companies that offer online learning see an increase in income.
- Revenue per employee is 200%+ higher for companies that use online learning.
- Corporate participants learn almost 5x more material with online courses.
- Online learning requires 60% less employee time than a classroom.
- 72% of organizations say online learning increases their competitive edge.
- 54% of colleges charge remote students more than in-person students.
- On average, online college courses cost $15,000+ per year. The average net cost of online college is $500+ per hour. Public online college costs $10,000/year on average. Private non-profit online colleges cost $15,000 per year on average. Private for-profit online colleges cost $19,290 a year, on average.
- Revenue per user in online education will reach $20,000+ in 2023. In 2025 revenue per user is expected to hit $22 000 while by 2030 that number is expected to climb to $29 000.
- Women are slightly more likely (53%) to enroll in online courses than men (47%).
- 25% of low-income students worldwide have limited access to the technology and internet needed to study successfully.
- About half (49%) of students at fully online colleges are white and nearly one quarter (24%) are black. 15% of students at online colleges are Hispanic or Latinos. The remaining 12% are students of mixed race or undisclosed.
- 98% of universities have shifted to offer online courses. 4.5% of postsecondary institutions offer courses primarily online.
- 59% of the online education market share comes from content learning.
- Business courses are the most popular type of eLearning at 30%.
- 47% of school administrators said their schools planned to increase spending on online learning programs. 53% of school administrators are hesitant to pour their limited funds into bringing online learning into their schools.
- Online learning produces 85% fewer CO2 emissions per student than in-person learning.
Online Learning Statistics, Facts and Trends for This Year (Detailed Info)
How Much Has Online Learning Grown Since its Creation in 2000?
Online learning has grown 900% since its creation in 2000.
This growth rate makes online learning the fastest-growing market in the entire education industry. For example, while in 2022 the online learning sector was worth $240 billion, already in 2026 that worth will inflate to more than $370 billion (online learning will have a 9.1% compound annual growth rate by 2030.)
The current prediction is that by 2030 online learning industry will be worth more than $900 billion.
A large chunk of that value will be taken up by the US market. The projected value of America’s online learning industry will be worth $687 billion by 2030.
How Much Online Learning Revenue Will the United States Generate This Year?
The United States will generate $75 billion in online learning revenue this year (2025).
This revenue indicates the current state of the U.S. online learning market. It reflects the significant financial impact of online education in the country.
What is the Largest Market Share in the Online Learning Industry, and What’s its Projected Volume?
University education is the largest market share in the industry, with a projected market volume of $103.8 billion in 2023 and $111.7 in 2025.
This statistic shows universities are a major driver of growth and innovation in digital education.
What Percentage of Students Worldwide Have Completed Some Form of Online Learning?
Worldwide, 49% of students have completed some sort of online learning. In 2022, 10.1 million college students (54%) took at least one class online. In 2024 that percentage rose to 64% of students having some experience with online learning. In 2025 it’s predicted that close to 70% of all students worldwide will have at least some experience with online learning.
How Many Students Take College Classes Exclusively Online in the US?
In the US about 4.9 million students (26%) take college classes exclusively online. This figure shows a significant portion of students opting for fully online education. And no doubt the percentage will only grow in the future as distance learning becomes the norm.
However, 63% of all students in the US engage daily in some form of online learning activities and more than 30% of American students have taken and completed at least one online course.
How Did the Number of Undergraduates Enrolled Exclusively in Online Courses Change Between 2019 and 2020?
75% of US schools operated completely online during Covid-19 and the number of undergraduates enrolled exclusively in online college courses jumped from 2.4 million to 7.0 million between 2019 and 2020.
This dramatic increase reflects the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education. It also clearly demonstrates the capacity of online learning to accommodate rapid shifts in educational delivery.
Note: the COVID-19 pandemic has also showed that learning from afar is not only possible and doable, but also preferable to many a student who suddenly didn’t have to waste hours traveling to a fro to attend classes.
How Many Learners Signed Up for at Least One Massive Open Online Course Last Year?
More than 200 million learners signed up for at least one massive open online course last year. This number doesn’t include just college students, but adults of all ages. Of those pursuing online education, 42% are 30 or older.
What Percentage of K-12 Students Currently Use Cloud-Based Educational Tools?
7 in 10 K-12 students currently use cloud-based educational tools. This statistic shows the widespread adoption of digital learning technologies in primary and secondary education.
What Percentage of Undergraduates and Graduates Take at Least One Online Course?
75% of undergraduates take at least one online course during their time, compared to 71% of graduate students.
Also, 77% of public college students take at least one online course. And another study showed that 76% of students at four-year institutions will take an online course, compared to 69% of students at two-year institutions.
What Percentage of Students Believe Online Learning is Better Than Traditional Classroom Learning?
70% of students say online learning is better than traditional classroom learning.
As I mentioned above, many students during the COVID pandemic found it a joy not to have to travel all the time to attend their classes. Also, online lessons are often delivered in microlearning format which makes them much more suitable for students with shortened attention span and weaker focus.
Here’s a stat that proves it: online learning can increase student and employee retention to as much as 50%.
Increased retention drastically reduces the time needed to learn a subject thoroughly. A recent study (which I link in the footer of the page) showed that online learning can reduce the time needed to learn a subject by 40% to 60%.
What Percentage of Students Claim Digital Technology Helps Improve Their Grades?
8 in 10 students claim that digital technology helps them improve their academic performance. 85% of them say critical thinking and problem-solving are the areas they see the most improvement in with online learning.
60% of online students even reported improved soft skills as the result of having taken online courses.
What Percentage of US Graduate Students Prefer Online Education to Traditional Education?
41% of US graduate students prefer online education to traditional education. The same goes for online programs alums. 96% (nearly everyone) of them recommended online learning when directly asked about it.
This stat suggests that online programs are increasingly seen as a viable alternative to traditional graduate education.
In fact, 95% of everyone who’s taken an online course of any sort recommends them and 36% say completing an online course is easier than learning in a classroom.
What Percentage of Graduates Believed Their Online Degree Would Result in a Positive Return on Investment?
93% of graduates said their online degree will result in a positive return on investment.
This high percentage indicates strong confidence in the value of online degrees among graduates.
What Percentage of Businesses Now Offer Online Learning or Training Solutions?
80% of businesses now offer online learning or training solutions. Studies have shown that online learning and training can improve employee engagement and performance by 15% to 25%.
Studies have also shown that 42% of companies that offer online learning see an increase in income. In fact, revenue per employee is 200%+ higher for companies that use online learning.
How Much More Material Do Corporate Participants Learn With Online Courses Compared to Traditional Methods?
Corporate participants learn almost 5x more material with online courses. Not only that, but online learning requires 60% less employee time than a classroom.
This statistic suggests that online learning can be significantly more effective than traditional methods in a corporate setting.
What Percentage of Organizations Say Online Learning Increases Their Competitive Edge?
72% of organizations say online learning increases their competitive edge.
This high percentage indicates that businesses see online learning as a strategic asset, and not as a waste of money, time and other resources.
What Percentage of Colleges Charge Remote Students More Than In-Person Students?
54% of colleges charge remote students more than in-person students. On average, private online college courses cost $15,000+ per year. Public online college costs $10,000/year on average. The average net cost of online college is $500+ per hour.
Finally, private non-profit online colleges cost $15,000 per year on average, while private for-profit online colleges cost $19,290 a year, on average.
What Will the Revenue per User in Online Education Reach by 2023?
Revenue per user in online education will reach $20,000+ in 2023. In 2025 revenue per user is expected to hit $22 000 while by 2030 that number is expected to climb to $29 000.
How Does Online Course Enrollment Compare Between Men and Women?
Women are slightly more likely (53%) to enroll in online courses than men (47%).
What Percentage of Low-Income Students Have Limited Access to Technology and Internet Needed for Online Study?
25% of low-income students worldwide have limited access to the technology and internet needed to study successfully. These pupils are barred from enjoying that benefits of online education.
What is the Racial Composition of Students at Fully Online Colleges?
About half (49%) of students at fully online colleges are white and nearly one quarter (24%) are black. 15% of students at online colleges are Hispanic or Latinos. The remaining 12% are students of mixed race or undisclosed.
What Percentage of Universities Have Shifted to Offer Online Courses?
98% of universities have shifted to offer online courses. This doesn’t mean they only offer online coursers. Instead, it’s a mixture of online schooling and traditional education with a heavy lean on traditional in-person teaching methods. Only 4.5% of postsecondary institutions offer courses primarily online.
What Percentage of the Online Education Market Share Comes From Content Learning?
59% of the online education market share comes from content learning.
This majority share for content learning highlights the importance of quality educational materials in online education.
What is the Most Popular Type of eLearning Course?
Business courses are the most popular type of eLearning at 30%.
This statistic reflects the strong demand for business education in the online space. It suggests that many learners are using online platforms to acquire or enhance skills relevant to their careers in business.
What Percentage of School Administrators Plan to Increase Spending on Online Learning Programs?
47% of school administrators said their schools planned to increase spending on online learning programs.
This statistic shows that a significant portion of educational institutions are investing more in their online learning capabilities.
That said, 53% of school administrators are hesitant to pour their limited funds into bringing online learning into their schools.
How Much Less CO2 Emissions Does Online Learning Produce Compared to In-Person Learning?
Online learning produces 85% fewer CO2 emissions per student than in-person learning.
This dramatic reduction in carbon emissions highlights a significant environmental benefit of online learning. It suggests that the shift towards online education could play a role in efforts to combat climate change and reduce the carbon footprint of the education sector.
That said, we also have to take in consideration that increased usage of internet and LMS apps will lead to a huge increase in number of operating servers and data centers. And these consume huge amounts or energy as it is.
That’s a clear drawback to online learning and it seems unavoidable at the moment.
Online Learning Statistics, Facts and Trends for 2024
My updated guide for 2024 lists the best and latest statistics, facts and trends about online learning and how to best to use this way of learning to your advantage.
I hope you enjoyed it because the guide is now over.
During my research, I consulted these resources below:
References:
- Online Learning Statistics: The Ultimate List in 2024- https://www.devlinpeck.com/content/online-learning-statistics
- Online Learning Statistics- https://www.bestcolleges.com/research/online-learning-statistics/
- 2024 Online Learning Statistics- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/online-colleges/online-learning-stats/
- Online Learning Statistics: Is Online Education the Future?- https://bau.edu/blog/online-learning-statistics/
- 50 Online Education Statistics: 2024 Data on Higher Learning & Corporate Training- https://research.com/education/online-education-statistics
- E-Learning/Online Learning Statistics- https://www.brighterstridesaba.com/blog/e-learning-online-learning-statistics
- 50 Online Education Statistics: What You Need to Know- https://academicinfluence.com/resources/online-education-stats
- 80+ Online learning statistics: Growth rate and trends- https://preply.com/en/blog/online-learning-statistics/
- Online Learning Statistics: The Ultimate List of 2024- https://upskillwise.com/online-learning-statistics/
- eLearning Statistics 2024- https://elearningstats.education/
- E-learning statistics – learn more about the benefits of distance learning- https://www.evionica.com/blog/blog/e-learning-statistics-learn-more-about-the-benefits-of-distance-learning.html
- Students Distancing From Distance Learning- https://www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-innovation/teaching-learning/2024/01/30/online-college-enrollment-continues-post-pandemic
- Get the facts about online education- https://www.franklin.edu/degrees/online/learning-facts
- 50+ eLearning Statistics, Facts, Trends, and More- https://radixweb.com/blog/top-elearning-statistics
- Strengths and Weaknesses of Online Learning- https://www.uis.edu/ion/resources/tutorials/overview/strengths-weaknesses
- 110+ eLearning Statistics That Will Blow Your Mind [2024]- https://www.growthengineering.co.uk/elearning-statistics/
- Strengths and Weaknesses of Online Learning- https://www.uis.edu/ion/resources/tutorials/overview/strengths-weaknesses
- These 3 charts show the global growth in online learning- https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/01/online-learning-courses-reskill-skills-gap/
Nikola Roza
Nikola Roza is a blogger behind Nikola Roza- SEO for the Poor and Determined. He writes for bloggers who don't have huge marketing budget but still want to succeed. Nikola is passionate about precious metals IRAs and how to invest in gold and silver for a safer financial future. Learn about Nikola here.