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Looking for the latest statistics and facts on the topic of in-person vs online learning?
My updated guide for 2024 has everything you need, and more.
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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 In-Person vs Online Learning Statistics, Facts and Trends for This Year| Detailed In-Person vs Online Learning Statistics, Facts and Trends for This Year
Table of Contents
Key In-Person vs Online Learning Statistics, Facts and Trends for This Year
Key In-Person vs Online Learning Statics Facts and Trends for 2024
- 70% of students agree online classes are better than traditional classroom settings.
This preference is based on advantages like reduced expenses, time-saving, and becoming more tech-savvy. Plus with online learning there’s zero traveling hassle which some students value a lot. - Since 2020, 98% of Universities have moved their classes online. This shift was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, but was already starting due to technology changes and student behavior.
- 77% of academic leaders believe online education is equal or superior to learning in the classroom. Over 69% of chief academic officers believe online learning is a critical part of the long-term education strategy.
- E-learning can help students retain between 25% and 60% more information, compared to only 8% to 10% learning in a traditional classroom setting.
This increased retention comes from the nature of E-learning where more compact and better presented lessons are so much easier to remember long term over their lengthier counterpart’s. It also comes from students having more control over their learning experience, with the ability to revisit material easily. - Online learning uses 87% less energy and 85% fewer CO2 emissions per student compared to learning in a traditional setting. This is because in-person learning requires a lot of driving to get there, while online learning happens just there, online.
- eLearning requires 40% to 60% less time learning than traditional classrooms. This time efficiency is partly due to eliminating commute time and typical class overruns.
- A recent comprehensive study (I link to it in the footer of the page) showed that online degree is more than $30K cheaper than a traditional on campus degree. This cost difference considers tuition, living costs, food, and school supplies combined.
- The number of online learning platform users is expected to reach 57 million by 2027.
This growth was initially spurned on by COVID pandemic but is now being driven by convenience and low cost of online learning. - 95% of online students said they would recommend online education to others. This statistic is based on data collected from 351 school administrators and 1,800 students (I link to it in the footer)
- Global E-learning Market to reach USD $487.8 billion by 2027. This unprecedented rapid growth reflects online learning becoming an integral part of modern education systems worldwide and not just in the developed Western world.
- 60% of US graduates choose an online program because of its affordability. This was the top factor in choosing an online program, followed by the reputation of the school/program and the quickest path to getting the qualification.
- 63% of educational institutions made significant investments supporting online learning in 2020. They were ill-equipped before 2020 and the pandemic and now for many of these institutions, they’ve invested in expensive equipment so online learning is here to stay.
- 73% of US students want to continue taking online classes after the pandemic. This indicates a lasting shift in preferences even after the immediate need for remote learning has passed.
- Online learning courses that are 4 weeks long have the highest completion rate. This is based on data from Coursera, indicating that month-long courses with weekly new concepts and hands-on learning are most effective.
- 25% of MasterClass students say taking MasterClass classes have transformed their lives. This statistic highlights the potential impact of online learning platforms beyond just skill acquisition.
- 62% of students taking online courses are female. 38% are male.
- 477 full-time virtual schools enrolled more than 300K US KS-12 public school students. This statistic is from 2019-20, when 40 states had virtual or blended learning schools. In 2020, the graduation rate for KS-12 students was just 54.6%. This rate for virtual schools was significantly lower than the overall national graduation rate of 85%.
- 15% of US households with school-age children do not have internet at home. This statistic strongly correlates with household income, with the majority of the15% being from households earning less than $30K a year.
- According to UNESCO, Schools were closed for an average of 4.5 months during the pandemic. This closure affected an estimated 1.6 billion students globally (United Nations called this “the largest disruption to education in history“.) 48 countries had not yet fully reopened their schools 2 years into the pandemic.
- A recent study by Oxford College on the topics of in-person vs online learning found that 78% of learners would recommend e-learning to someone else.
Detailed In-Person vs Online Learning Statistics, Facts and Trends for This Year
What Percentage Of Students Prefer Online Classes To Traditional Classroom Settings?
70% of students agree online classes are better than traditional classroom settings.
Their preference is based on advantages like zero traveling, reduced expenses, saving time and becoming more tech-savvy.
30% of students still gave preference to traditional schooling over having online learning sessions.
How Many Universities Moved Their Classes Online?
Since 2020, 98% of Universities have moved their classes online. This shift was hugely accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, but was already starting to happen due to changes in student behavior and advancements in technology.
What Proportion Of Academic Leaders Believe Online Education Is Equal Or Superior To Classroom Learning?
77% of academic leaders believe online education is equal or superior to learning in the classroom.
Over 69% of chief academic officers believe online learning is a critical part of the long-term education strategy.
How Much More Information Can Students Retain Through E-Learning Compared To Traditional Methods?
E-learning can help students retain between 25% and 60% more information, compared to only 8% to 10% learning in a traditional classroom setting.
This increased retention comes from students having more control over their learning experience, with the ability to revisit material easily. Also, the nature of E-learning is such that the lessons are shorter and more compact (often better presented) which also help with learning and memorization.
How Much Less Energy and CO2 Emissions Does Online Learning Use Compared To Traditional Learning?
Because there’s zero driving and commuting, online learning uses 87% less energy and 85% fewer CO2 emissions per student compared to learning in a traditional setting.
How Much Less Time Does E-Learning Require Compared To Traditional Classrooms?
E-learning requires 40% to 60% less time learning than traditional classrooms. This time efficiency is partly due to eliminating commute time and typical class overruns.
How Much Cheaper Is an Online Degree Compared To a Traditional On-Campus Degree?
A recent comprehensive study (I link to it in the footer of the page) showed that online degree is more than $30K cheaper than a traditional on campus degree. This cost difference is made up in the the costs of tuition, food, school supplies and living cost.
How Many Online Learning Platform Users Are Expected in the Next Few Years?
The number of online learning platform users is expected to reach 57 million by 2027.
This growth was initially spurned on by COVID pandemic but is now being driven by convenience and minimal costs of online education
What Percentage Of Online Students Would Recommend Online Education To Others?
95% of online students said they would recommend online education to others. This statistic is based on data collected from 351 school administrators and 1,800 students, over 1-year time period.
What Is the Projected Value Of the Global E-Learning Market By 2026?
Global E-learning market is projected to reach $457.8 billion by 2026 and $487.8 billion by 2027. This unprecedented rapid growth reflects online learning becoming an integral part of modern education systems worldwide and not just in the developed Western world.
What Percentage Of US Graduates Choose Online Programs Due To Affordability?
60% of US graduates choose an online program because of its affordability. This was the top factor in choosing an online program, followed by the reputation of the school/program and the quickest path to getting the qualification.
What Percentage Of Educational Institutions Invested Significantly In Online Learning In 2020?
63% of educational institutions made significant investments supporting online learning in 2020. Before 2020 they were not equipped to make the transition from traditional learning to e-learning, but now that they’ve invested, online learning is here to stay.
Especially since students on average love online learning more than traditional in-person teaching.
What Percentage Of US Students Want To Continue Online Classes Post-Pandemic?
73% of US students want to continue taking online classes after the pandemic. This further shows student prefer online learning to in-person teaching. But it also shows the power of habit. Students after the pandemic were highly habituated to online learning to the point where traditional schooling seemed outdated to them.
What Duration Of Online Courses Has the Highest Completion Rate?
Data from Coursera shows that online learning courses that are 4 weeks long have the highest completion rate.
This is based on data from Coursera, indicating that month-long courses with weekly new concepts and hands-on learning appear to be the most effective.
What Proportion Of MasterClass Students Report a Life-Transforming Experience?
One-fourth of MasterClass students say that taking MasterClass classes have transformed their lives. This statistic highlights the potential impact of online learning platforms beyond just skill acquisition.
What Percentage Of Online Course Students Are Female? What Percentage of Them are Male?
62% of students taking online courses are female. 38% are male.
This shows that female students surpassed male students in both full-time and part-time online enrollments.
How Many K-12 Public School Students Were Enrolled In Full-Time Virtual Schools?
477 full-time virtual schools enrolled more than 300K US KS-12 public school students. This statistic is from 2019-20, when 40 states had virtual or blended learning schools.
What Was the Graduation Rate For K-12 Students In Virtual Schools In 2020?
In 2020, the graduation rate for KS-12 students was just 54.6%.
This rate for virtual schools was significantly lower than the overall national graduation rate of 85%.
What Percentage Of US Households With School-Age Children Lack Home Internet Access?
15% of US households with school-age children do not have internet at home.
This statistic correlates with household income, with the majority of the 15% being from households earning less than $30K a year.
How Many Countries Had Not Fully Reopened Their Schools Two Years Into the Pandemic?
According to UNESCO, Schools were closed for an average of 4.5 months during the pandemic. This closure affected an estimated 1.6 billion students globally (United Nations called this “the largest disruption to education in history“.) 48 countries had not yet fully reopened their schools 2 years into the pandemic.
What Percentage Of Learners Would Recommend E-Learning To Others?
A recent study by Oxford College on the topics of in-person vs online learning found that 78% of learners would recommend e-learning to someone else.
In-Person vs Online Learning Statistics Facts and Trends for 2024 (Conclusion)
My updated guide for 2024 lists the best and latest statistics, facts and trends about in-person vs online learning.
I hope you enjoyed it because the guide is now over.
During my research, I consulted these resources below:
References:
- 11 Exciting In-Person vs Online Learning Statistics for 2024- https://sellcoursesonline.com/in-person-vs-online-learning-statistics
- Do Students Learn Better Online or in a Classroom: Statistics- https://www.eschoolnews.com/innovative-teaching/2024/04/05/do-students-learn-better-online-or-in-a-classroom-statistics/
- In-Person vs Online Learning Statistics: The Top List of 2024- https://upskillwise.com/in-person-vs-online-learning-statistics/
- In-Person vs Online Learning Statistics (2024 Guide)- https://scorebeyond.com/in-person-vs-online-learning-statistics/
- The Most Important In-person Vs Online Learning Statistics- https://e.infogram.com/1421ae90-78a5-4aa6-a622-714153a56914?parent_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmoneyzine.com%2Fcareers%2Fonline-education-elearning-statistics%2F&src=embed
- In-Person vs Online Learning Statistics: A Comprehensive Analysis- https://legitcoursereviewers.com/in-person-vs-online-learning/
- In-Person Vs Online Learning Statistics of 2024 (Updated)- https://edwize.org/in-person-vs-online-learning-statistics/
- Online learning statistics show superiority over in-person education in 10 aspects- https://gitnux.org/in-person-vs-online-learning-statistics/
- Remote and In-Person Learning: Utility Versus Social Experience- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9769479/
- Online Learning vs Traditional Learning- https://potomac.edu/learning/online-learning-vs-traditional-learning/
- Students prefer online learning, survey finds- https://edscoop.com/students-prefer-online-learning-survey-finds/
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.