19 Stats for Online Education Platforms in 2021

Saphyte Team

2 min read

Updated: May 18th, 2022

Online education platforms have been on the rise, especially since the pandemic started. Find out how this industry is doing with these 19 stats.

Online education platforms have been developed even before the pandemic started. The industry made it possible to connect and link educators and learners from around the world. Online learning platforms such as Udemy, Skillshare, MasterClass, Coursera, EdX, and Udacity are among the biggest names out there.

The pandemic has only accelerated the adoption of online education platforms. In fact, many analysts predict that online learning will become the future of learning.

How is the industry doing? Will it remain relevant post-pandemic? Check out these 19 stats for online education platforms in 2021.

The future of online education platforms

Online education platforms are one of the preferred modes of learning for many students around the world.

By 2022, the global e-learning industry is projected to surpass $243 billion. (Statista)

It is also projected to reach $336.98 billion by 2026. (Research and Markets)

As the quickest growing market in the education industry, digital learning has grown 900% since 2000. (KPMG)

Growing adoption in the US

The platforms have seen an increase in adoption even before the pandemic. A growth explosion in the industry is expected post-pandemic.

In the US alone, online student enrollment has been increasing for 14 years in a row vs. the overall US college enrollment, which has been declining over the last 10 years. (Taylor and Francis)

Around 63% of American high school students use digital learning tools daily. (Statista)

For American elementary students, around 45% of them use digital learning tools daily. (Statista)

And 64% of American middle school students use digital learning tools on a daily basis. (Statista)

More than 30% of American students report having enrolled in at least one online course. (Taylor and Francis)

Corporate E-learning

Online education platforms are not exclusive to students alone. Many corporations believe that training their employees via e-learning platforms will lead to improvements in performance.

• Globally, the corporate e-learning market is estimated to grow by USD 38.09 billion during 2020-2024 and will be one of the biggest drivers of the e-learning industry. (Business Wire)
• Around 42% of companies reported an increase in revenue after implementing e-learning. (SHIFT)
• What motivates employees to continue with e-learning are individual learning pace (95%) and no traveling (84%). (KPMG)
• Target groups of corporate e-learning include middle management, junior executives, high potential individuals, and senior management. (KPMG)
• Corporate e-learning reportedly resulted in an 18% increase in employee engagement. (SHIFT)
• And a $30 value of increased productivity for every $1 invested in e-learning. (SHIFT)

Massive open online course (MOOC) stats

MOOCs are courses aimed at providing “unlimited” participation to learners and open access using the Web. Examples of the largest MOOCs are:

Introduction to Computer Science (Harvard / edX)

Learning how to Learn (UC San Diego / Coursera)

Machine Learning (Stanford / Coursera)

Justice (Harvard / edX)

The Science of Happiness (Berkeley / edX)

Intro to Artificial Intelligence (Udacity)

In 2019, the global MOOC market was valued at $5.16 billion. (Mordor)

By 2025, it is expected to reach approximately USD 25.33 billion. (GlobeNewswire)

The global MOOC market is projected to have an annual growth rate of 29% from 2020 to 2025, the quickest growing market in the education industry. (Mordor)

However, around 73% of students remain unaware of MOOCs. (eLearning industry)

Out of the top 25 universities in the US, 22 now offer online courses for free. (Mordor)