31+ eLearning Statistics 2024: Facts, Trends, Demographics, And More
What is the state of eLearning?
Thanks to the advent of modern technology, learning is no longer something that has to take place in a classroom.
The rapid growth of online learning platforms and the widespread availability of educational resources means millions of people around the world can educate themselves online from the comfort of their own homes.
In this article, we’ll delve into some eLearning statistics that shed some light on the growth of the online learning industry, and highlight some key trends.
Editor’s picks
- 90% of corporate businesses offer eLearning opportunities to employees. (LinkedIn)
- The Covid-19 pandemic prompted exponential growth in the eLearning industry. (Global Market Insights)
- IBM saved almost $200 million by switching from traditional training to eLearning. (Sh!ft)
eLearning industry adoption and growth statistics
Here are some facts and figures that evidence the adoption and growth of the eLearning industry in recent years.
90% of corporate businesses offer eLearning opportunities to employees
According to LinkedIn’s 2018 report on workplace learning, surveys found that as many as 90% of corporations offer digital learning to employees.
Source: LinkedIn
eLearning is the quickest growing market in the education industry
Since 2000, the digital learning industry has grown by 900% making it the fastest-growing market in the education industry by a large margin.
Source: KPGM
By 2022, the eLearning industry is predicted to be worth a whopping $243 billion
According to a Research and Markets study, the rapid growth of the eLearning industry is expected to continue. It’s predicted the industry will be worth almost $337 billion by 2026.
Source: Statista
The Massive open online course industry is expected to be worth $374 billion by 2026
MOOC’s are large course platforms that allow for unlimited numbers of participants worldwide. Sites like Udemy and Coursera are big players in this market, but the demand is ever-expanding. By 2026, the industry is expected to be worth over $350 billion.
Source: Global Newswire
The Covid-19 pandemic prompted exponential growth in the eLearning industry
During 2020, demand for online learning opportunities rose exponentially according to a study by global market insights. Demand rose by as much as 400%, with many people wanting to upskill during their time off work.
Source: Global Market Insights
Corporate eLearning statistics
One of the biggest uses for eLearning resources is corporate training and development. Here are some statistics related to eLearning in a corporate setting.
The corporate eLearning industry is expected to be worth $50 billion by 2026
The industry is expected to grow by 15% annually, with most of the growth being driven by corporate adoption of eLearning.
Source: Business Wire
82% of companies use eLearning to conduct at least some of their compliance training
According to training mag’s 2018 industry report, over ¾ of businesses delivered some modules of their compliance training online, with 28% of companies delivering all of their compliance training online.
Source: Training Mag
25.6% of corporate training hours were delivered via eLearning in 2018
Although eLearning is a growing trend in the corporate world, many companies are slow to adopt it as their main method of training. eLearning made up for only a ¼ of training hours delivers across corporations in 2018. Source: Training Mag
62% of companies use online learning and development programs to close gaps in employee knowledge
Some corporate companies use eLearning for a variety of different purposes but the most popular use is filling gaps in employee knowledge. 62% of companies report that this is their main use for eLearning in the workplace.
Source: Udemy
41.7% of Fortune 500 companies use some form of technology to train employees
According to an article published by skill dynamics, almost half of fortune 500 companies use eLearning as part of their employee training. The article also states that eLearning is popular with successful corporations, as it reduces distractions for employees, harbors enthusiasm, and improves collaboration during the training process.
Source: Skill Dynamics
Academic eLearning statistic
eLearning is also a growing trend in the academic world. Here are some statistics relating to eLearning in schools and higher education
64% of us middle school children use digital learning tools every day
Although eLearning is commonly associated with students at the undergraduate level, digital learning tools are becoming more commonplace in younger age groups too. 64% of middles school students use some form of ed tech on a daily basis. This figure is slightly lower in elementary schools, at 45%.
Source: New Schools
43% of students find eLearning tools extremely useful for studying and homework
eLearning in academia takes many forms from online classes and lectures to eLearning materials provided to help with homework and assignment completion.
Almost half of the students report that eLearning materials are extremely useful for completing homework and studying when they’re away from the classroom.
An example of an eLearning tool would be StuDocu, they have a vast amount of free educational materials students can access to help with course work and notes.
Source: Statista
81% of students reported that eLearning tools help them to improve their grades
In the same way, eLearning tools are proving essential for helping students keep their grades at the desired level. Over ¾ of students report that eLearning is essential to helping them improve and maintain their grades.
Source: Statista
Around 50% of students took part in some form of eLearning last year
Although the higher education model still favors the in-person model, the number of students that took part in eLearning last year was still quite high. Almost half of all students engaged in some form of eLearning in 2019 and 2020.
Source: Skill Scouter
Student retention rates for eLearning courses is 35%-60%
Dropouts from online courses are much less likely than they are for in-person courses. For in-person courses, the retention rate for students is around 10%. The average retention rate for eLearning courses is almost 3x higher. Source: Skill Scouter
46% of students reported they would want to take some or all of their academic course online post-pandemic
2020 was a remarkable year for all industries, but in particular, it forced many educational industries to adapt quickly and implement eLearning options for students. Many students were in favor of the change, and just less than half of them reported they’d like to continue taking courses online once the world returns to normal.
Source: Inside Highered
33% of higher education institutions indicate they will continue to offer their course partly, or fully online post-pandemic
This is good news for students who enjoyed eLearning during the pandemic. Over 30% of institutions plan to make eLearning a part of their regular course programming even after they are allowed to fully open up to students.
Source: Education Data
22% of graduates take part in exclusively online courses
Although most students opt to take part in in-person college courses, demand for fully online college courses is on the rise. Currently, around 20% of graduates took part in exclusively online courses to complete their degree certification.
Source: UTEP Connect
41% of students reported that their eLearning courses were better than their in-person classes
A good percentage of students find eLearning to be as, if not more beneficial than their regular in-person classes. Perhaps this popularity will lead to further growth in eLearning options in educational institutions.
Source: Statista
eLearning financial statistics
Here are some statistics relating to the financial costs and benefits of eLearning across industries.
IBM saved almost $200 million by switching from traditional training to eLearning
Employee training and development make up a huge part of large companies’ budgets, but eLearning appears to be one way to save money. Computer hardware corporation IBM reportedly saved around $200 million after implementing eLearning.
Source: Sh!ft
42% of companies report an increase in revenue after switching to eLearning
According to studies, nearly half of companies also report at least some increase in revenue by switching from regular training methods to eLearning. Source: Sh!ft
Revenue generated per employee is 26% higher for companies that offer eLearning
Not only does eLearning help companies to save money on employee training, but statistics suggest that it also helps them to train their employees more effectively. Per employee, revenue generates is over ¼ higher for companies that chose eLearning over traditional training methods. Source: Sh!ft
It costs anywhere between $144 to $10,800 to create an online course
According to an article published by sell courses online, the average cost of creating an online course can range anywhere from $144 to upwards of $10,000. How much a course costs to make depends on a number of factors such as the number of modules and the certification it provides.
Source: Sell courses online
The average price of an online course is $177
Despite the cost of the creation of some courses being as high as $10,000, the average cost of a course is around $177. Once created, many eLearning courses require little effort to maintain, so it’s easy for course creators to ensure a good return on investment. Source: Sell courses online
eLearning platform statistics
Aside from corporate and academic eLearning, there is a huge demand for independent eLearning platforms that help people to upskill and learn new things from home. As a result, various online course platforms have been created to meet this demand.
Here are some statistics about these platforms:
Udemy is the most popular eLearning platform, with over 40 million students
Udemy was a first mover in the eLearning space and has grown in popularity since it was founded in 2009. It now has over 40 million active students and offers courses on a range of professional subjects including finance and accounting, personal development, IT and software, and many more. The platform plays host to over 150,000 courses.
Source: Udemy
Courses creators have earned $1 Billion using Thinkable and Teachable
Thinkable and Teachable are also extremely popular course platforms for students looking to professionally upskill and retrain. To date, these platforms have help creators earn over $1 billion in revenue from course sales.
Source: Sell courses online
The most popular independent course categories are marketing, food and drink and self-habits
Independent eLearning is popular with professionals, but it’s also popular with students looking to personally develop and learn new skills that don’t relate to their careers. This is evidenced by Teachable’s most popular categories including food and drink and self habits.
Source: Teachable
Teachables most popular course is email marketing
In addition to this, Teachable’s most popular course overall is email marketing. The course is called Email Marketing Magic and costs $399. The teacher goes into great depth about email marketing skills, tactics, and strategies as well as what tools are needed for email marketing.
Source: Teachable
Global eLearning trends
eLearning is a popular global trend. Whilst some regions are still focusing on in-person education methods, others are rapidly adopting eLearning to help enhance their educational systems. Here are some statistics that shed light on the different eLearning markets worldwide.
Germany is the European frontrunner in the eLearning industry and has the highest market share in Europe
Germany’s eLearning market is growing by 8.5% each year, which is no surprise considering it has the largest eLearning market share in Europe.
Source: Business Wire
India’s online education market is expected to grow by $14.33 billion by 2024
Online education popularity is also growing in India. The industry is expected to grow by almost $15 billion in the next 3 years. Topics including digital marketing and language learning are amongst the most popular.
Source: elearn2grow.com
The Asia Pacific region has the fastest-growing eLearning market
The eLearning market in the Asia-Pacific region has a growth rate of 17.3% whilst the average global growth rate stands at 7.6%.
Other regions where the eLearning industry is experiencing rapid growth include Eastern Europe, Africa, and Latin America.
Source: Docebo
The K-12 online learning market in China grew by 20% since 2017
China’s K-12 education system puts a huge emphasis on the importance of eLearning. Since 2017, the market has grown by 20%. Schools and students turn to eLearning resources for help with language learning and other class studies.
Chinas school system also relied heavily on eLearning during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns.
Source: Market Research
Final thoughts
And there you have it – the latest eLearning statistics, facts, and trends you need to know.
We’ve seen just how important the eLearning sector is, how fast it’s growing, and more.
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