79+ Staggering Online Learning Statistics Revealed!????(2024)

When it comes to education, whether it is school-aged, higher education institutions, or company training, the vast majority is starting to swiftly move away from traditional face-to-face delivery to online learning.

The following Online learning statistics (e-learning) of 2024 reveal just how big this industry has grown to, and the projected future growth.

Learn about the biggest e-learning providers in the world, as well as academic and business-based online learning statistics (e-learning) in the article below.

Table of Contents

79+ Staggering Online Learning Statistics 2024 (All You Need To Know!)

Key Online Learning Statistics

To get a brief overview of the different trends of the e-learning industry, take a look at these key online learning statistics (e-learning).

The word ‘e-learning’ was coined in 1998
The e-learning market is over 2 decades old
It’s projected that by 2025, the global e-learning market will reach $325 billion USD
50% of student in various higher education institutions have taken an online course in the past year
Corporate e-learning reports the effect of increasing knowledge retention anywhere from 25-60%
Almost 80% of companies used online learning platforms in 2017, and in recent years it has continued to rise
Udemy is one of the most popular online learning platforms globally
When asked, 60% of Internet users reported that online courses are preferable to fit their lifestyle and schedules
Virtual and augmented reality education software is projected to reach $300 million USD in revenue by 2020.

Growth Of e-learning

Online learning statistics (e-learning) give an interesting insight into how rapid the growth has been since it’s implementation, as well as how big the industry is still becoming globally.

Since 2000, there has been a e-learning boom, the global industry grew by 900% since then.
The e-learning industry is expected to triple its size from 2020 to 2025
The e-learning market in the US is expected to increase by more than $6 billion USD between 2017 and 2022
The fastest-growing market in the Asia Pacific e-learning regional industry, with revenues expected to grow annually by 20%
Growing global e-learning markets include Thailand, Philippines, India, and China, with a more than a 30% growth rate annually
The mobile e-learning market is expected to grow to $38 billion USD by 2020
The US government in 2019 has bought approximately $2.59 billion USD worth of e-learning products that are ‘self-paced’
The self-paced e-learning market, however, is said to decline by 2021 to around $33.5 billion, as more experts and professionals create scheduled e-learning courses
Gamification learning is said to be one of the biggest growing e-learning areas, with the help of VR and AR leading the way for virtual courses and classrooms.
Microlearning is a key recent trend where learners choose small-sized learning modules to interact with educational content. In 2018, microlearning accounted for more than 60.7% of e-learning.

Online Learning Marketshare by Providers

There is a range of key players in the world of online learning. Read on to learn of the most popular e-learning providers in the industry.

The US and Europe market account for more than 70% of the global e-learning industry
Lynda.com, an e-learning platform received $103 million USD in venture funding in 2013
2 years after Lynda.com acquired its funding, Lynda was purchased by LinkedIn for $1.5 billion USD in 2015. It is now called LinkedIn Learning
In 2017, BlackBoard had the largest market share in the US and Canada, with close to 30% of institutions using it.
More than three-quarters of US higher education institutions and students relied on platforms such as Blackboard, Canvas, Moodle, and D2L Brightspace platforms
Virtual and Augmented reality learning is growing, with Sony selling $500 million worth of units of their PlayStation VR in 2017. It’s said that the future sees Sony using VR for learning courses
The most popular e-learning platform for courses is Udemy, with more than 20,000 experts creating content. There are more than 12 million Udemy students taking courses
Teachable is another leading platform, with more than 3 million students, 20,000 courses, and 7,500 experts
Close behind, the market leaders of e-learning platforms, are WizIQ, Ruzuku, Educadium, Learnworlds, Thinkific, Academy of Mind, CourseCraft, and Skillshare
The top teachers on Skillshare make up to $40,000 annually
India’s most popular global e-learning sites are Tata Interactive Systems and Classteacher Learning Systems.

Global Online Learning Statistics (e-learning) Trends

In the following online learning statistics (e-learning), you’ll notice specific trends in what’s happening globally.

Corporate training has become a $200 billion USD industry, with e-learning taking up more than $100 billion of the market share.
Already back in 2011, e-learning courses were the most popular learning technology, used by 80% of employers. To this day, this remains true
Producing and providing e-learning courses can consume 90% less energy and produces 86% fewer Co2 emissions per person than face-to-face sessions
Actively learning engaged workforces are said to deliver almost 3 times more earnings per share of their unengaged competitors who do not regularly offer training
42% of companies self-report that e-learning has led to a vast increase in their revenue
Close to 70% of organizations offer mobile learning
More than 40% of Fortune 500 companies are using e-learning regularly and extensively
72% of global organizations report that e-learning give them (or could potentially give them) a competitive advantage in their industry
More than 60% of US companies offer learning opportunities via smartphone technology
Video web activity accounts for more than 80% of activity online globally, with a great deal of this being courses and learning videos.

For more data, you can also see our other posts on at-home learning statistics, freelancer statistics, and video conferencing statistics.

Online Learning Statistics For Businesses

Companies are starting to utilize e-learning in their staff and company training methods, and the below statistics reveal the impact this has had on their growth, revenue, and employee retention.

E-learning is one of the top training methods within organizations of any kind
In 2011, 51% of companies delivered training via e-learning, which was a big increase from 39% in 2010
Corporations can save anywhere from 50-70% of their money to replacing an instructor with e-learning methods
IMB saved approximately $200 million after switching to e-learning training methods
By 2020, it’s projected that 98% of small businesses are planning to use e-learning for their own training, or within their company
For every dollar spent on e-learning methods, companies are said to make back around $30 in higher productivity
When employers spend close to $1,500 per employer annually on training, data reveals that their profit margins increase by around 25%
Companies with comprehensive training programs online have over 200% higher revenue per employee
E-learning has been found to increase employee retention rates by anywhere from 25-60%
At Fortune 500 firms, 73.6% of technology-delivered training comes through various networked, online methods.

In-person vs online learning statistics

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The number of students taking at least one online course has exceeded 6.6 million.
Online course enrollment experienced a growth rate of 5.6% in 2018.
Overall higher education enrollment declined by 1.5%.
Distance education has seen significant growth over the years, with an increase from 23.1% in 2012 to 35.3% in 2018.
Online learning can increase retention rates by 25% to 60% compared to traditional classroom settings.
E-learning allows individuals to potentially learn five times more material than in traditional classrooms.
In-person learning still remains the dominant mode of education, but online learning is steadily gaining popularity.
The flexibility of online learning appeals to many students, allowing them to balance education with other commitments.
Online courses offer accessibility to learners who may not have access to traditional education due to geographical limitations.
The convenience of online learning eliminates the need for commuting, saving time and expenses.
Online learning provides opportunities for self-paced learning, accommodating different learning styles and preferences.
In-person learning often emphasizes face-to-face interaction, group discussions, and immediate feedback from instructors, while online learning relies more on asynchronous communication and self-discipline.

Academic Trends for E-learning Statistics

Lastly, when it comes to academic online learning statistics (e-learning), you’ll see how much students in higher education rely on online learning methods for their education.

65% of US high education faculty support open educational resources
About 50% of students reported that they took part in some form of e-learning in the past year
E-learning students are said to learn 5 times more material for every hour of training than they do in face-to-face methods
There’s an increase in student retention rates for e-learning courses from 35-60%, compared with 8-10% of face-to-face training methods
Self-study e-learning tools are known as the asynchronous method
This asynchronous method of learning accounts for more than 20% of all pieces of training delivered
Almost half of all college students surveyed reported that digital learning was ‘extremely helpful’ for their education
81% of college students also agree that this technology increases their grades improvements
Presently, half (or more, depending on the institution) of all classes for education are completed online
Higher education institutions will soon start to implement VR and AR learning tools into their institutions in the near future.