Key Takeaways:
- Market Growth: The global eLearning market is on track to reach $1 trillion by 2032, expanding significantly from its current value.
- Revenue Growth: Revenue in the eLearning sector has grown by over 900% since 2000 and is on pace to triple by 2025.
- Corporate eLearning: 98% of US businesses planned to adopt eLearning, and 99% of organizations now offer eLearning to their employees, up from 76% five years ago.
- Mobile Learning: Mobile learning within the eLearning sector is experiencing an annual growth rate of 23%, highlighting the shift towards learning on the go.
- MOOC Expansion: The MOOC market, valued at $5.16 billion in 2019, is expected to reach $21.14 billion by 2025 and $119.17 billion by 2029.
- Retention and Engagement: eLearning can boost retention rates by 25% to 60% compared to traditional learning, with corporate eLearning increasing engagement by up to 18%.
- Cost Efficiency: Companies like IBM saved nearly $200 million by transitioning to online learning, achieving a $30 return for every dollar invested.
- Gamification and Microlearning: Gamification can enhance learner engagement by up to 60%, and microlearning is 17% more effective than traditional classroom training for knowledge transfer.
- AI in Education: The AI in education market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 37.2% from 2024 to 2032, underscoring the increasing role of AI in personalized learning.
- Environmental Impact: eLearning reduces energy consumption by 90% and results in 85% fewer CO2 emissions per person compared to traditional learning methods.
Market Growth and Projections
The online education sector is set to expand by 200% between 2020 and 2025.
Valued at $320.96 billion in 2024, the eLearning market is expected to surge to $539.88 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 14.1%.
The corporate eLearning market size is predicted to rise at a CAGR of 14.3% from 2024 to 2028, potentially hitting $153.41 billion.
The eLearning market is on track to expand from $210.1 billion in 2021 to $848.12 billion by 2030.
Revenue in the eLearning sector has grown by over 900% since 2000 and is on pace to triple by 2025.
The MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) market, valued at $5.16 billion in 2019, is expected to reach $21.14 billion by 2025.
Self-paced learning models make up 77% of the eLearning industry.
By 2030, the eLearning market is forecasted to grow to $545.3 billion.
Mobile learning within the eLearning sector is experiencing an annual growth rate of 23%.
The online learning platform market, including LMS, is growing at 5.26% annually and is expected to reach $58.45 billion by the end of 2024.
Companies are investing $340 billion in employee training and development, averaging more than $1,500 per employee each year.
Training budgets are anticipated to increase by 8% in 2024.
There are 800 different LMSs currently in the market.
The skills gap could lead to an $8.5 trillion deficit in revenue over the next decade.
The eLearning market is estimated to hit $185.20 billion in 2024.
The online education market in the United States is predicted to attain $87.51 billion in 2024.
The online learning market is expected to see 1,121 million users by 2029.
The AI in education market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 37.2% from 2024 to 2032.
The MOOC market is anticipated to expand to $119.17 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 39.20%.
The global eLearning market is on track to reach $1 trillion by 2032.
The European eLearning market is projected to grow by $147.7 billion between 2021 and 2025, representing an annual growth rate of 16%.
The number of registered learners on Coursera has jumped by 438% over the past five years.
The number of instructors generating seven-figure revenues from their courses grew by 48%.
Corporate eLearning is projected to grow by more than 250% between 2017 and 2026.
The number of users on online learning platforms is expected to reach 57 million by 2027.
In 2024, the online learning market is expected to have an average revenue per user of $0.21k.
Corporate eLearning
98% of US businesses planned to adopt e-learning.
67% of companies offer e-learning via smartphones.
By 2025, 50% of all corporate training is expected to be delivered online, a significant rise from less than 15% before COVID-19.
42% of US organizations reported increased revenue after integrating e-learning.
Employee engagement saw an 18% increase in companies that implemented eLearning.
Business retention rates improved from 25% to 60% thanks to eLearning.
Companies with training programs report 218% higher revenue per employee.
For 62% of businesses, closing employee knowledge gaps is the main use of eLearning in the workplace.
72% of organizations believe that eLearning provides them with a competitive edge.
72% of institutions launched new online programs due to employer demand, while 71% did so due to student demand.
Full-time students need to dedicate about 30 hours per week to their studies, which can be challenging for those who are also working.
77% of students believe that eLearning supports their employment and career objectives.
99% of organizations now offer eLearning to their employees, up from 76% five years ago.
Over 40% of Fortune 500 companies consistently use online learning as part of their training strategy.
IBM saved nearly $200 million by transitioning to online learning, achieving a $30 return for every dollar invested.
Dow Chemicals cut training costs by switching to eLearning, saving $34 million and reducing per-learner costs from $95 to $11.
94% of employees would remain at a company that invests in learning and development (L&D).
91% of managers believe that eLearning can help close skill gaps within their teams.
63% of L&D professionals agree that L&D now has representation at the executive level.
61% of L&D professionals feel they lack sufficient time to excel in their roles.
93% of businesses worldwide plan to implement eLearning in 2024.
82% of employees at large enterprises prefer interactive videos for learning over non-interactive ones.
7 in 10 employees prefer to engage in learning while at work.
Employees using mobile learning experienced a 43% increase in productivity.
Mobile learning enhances retention rates by 45% compared to traditional methods.
Nearly 46% of employers use mobile devices to deliver training to their workforce.
Closing the skills gap is the primary objective for 61% of corporate eLearning initiatives.
Other objectives include promoting organizational growth (46%), boosting employee engagement (44%), and enhancing job satisfaction (34%).
83% of employees globally recognize the existence of a skills gap.
62% of those impacted feel the skills gap affects them personally.
90% of companies provide some form of digital learning to their employees.
Corporate talent developers rank teaching soft skills as their top eLearning priority.
IBM managers were able to absorb 5x more content by incorporating eLearning into their training.
Business is the leading subject in college eLearning, with 26% of undergrad and 30% of graduate students enrolled in business courses.
Corporate eLearning requires 40%–60% less time compared to traditional classroom training.
Corporate eLearning has the potential to increase engagement by up to 18%.
Microlearning is shown to be 17% more effective than traditional classroom training for knowledge transfer.
Bite-sized content can increase knowledge retention by 20%.
58% of employees would prefer online training if the content were broken into smaller chunks.
95% of AstraZeneca's 500 sales employees completed all their available training modules through eLearning.
Corporate eLearning solutions reduce CO2 emissions by 5-10 tons per semester for every 100 students.
59% of L&D professionals highlight upskilling and reskilling as top priorities in their training programs.
46% of companies currently lack a strategic plan to address their skills gaps.
91% of L&D professionals acknowledge that soft skills are increasingly important.
Employees devote just 1% of their workweek—or about 24 minutes per week—to professional development.
Microlearning is shown to be 17% more effective than traditional classroom training for knowledge transfer.
Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Tools
30% of companies choose to partly or entirely outsource their LMS development or hosting needs.
LMSs are the most anticipated purchase for 2023 (39%), closely followed by authoring tools at 36%.
The market is populated with 800 LMS providers.
The authoring software market is expected to expand to $2.5 billion by 2028.
The global collaborative authoring tools market is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 13.1%, from $1774.5 million in 2022 to $5956.7 million by 2032.
A significant 93% of companies offer compliance training online, either partially or entirely.
82% of businesses conduct at least part of their compliance training via eLearning.
The LMS/SaaS sector commands over 29% of the total eLearning market.
71% believe that digital learning tools enhance real-world problem-solving skills.
35% of educators think that eLearning enables more personalized instruction.
90% of K-12 teachers state that digital learning tools are ideal for research and information searching.
35% of faculty say that eLearning tools offer actionable data on student progress.
27% of teachers possess data proving the effectiveness of digital learning tools.
Only one-third of classrooms are adequately equipped for effective eLearning.
41% of teachers feel they are not well-trained to use educational technology effectively.
39% of teachers in English Maintained Schools are reluctant to support eLearning tools.
89% of organizations use LMSs, followed by rapid eLearning tools (44%) and mobile applications (31%).
83% of LMS administration is handled in-house, with 23% of organizations outsourcing their LMS operations.
55% of LMSs are deployed in the cloud, while 45% remain on-premise.
50% of L&D professionals believe their learning systems are not suitable for their workforce.
Only 22.9% of respondents believe their LMS addressed the right problems for their organization.
44% of organizations express dissatisfaction with their current LMS.
25% of organizations are planning to switch LMS providers.
53% of learning leaders are seeking new LMSs due to poor usability, and 44% due to high costs.
93% of L&D professionals want to incorporate live online learning into their LMS.
82% of L&D professionals consider reporting and analytics to be crucial features of their LMS.
90% of learning professionals agree that learner engagement is vital in a learning system.
39% of learning professionals prioritize functionality when selecting an LMS, followed by reliability (20%), training support (17%), and price (12%).
45.4% of learning professionals consider themselves very knowledgeable about LMS selection and implementation before starting the process.
23.4% of learning professionals spend more than 6 months evaluating the LMS market, while 13.8% spend less than one month.
33.3% of learning professionals change their selection criteria during the LMS buying process.
74.1% of learning professionals use vendor demonstrations to guide their selection strategies, while 63.3% use a testing sandbox, and 42.2% conduct user testing.
The key LMS selection criteria include features (81.9%), price (67.5%), and support services (51.2%).
72% of organizations utilize a learning management system (LMS).
73.8 million people are estimated to use LMS as of 2024.
The education sector represents 21% of the global LMS market.
43% of teachers are incorporating adaptive learning platforms into their teaching.
35% of teachers use chatbots for student support.
51% of teachers reported using AI-powered educational games to engage students.
36.7% of educational institutions have selected Instructure’s Canvas as their Learning Management System (LMS).
Blackboard holds a 26.8% market share as an LMS.
Skillsoft’s Percipio platform sees 40.5k searches per month, reflecting a 669% increase over the past 5 years.
26% of learners wish their LMS included gamified elements.
92% of EE learners using Growth Engineering LMS agree that their digital skills have improved.
Developing a 1-hour eLearning course takes an average of 197 hours, ranging from 49 to 716 hours.
The cost to develop a 1-hour eLearning course is $9,826.
Content creation vendors typically charge between £25,000 ($31,200) and £30,000 ($37,440) for creating 1-hour of content from scratch.
53% of course creators spend 3 months or more to develop their eLearning courses.
Employee and Learner Preferences
68% of employees prefer learning opportunities while at work.
58% of employees favor learning at their own pace.
46% of students expressed a desire to complete some or all of their coursework online post-pandemic.
94% of employees are inclined to stay with a company that invests in their learning and development.
59% of millennials are drawn to organizations that prioritize training and development.
44% of workers globally consider e-learning an effective way to gain knowledge.
50% of organizations believe their current training strategy adequately prepares them for the future.
45% of businesses rate the integration of learning into their culture as four out of five.
47% of companies plan to combine online and in-person instruction post-pandemic.
64% of middle schoolers in the USA use digital learning tools daily.
43% of students believe eLearning tools are beneficial for homework and studying.
81% of students report that eLearning tools help them achieve better grades.
63% of US students engage with online learning tools every day.
93% of businesses worldwide plan to adopt online learning.
95% of students are willing to recommend online education to others.
96% of students find eLearning tools both fun and effective for self-learning.
52% of online students choose digital courses due to conflicts with on-campus attendance.
67.82% of students use email as their primary communication method with professors and peers.
50% of online college students are Millennials, with one-third being Gen X.
60% of undergraduates choose online programs based on affordability, while 39% prioritize the reputation of the program or school.
26% of undergraduates are interested in business courses, while 15% prefer IT-related programs.
56% of eLearning college students use tablets or smartphones for their studies.
17% of students say online learning is the only way to pursue their field of interest.
90% of students favor eLearning over traditional classroom-based learning.
85% of learners report their online learning experience as being better or equally as satisfactory as traditional face-to-face classes.
77% of learners believe remote learning is as effective as classroom-based instruction.
53% of Gen Z value learning for career advancement, compared to 37% of Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers.
55% of employees feel they need additional training to perform better in their roles.
75% of employees are satisfied with their organization's learning and development opportunities.
33% of learners lack the motivation to complete their training, and 25% lack the necessary time.
77% of global workers are willing to learn new skills, and 74% see training as a personal responsibility.
60% of students say online learning has had a positive impact on their soft skills.
94% of online learners prefer to study at their own pace.
78% of employees would rather work for a company with a gamified recruitment process.
89% of employees believe they would achieve better results if their work were more game-like.
72% of employees feel that gamification motivates them to work harder.
95% of employees enjoy using gamified systems.
47% of students claim that AI has positively impacted their learning experience.
4 in 5 learning professionals are eager to learn how to incorporate AI into their workflows.
52% of eLearning course enrollments do not result in active participation.
49% of employees say they don’t have enough time for learning.
73% of US students want to continue taking online classes after the pandemic.
50% of students reported using ChatGPT or GPT-4 for studying and research.
48% of students prefer to use ChatGPT for online quizzes or tests.
54.4% of undergraduates and 53.5% of graduate students chose distance education courses in Fall 2023.
23.9% of undergraduates were enrolled in exclusively online courses, while 30.5% participated in both online and offline courses.
38.7% of graduate students took fully online courses, and 14.8% engaged in a hybrid format.
61% of female students and 35% of male students enrolled in online classes in 2023.
4% of students enrolled in online education identified as Non-binary/non-conforming.
24% of students are concerned about the lack of quality in instructional support for online courses.
57% of US students are more optimistic about eLearning today than they were before the pandemic.
81% of US college students in a 2016 survey reported that eLearning had a positive impact on their academic results.
55% of students say affordability is one of the top three factors in choosing a school for online education.
20% of college students completed 100% of their online coursework on a phone or tablet.
Users are more likely to complete paid courses than free ones.
Affordability is the key deciding factor for 60% of undergraduates when choosing online education.
39% of undergraduates consider the reputation of the program or school to be the most important factor.
58% of employees would prefer online training if the content were broken into smaller chunks.
24% of online students express concerns about the quality, instruction, and support of their programs.
27% of students lack the basic computer skills necessary for eLearning.
43% of students identify cultural challenges as a significant barrier to online learning.
8% of students are concerned that new software or technology might pose challenges.
26.4% of students feel adequately prepared for eLearning, while 33.9% feel poorly prepared.
15% of students worry about the lack of interaction with peers and professors in online courses.
21% of students are concerned about how employers perceive online degrees.
Regional Growth
India, Thailand, the Philippines, and China are experiencing 30% annual market growth in global eLearning markets.
Online learning revenue in the Asia market is witnessing an annual growth of 20%.
The Asia Pacific eLearning market is expected to expand by 11% between 2020 and 2026.
The eLearning sector in the Asia Pacific region is projected to exceed USD $90 billion by 2026.
India's eLearning market is forecasted to reach $8.6 billion by 2026.
European and U.S. markets contribute 70% of the global user base for eLearning services.
The European eLearning market is set to grow by $147.7 billion between 2021 and 2025.
There is an anticipated $28 billion growth in the European e-learning sector over the next five years.
The German eLearning market is expected to expand at an annual rate of 22% until 2028.
In the U.S., 35.3% of students were enrolled in distance learning courses in 2018, compared to 31.8% in 2016 and 33.5% in 2017.
Private for-profit schools accounted for 73% of U.S. distance learning students in 2018.
Private non-profit schools comprised 30.4% of U.S. distance learning students in 2018.
Public schools accounted for 34.1% of U.S. distance learning students in 2018.
In 2018, 4.96 million students in U.S. public schools were enrolled in distance education courses.
Private schools had 1.9 million students enrolled in distance education courses in 2018.
In 2018, there were 26 million post-secondary students exclusively enrolled in distance learning, with 57% enrolled in courses offered by schools in the same state.
The U.S. online education market is projected to reach $87.51 billion in 2024.
The revenue of China's online education market is estimated to reach $45.06 billion in 2024, growing at 0.15% per year from 2024 to 2028.
By 2028, China's online education market is expected to reach $45.34 billion.
The number of online learners in China is expected to reach 345.5 million by 2028.
In India, the e-learning market revenue is anticipated to reach $6.71 billion in 2024, with growth projected to hit $14.65 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 21.56%.
India’s online learning platform market is expected to reach $5.50 billion in 2024.
The number of online learners in India is projected to reach 287.6 million by 2028, reflecting an annual growth rate of 16%.
Top markets for Coursera include the United States (17.3 million learners), India (13.6 million), Mexico (4.8 million), Brazil (3.7 million), and China (3.3 million).
In 2024, the online learning market is expected to have an average revenue per user of $0.21k.
In China, the average revenue per user in 2024 is predicted to be $0.14k.
In India, the average revenue per user is expected to be $35.36 in 2024.
Online Platforms and Providers
Udemy hosts over 20,000 professionals and has around 12 million students enrolled in its courses.
Teachable offers over 20,000 online courses and supports more than 7,500 professionals, with nearly 3 million students enrolled.
Tutors on platforms such as Ruzuku, Academy of Mind, and Skillshare can earn up to $40,000 annually.
75% of US learning institutions rely on these eLearning platforms.
LinkedIn Learning was created following LinkedIn’s $1.5 billion acquisition of Lynda.com.
BYJU's, an Indian e-learning startup, is valued at $22.6 billion, making it the largest Unicorn in India and the thirteenth largest globally.
By the end of 2019, over 13,500 MOOCs were launched or offered by 900+ universities.
MOOC programs have enrolled 110 million students globally.
Coursera boasts 45 million learners, 3,800 courses, 420 micro-credentials, and offers 16 degrees.
73% of students are unaware of the availability of MOOCs.
17% of eLearning students incorporate VR and simulations into their studies.
5,500+ L’Oréal Travel Retail learners using the Growth Engineering Learning App generate 18,400+ social engagements daily, resulting in a 20% increase in sales revenue in regions utilizing the app.
HP learners utilizing the Growth Engineering Learning App complete an average of 19.3 Knowledge Contests per month.
GAME Retail’s LMS has driven a 94.3% increase in average basket size tied to a specific training campaign.
Learners on Caffè Nero’s Learning Hub view 16,000+ eLearning units per month.
Users who pay for their courses spend 10% more time within their course portal than those with free access.
The average price for an online course is $137.
As of Q1 2024, Coursera had 148 million users worldwide.
Udacity serves nearly 17 million users across 240 countries.
73% of Udacity graduates reported a career change after completing a course.
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has an online enrollment rate of 54%, making it the highest-ranked eLearning school in the US.
98% of Coursera enrollments are in courses rated 4 stars or higher.
Over 180 million learners engage with massively open online courses (MOOCs).
Technology ranks as the #1 subject among the top 100 free online courses.
More than half of the people who sign up for eLearning courses do not engage with the course material.
Google's content on Coursera is forecasted to generate $100 million in revenue.
The average cost of an online course is $137.
The typical price range for an online course is between $0 and $304.
Enrollment in online courses saw increases of 2% in business, 10% in IT, and 5% in STEM fields from 2014 to 2019.
Technological Innovations and Trends
The mobile learning sector is projected to grow at a rate of 27% annually through 2028.
By 2027, the market for personalized e-learning, driven by AI in adaptive learning, could reach $12.5 billion.
67% of K-12 classrooms utilize online educational videos, while 65% incorporate educational software or apps.
E-books are used in 17% of K-12 classrooms.
56% of classes using eLearning allow students to conduct research on websites.
17% of eLearning students are engaged with VR and simulation tools.
17% of students report that their eLearning programs lack mobile access support.
45% of students believe their Wi-Fi is too slow for effective digital learning.
Microlearning can reduce development costs by 50% and speed up development by 300%.
Microlearning makes up more than 60% of all online learning experiences.
47% of L&D teams plan to implement microlearning programs in 2024.
Social learning can increase course completion rates by up to 85%.
Social learning delivers a 75:1 ROI compared to traditional web-based training.
70% of learners are more motivated when using mobile devices instead of computers.
64% of students utilize their mobile devices for instructional activities.
Adaptive learning can boost test scores by as much as 62%.
Gamification can enhance learner engagement by up to 60%.
Gamification can reduce the repetitions needed to form a new synapse in the brain from 400 to just 20.
AI-powered personalized learning solutions can improve assessment scores by 8.1 points and extend engagement by up to 42.3 minutes per session.
By the end of 2024, 47% of LMSs are expected to incorporate AI tools and capabilities.
12% of L&D professionals believe the impact of AI in learning is overhyped.
The introduction of AI in eLearning has led to an 80% increase in student engagement.
60% of educators have integrated AI into their classrooms.
38% of K-12 educators identify lack of Wi-Fi and device access as significant barriers to eLearning adoption.
eLearning has reduced energy consumption by 90%.
Online learning requires 40% to 60% less time than traditional learning methods.
eLearning can boost retention rates by 25% to 60% compared to traditional learning.
Searches for "eLearning" have surged by 271% over the past 5 years.
Skillsoft’s Percipio platform sees 40.5k searches per month, marking a 669% increase over the past 5 years.
20% of college students report completing 100% of their online coursework on a phone or tablet.
Technology constitutes 19.3% of online courses.
Online courses can boost student retention rates by 25% to 60%.
Retention rates for online courses typically fall between 35% and 60%.
eLearning methods cut the time required to learn by 25%-60% when compared to traditional approaches.
eLearning can reduce energy consumption by about 90%.
Online learning is capable of cutting energy consumption by 90%.
eLearning results in 85% fewer CO2 emissions per person.
The Forgetting Curve demonstrates that without retention efforts, we forget 90% of what we learn within 7 days.
Microlearning is shown to be 17% more effective than traditional classroom training for knowledge transfer.
Bite-sized content can increase knowledge retention by 20%.
Within six weeks of adopting gamification, T-Mobile awarded 187,000 achievement badges to learners.
Sources:
Statista, eLearning Industry, Campus Technology, Inside Higher Ed, InfoDocket, Kaltura, Belitsoft, EduMe, BestColleges, Deloitte, NewSchools, Semantic Scholar, Global Market Insights, Valuates Reports, Technavio, GlobeNewswire, Inside Higher Ed, Zoom, EduTechnica, Mordor Intelligence and Coursera.