The global online learning industry is sporting massive annual growth of 19% or more per year, and it’s set to be a $243 billion industry within two years. The United States is still at the forefront of the industry in terms of market size, but other regions such as Europe, Latin America, and Asia are also starting to become increasingly prevalent players in the industry.
By 2022, the global e-learning industry is projected to surpass $243 billion. Statista
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality technologies will be one of the biggest innovators of the industry during this decade. Research & Markets
By 2026, the global e-learning industry is projected to reach $336.98 billion. MarketResearch.com
Mobile learning (m-learning) is one of the fastest growing markets in e-learning, with an annual growth of 23%. Technavio
Digital learning is the quickest growing market in the education industry, with a whopping 900% growth since 2000.
KPMG
The global Learning Management System (LMS) market is expected to reach $29 billion by 2026, with annual growth of 19.1%.
Fortune BI
Between 2017 and 2022, the e-learning market in the U.S. will have increased by $6.22 billion. Technavio
59% of the U.S. market share comes from content-related e-learning products. Technavio
63% of American high school students use digital learning tools daily. Statista
45% of American elementary school students use digital learning tools daily. Statista
64% of American middle school students use digital learning tools on a daily basis. Statista
The decline in college enrollment in the U.S. is expected to become worse in the late 2020s partly due to the rising costs of studies and college degrees being seen as less valuable. Taylor & Francis
99% of students taking U.S online degree programs are physically located in the U.S. Taylor & Francis
More than 30% of American students enroll in at least one online course. Taylor & Francis
20% of American online college students use solely their phones or tablets to complete all of their course-related activities. Statista
39% of American undergraduate students consider online college-level education to be superior to classroom learning. Statista
52% of American graduate students considered online college-level education to be better than classroom learning. Statista
Germany has the highest e-learning market share in Europe. Business Wire
60% of kindergartens in Estonia offer IT-based learning activities. Estonia is Europe’s top nation in the latest PISA education survey. e-estonia
Germany’s e-learning market is growing 8.5% annually, while the German economy is growing at around 1.9%. Learning Insights
The average e-learning company in Europe has 25 employees and yearly turnover of €3 million.
Learning Insights
The overall mission of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), consisting of 48 countries, is for digital learning to enhance traditional higher education, rather than to replace it. EUA
Online Course & MOOC
Statistics
Today nearly all top U.S universities already offer online courses. Recent data also reveals that the vast majority of online course users are highly educated with a Bachelor’s degree or higher.
Online courses save educational institutions from $12 to $66 per credit hour. That is a difference of 3% to 50% of the average credit hour costs.
ASU
67% of students use mobile devices to finish online course tasks. Learning House
Online Education Statistics
The data on online education shows worldwide growth. The most recent statistics show that most K-12, undergraduate and graduate students are in favor of using e-learning in schools. Educational institutions see digital learning as a way to rejuvenate the stagnant numbers of student enrollment, and students see e-learning in schools as favorable alternative to traditional classrooms.
E-learning can increase student retention rates by 25% to 60%. Forbes
10 of the largest educational institutions in the world enroll as much as 20% of all online students.
EdSurge
57% of students are assigned personal mobile devices for school use. Tomorrow
The number of students taking some or all of their courses online is growing 5% annually. ASU
46.4% of undergraduate students taking entirely online degrees are studying either Business (17%), Computer Science (16.1%), or Health (13%). NCES
The percentage of undergraduate students taking one or more online classes has risen from 15.6% in 2004 to 43.1% in 2016. NCES
More than half of all nursing and criminal justice students pursue their master’s degrees either fully or partly online. EdSurge
24.9% of undergraduate students taking entirely online degrees are aged 30 or older. NCES
The percentage of undergraduate students taking entirely online degree programs has risen from 3.8% in 2008 to 10.8% in 2016. NCES
37 postgraduate students from a Russel Group University in the UK participated in a distance learning study. The students met with a number of administrative and practical barriers, and it was found that university support is crucial for the success of a distance learning program. Taylor & Francis
The percentage of graduate students taking entirely online degree programs has risen from 6.1% in 2008 to 27.3% in 2016. NCES
For 86% of online degree graduates, the value gained from their online degree exceeded or equaled the cost they paid for it. Learning House
The percentage of graduate students taking one or more online classes has risen from 16.5% in 2008 to 45.6% in 2016. NCES
41.6% of graduate students who take fully online degrees are aged 30 or older. NCES
In the UK, the completion rate for online higher education and further education is between 70% and 80%. UK Gov
There are many benefits to e-learning – or online learning – compared to classroom teaching, and one article can not do justice to all of them. That’s why I decided to pick out the most important advantages of e-learning that sets it apart from other learning methods.
The following are what I consider the ten most important advantages of e-learning:
Advantages of E-Learning
- E-learning is self-paced
- E-learning is student-centered
- E-Learning is cost-effective
- E-learning accommodates individual learning styles
- E-learning allows for customized learning environments
- E-learning is built for analytics
- E-learning could solve teacher scarcity
- E-learning is environmentally friendly
- E-learning reduces the need for textbooks
- E-learning is time-efficient
E-learning is student-centered
Student-centered learning (SCL), also referred to as learner-centered education, is a modern approach to learning that aims to put the students in the center of focus rather than the teachers. Student-centered learning tends to go hand in hand with e-learning with relatively easy implementation of tools such as student discussion boards and peer grading systems.
In fact, many of the ten types of e-learning largely revolve around the idea of student-centeredness. Both collaborative e-learning and synchronous online learning promote student-to-student interaction. Being able to plan and design fully student-centered online learning environments is one of the greatest advantages that e-learning has. The value of student-centeredness must not be understated.
E-Learning is cost-effective
Due to simplified logistics and lowered travel costs, among other factors, learning institutions that utilize e-learning can expect to save 50% to 70% on overall training costs. How, exactly? Let’s bring some real-life examples of e-learning to the table.
The University of North Carolina in Charlotte (UNC) is an excellent example of how turning to online learning can promote cost efficiency. UNC claims that it managed to save $5,000,000 in 2010 by focusing on e-learning rather than traditional classroom-based learning. Additionally, they saw an increased number of total students in their faculties. These savings came from the simple fact that they did not have to make investments in physical premises to facilitate learning. Virtual classrooms have no need for physical lecture halls, which tend to get very costly.
Another example of advantageous cost efficiency in e-learning is Wisconsin-Madison University, which saved US$172,000 solely due to savings in professors’ time. E-learning reduced the amount of overall time professors had to spend on learning sessions, and this time saving led to reduced spending for the university.
For educational institutions, the cost-effectiveness of e-learning can also be advantageous when used together with classroom-based learning. This is known as blended learning, and it’s an excellent alternative for organizations that are not yet ready to fully move over to e-learning.
Cost efficiency in e-learning applies not only to educational institutions but also similarly applies to students. For instance, e-learning reduces the costs associated with commuting, textbooks, and childcare. I will cover some of these points later in this article.
E-learning accommodates individual learning styles
E-Learning takes into consideration the differences of individual learners, and it allows students to practice their own individual learning styles. In other words, students are not always required to pass all unwanted courses in a curriculum, and they can choose specific topics of interest to them. All students have different learning styles, and there will never be a one-size-fits-all type of solution that will match all students at once. That is why individualistic learning methods are some of the greatest advantages of e-learning.
For instance, one of the most innovative types of e-learning, adaptive e-learning, has the potential to be the most individualistic learning method ever made if implemented correctly. To recap, adaptive e-learning materials are designed to automatically change and adapt according to the knowledge, skills, and needs of each individual student.
E-learning allows for customized learning environments
Researchers found that employees working in environments without pictures, plants, souvenirs, and other distractions were 15% less productive than those working with said “distractions.” This also applies to the educational context – students who don’t have a desirable learning environment will feel it affects their learning performance and mental health.
This is where the problem arises – in traditional classrooms, the learning environments are predetermined by the educational institutions according to their preferences. In other words, the students rarely have any say in what their learning environment looks like.
On the other hand, in the case of e-learning, the students have total control of their learning environment. Those students who feel the benefits of a plant-filled environment can customize their e-learning environment accordingly. And those students who feel better in a minimalistic learning environment without any distractions can reap the benefits of such an environment when pursuing online courses.
E-learning is built for analytics
Data is the new oil, and e-learning makes use of student data much more effectively than other forms of learning. That is because with all students using online systems for their learning, it’s possible to relatively easily measure all their interactions with those systems (with appropriate privacy safeguards, of course). E-learning analytics is the extraction of valuable information from online learning management systems, and it’s another one of the greatest benefits of e-learning.
With student data gained through e-learning analytics, educational institutions can improve their training materials and boost learning outcomes in various ways. For example, if we have data on student dropout rates, we can identify potential pitfalls in our learning materials and eliminate them. Afterward, we can gather new data and analyze whether our change was beneficial to our learning outcomes or not. The potential value of data in education is immense, and its full potential is yet to be realized.
E-learning could solve teacher scarcity
In 2019, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) educational economists wrote in their report that the shortage of experienced teachers is “real, large, growing, and worse than we thought”. Moreover, the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) has also identified the problem of teacher scarcity on numerous occasions, describing it as “one of the most pressing issues facing policymakers”.
The issue of teacher shortage will undoubtedly be difficult to solve, but there are considerable benefits of e-learning in combating teacher scarcity. To clarify, let’s make a comparison. Regular universities have an average of 16.5 students per staff member, while e-learning courses created by one or two qualified and experienced teachers can serve thousands, if not millions, of students. E-learning could potentially reduce the pressure on what is currently a massive 3 million-strong teaching workforce in the US today. Instead of focusing our efforts on recruiting more teachers, perhaps we should instead focus on enabling our highest quality teachers to deliver their materials to a broader range of students through e-learning.
E-learning is environmentally friendly
On average, distance learning courses consume 90% less energy and emitted 85% fewer CO2 emissions than traditional university courses. In addition, as e-learning is generally a paperless learning method, it does not contribute to many of the environmental issues associated with paper production. For example, there is no need to cut down trees for paper or to create paper-cellulose production factories, which are known to cause atmospheric pollution in surrounding areas.
E-learning reduces the need for textbooks
The total value of the textbook industry is $7-$10 billion, and the average college student spends close to $1,200 per year on textbooks alone. Many students finance their textbook purchases from their student loans, and students who graduate with student loans are known to experience increased stress and depression.
One big advantage of e-learning is that it tends to require fewer or no textbooks from its students. Learning materials can be put online without restriction. And online learning materials can be reused and updated as needed an unlimited number of times, unlike textbooks which need to be reissued and rebought once again when they become obsolete.
E-learning is time-efficient
Online learning cuts the learning time down by 25% to 60% compared to traditional classroom learning. Coupled with the advantages of self-paced e-learning, this results in a highly time-efficient learning solution both for the students and the teachers.
In traditional learning institutions, making changes to school curriculums is a long and complicated process that is often avoided due to its complexity. However, in the case of e-learning, lessons can be delivered and updated more quickly and efficiently – sometimes within days. When used in conjunction with data-oriented e-learning analytics, these changes to the learning materials are not only based on theory but real evidence.
The online learning industry is growing by 15% annually. As technology and internet access becomes available to more people, e-Learning is quickly becoming the preferred way to learn. Hand-in-hand with this massive growth, many e-learning quotes have been put forth by professionals from all walks of life. In this article, we’ll be highlighting the most compelling and interesting of them.
Regionally, Asia Pacific saw the biggest student presence on the learning platform, with 28 million new online learners enrolling for 68 million courses, followed by North America, Europe and Latin America.
At the country level, the US topped the standings with more than 17 million people getting enrolled in online learning, followed by India with 13.6 million. A sizable gap separated these two nations from Mexico with almost 5 million, with Brazil and China completing the top five list. The highest rate of new learner growth came from emerging economies however, led by Paraguay with 98% growth totalling 110,000 learners.
Lebanon saw 97% growth in learners, with 158,000 in total. Although the Philippines saw 85% learner growth, the South East Asian nation registered 1.3 million learners in total.
Other emerging nations with high student totals that saw more than 50% growth in 2021 include Indonesia, Kenya, Vietnam and Kazakhstan.
Access to quality online learning is an important step in helping people future-proof their skills and seek new opportunities for growth and development.
Global Online Learning Industry Facts & Statistics
Online learning is relatively the newest form of distance education (Stern, n.d.), although it has been practiced for decades (OnlineSchools.org, n.d.). Often referred to as elearning, it takes place on the internet. Online education has since paved the way for a pedagogical shift in the way teachers teach and how students learn. In this mode of learning, teachers and instructors function as guides, while students become active collaborators rather than mere passive learners (Stern, n.d.).
Online learning emerged as a safe and viable option for education continuity as the COVID-19 pandemic turned personal and professional worlds upside down. Even before the pandemic, the global elearning market was already seeing a massive annual global growth. It is expected to reach $336.98 billion by 2026, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.1% from 2018 to 2026 (Syngene Research, 2019).
The growth estimates are likely to see an update sooner rather than later owing to the pandemic.
- Even prior to the pandemic, the elearning market in the U.S. will have grown to $6.22 US billion between 2017 and 2022, according to Technavio (2018).
- The United States, India, China, South Korea, United Kingdom, and Côte d’Ivoire have been known to invest most in elearning (Dos Santos, 2019).
- Around 59% of the U.S. elearning market share comes from content-related online learning products (Technavio, 2018).
- The growth of online education in the USA can be attributed to the increasing patronage among students. It is estimated that more than 30% of American students are enrolled in at least one online course (Palvia, et al., 2018).
- About 99% of these students taking U.S. online degree programs are physically located in the country (Palvia, et al., 2018).
- A survey showed that 52% of graduate students in the U.S. found their online college-level education to provide a better learning experience than their college-level classroom education (Duffin, 2019).
- The elearning market in the European Union is led by Germany (Stratistics Market Research Consulting, 2019).
- Germany’s online learning market is growing at a rate of 8.5% annually, while the country’s economy continues to grow at around 1.9% (Michel, 2018).
- According to a report for the European University Association, the main mission of the European Higher Education Area is to utilize digital learning for enhancing traditional higher education rather than replace the latter with the former (Gaebel, 2015).
Online Learning Technology and Trends
The potential of technology to drive transformation and evolution in the education sector has always been apparent, especially with free LMS made available. Here are some of the facts and figures most relevant to online education.
- In the U.S. alone, education technology investment has already exceeded $13 billion (Technology for Education Consortium, 2017). As online learning occurs over the internet, it naturally utilizes technology—and as education technology itself keeps on evolving, e-learning is also bound to be revolutionized.
- Learning experience platforms (LXPs), the next-level learning management systems (LMS), will continue to play a crucial role in providing customized and more social online learning experience. LXPs, the market for which has already passed the $350 million mark (Bersin, 2018), are AI-powered learning mediums that are expected to be extensively adopted by huge enterprises (Dixit, 2019).
- Videos are among the most effective content elements on the internet today. When it comes to online learning and development, video is the more preferred medium compared to text documents (Kaltura, 2019). As an engaging and integrative content format, video is seen as a vital part of online education and workplace learning.
- More advanced visual technologies may also find their way into the elearning industry. These technologies include virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). VR refers to the technology that provides users with an immersion experience that aims to shut out their actual physical environment. Meanwhile, AR adds digital elements to a live view produced by a digital device’s camera (The Franklin Institute, 2020).
- As these are quite expensive, it is likely that they will be first leveraged by huge corporations for training and upskilling. Fortune 500 companies Walmart, UPS, and Boeing, for instance, have already incorporated VR in their employee education programs (Morris, 2018). Walmart has partnered with VR training company Strivr to develop VR training scenarios played on Oculus devices. Through this technology, Walmart is able to train employees in-store, instead of having them travel and attend Walmart Academies. UPS, on the other hand, utilizes HTC Vive VR headsets to train drivers in spotting potential hazards while driving down virtual roads. Meanwhile, Boeing uses AR to provide its technicians with hands-free, interactive 3D diagrams as they install and repair aircraft electrical wiring (Morris, 2018).
- In a survey, it was found that 67% of American college students used their mobile devices to complete all or some of their course-related activities.
- Meanwhile, 12% were not able to use their mobile devices to perform course-related activities, but would have if given the chance.
- Only 21% have not used their mobile devices for studying and do not want to do so (Clement, 2018).
- Another study found that students believe mobile devices provide them with easier access to coursework. They also make for improved communication with other students and instructors, as well as help enhance their work quality and knowledge in their field of study (Seilhamer, et.al., 2018). In this regard, facilitators can engage more learners when they make their courses, materials, and activities accessible through a mobile phone or tablet.
Online Learning for Higher Education
Global higher education is one of the sectors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the challenges of today also present opportunities for leveraging online learning for higher education even further. It could potentially even help encourage post-secondary students to continue their undergraduate studies.
- It was forecast that the pandemic’s aftermath will cause a six-month to five-year disruption (Dennis, 2020).
- It is also predicted that there will be a 15% to 25% decline in enrollment (Dennis, 2020).
- According to a joint report by the Boston Consulting Group and Arizona State University (2018), the overall post-secondary student enrollment has been seeing a yearly decline of 1% to 2%, while the number of students taking online courses grows 5% annually.
With the way 2020 is going, it is not a far-off assumption that this growth will rise exponentially in the upcoming academic years.
Online Undergraduate and Graduate Students by The Numbers
One can expect steady growth in the number of students turning to online learning in the coming years.
- A report revealed that the percentage of students taking one or more online undergraduate classes increased from 15.6% in 2004 to 43.1% in 2016 (Snyder, Brey, & Dillow, 2018).
- The same report also showed that the percentage of undergraduate students taking fully online degree programs increased from 3.8% in 2008 to 10.8% in 2016.
- According to the report of Snyder, Brey, & Dillow (2018), the percentage of graduate students who took entirely online graduate (postgraduate) degree programs has increased from 6.1% in 2008 to 27.3% in 2016.
- The percentage of graduate students who take one or more online courses also increased from 16.5% in 2008 to 45.6% in 2016.
- Moreover, findings from a survey showed that in general, there are more female online higher education students than males. It was found that 65% of undergraduate and 54% of graduate online students are female (Duffin, 2019).
- Online learning also appeals to graduate students who study toward a master or doctorate degree. In a survey conducted by Learning House, Inc. and Aslanian Market Research (2018), it was found that out of 1,500 graduate online students, 86% believed that the value they obtained from their online degree equaled or exceeded what they paid for.
In a 2019 survey of 1,500 online student respondents, it was found that the top reasons why students choose online programs include the affordability of the course, the reputation of the school/program, and how a program offers the quickest path to acquiring a degree (Duffin, 2020)
As for the providers and faculty members, the top reasons they consider when offering a new online program include employment demand for specific skills and demand from students (Duffin, 2020).
Furthermore, school administrators from public and private institutions report that online education programs mostly target adult students who hope to return to school after an absence, as well as transfer students (Duffin, 2020).
Online Learning Trends: How These Statistics Shape the Future of E-Learning
Innovative online and offline technologies bring changes and education is not immune to these. There is now a paradigm shift in the teaching and learning processes, and it is everyone in this generation’s responsibility to understand it in order to shape a better future for the upcoming generations (Bozkurt & Hilbelink, 2019). With higher education enrollment seeing a decline, online education could be the solution to encourage students to pursue their studies. After all, even though the overall postsecondary enrollment rates dropped in the past years, patronage of online courses grew (Lederman, 2018). This suggests that if students are provided with the chance to complete their courses online, they are likely to take the opportunity.
Furthermore, as people are discouraged from traveling due to the current global health crisis (COVID-19), online education could become the most viable form of learning for both students and professionals.
- This is in line with the fact that some of the elearning motivators for employees are individual learning pace (95%) and no traveling (84%) (KPMG, 2015).
- Moreover, with mobile learning as one of the fastest-growing elearning markets with an annual growth of around 23% (Technavio, 2018), it is not difficult to expect further growth in this area and related technology. Gamification, for one, is bound to be incorporated into elearning more to further encourage learner engagement.
Ultimately, the participation of Ivy League universities in the online education industry could further drive progress forward. It is not difficult to see the other Ivy League universities following University of Pennsylvania’s radical move to offer a fully online undergraduate degree program, especially now that experts have yet to see an end to the pandemic.
The Bottom Line: Online Education Is Here to Stay
With facts and figures favoring online education, it can be safe to say that it is here to stay. The combination of the growing interest in elearning and how it is essentially a necessity nowadays due to the pandemic, speaks volumes about its inevitable continuous growth. As more providers, facilitators, organizations, and students realize the benefits of elearning, it is not difficult to imagine an exciting future for the global online education industry.
HESA
Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2020/21
Statistical Bulletin SB262
25 January 2022
Following a decrease in the number of qualifications obtained in the 2019/20 academic year, 2020/21 saw increases for all levels other than postgraduate research. This is explained by significant numbers of qualifications awarded in the 2019/20 academic year not being reported until 2020/21. This is likely to be linked to the impact on examinations and awards resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Where do HE students come from?
- Proportions of students from outside the UK varied by level and mode of study. Full-time postgraduates had the highest percentage from non-European Union countries.
- Between 2019/20 and 2020/21 there was an increase of 48,500 non-UK student enrolments. This was largely driven by an increase in non-EU students.
Outside the European Union:
- China sent more students to the UK than any other overseas country. In 2020/21, 32% of all non-EU students were from China. The number of students from China has increased by 48,225 or 50% over the five-year period 2016/17 to 2020/21.
- While the numbers of student enrolments from India are not as high as from China, there has been a notable increase of 67,660 over the five-year period. Large increases were observed in 2019/20 and 2020/21. Students from India represent 19% of all non-EU enrolments in 2020/21.
- Students from Nigeria place third in enrolments from outside the EU, but this and other countries are more in line with the numbers of enrolments from EU countries.
- Student numbers from Malaysia saw a decline of 30% over the five years, dropping below enrolments from Nigeria and Pakistan.
What students are registered at UK HE providers, but studying overseas?
- Student enrolments increased by 51,110 between 2019/20 and 2020/21.
- In 2020/21 distance, flexible or distributed learning was the most popular type of provision for those studying in the EU. Whereas, for those studying outside the EU, other arrangement including collaborative provision saw the highest number of enrolments.
- Over the five-year time series, postgraduate study in EU countries has increased year-on-year. Enrolments for postgraduate study outside the EU has increased since 2018/19.