Devlin Peck
What are the top eLearning statistics?
If you want to know how eLearning is evolving, this list of the top eLearning statistics and trends will cover everything you need to know about the industry.
We've compiled the internet’s top 24 eLearning statistics. Below, you’ll get statistics backed by research that cover how eLearning is evolving and just how students, companies, and employees are using it globally.
Want to learn more? Read on!
eLearning (electronic learning) is the delivery of learning and training on the internet through the use of desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Earlier, educators were skeptical of eLearning because it lacks in-person interaction. But over time, and especially due to the Covid-19 pandemic, eLearning became more mainstream and even the preferred way of teaching and learning.
In recent years, eLearning has exploded in popularity. Not only does learning online present limitless possibilities, but it also offers benefits like:
The world of education and training is rapidly changing, but what are the latest trends in eLearning?
In 2023, companies are still leveraging virtual training and remote work, despite the decline of the Covid-19 pandemic that accelerated these trends in 2020. This trend will likely continue because many companies respect the benefits of remote work and many employee’s desires to keep working from home, but also the potential cost savings and increased productivity it provides.
Another hot trend in eLearning is gamification and interactive content. Many companies are finding new ways to make learning more fun and engaging, for example through virtual reality simulations or immersive experiences online.
Thirdly, personalization is a huge trend in eLearning. With endless amounts of data on so many people, learning programs can be customized to each individual, enhancing its effectiveness. It also helps to constantly update training to teach the most up-to-date content possible.
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is shaping the world as we know it, including eLearning. One of the ways that AI is revolutionizing the eLearning industry is by personalizing it.
eLearning AI has the power to create customized courses based on a user's background knowledge, preferences, and how they react to content. This “adaptive learning” can change course material in real time and cater to the needs of the learner.
Meanwhile, AI is speeding up the time it takes to create eLearning courses overall making it more accessible to all.
Another way AI is shaping eLearning is by bringing “virtual teachers” into the fold. Through intelligent chat bots or virtual assistants, students can ask questions without a human teacher being present. AI is also streamlining the grading and assessments of courses, saving teachers ample time.
AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT are expected to enhance the personal learning experience for the learners with its natural language processing (NLP) ability. Being able to ask questions and receive customized answers is expected to boost the engagement of ChatGPT in the eLearning space.
With that, let’s jump into the top eLearning statistics.
(Forbes)
By the end of 2025, experts have estimated the global eLearning market value to reach $325 billion. Global industry analysts at a market research firm estimated that the global eLearning market would reach $107 billion by 2015 - and it did. The market is likely to triple during the period 2015-2025.
(Skill Scouter)
The eLearning industry grew by 900% in the last two decades. The trend is expected to continue during 2020 to 2025. Major markets for eLearning include Thailand, Philippines, China, and India with over 30% annual growth rates.
(Business Wire)
The U.S. eLearning market is witnessing a rapid growth with a forecasted CAGR of more than 12% between 2020 and 2024. During the same period, the market is estimated to grow by almost $22 billion. Major players contributing to the growth of the market include Adobe, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Co., Cengage Learning, Citrix, McGraw-Hill Education, Pearson and others.
(Global Newswire)
Global MOOC market is estimated to witness a CAGR of 32.09% between 2019 and 2025 to reach the value of $25.33 billion by 2025. Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs , are open online learning platforms available to students globally. Students are provided with unlimited access to several courses, expert guidance, educational resources, and discussion forums across a broad range of class categories.
(Global Businesswire)
The global mobile learning market is expected to witness a CAGR of 30.12% during 2022-2026, resulting in a market value of around $156 billion by 2026. Growth in the demand for digital education is driving the growth of the mobile learning market.
(Small Business Trends)
About three years ago, nearly all companies reported that they planned to use eLearning to some capacity. From the rate at how quickly the industry is growing, it’s safe to say this statistics held true. As of today, corporations have increased their usage of eLearning an estimated 900% over the past 16 years.
(Admissionsly)
A few years ago, an estimated 98% of universities reported having some kind of online class. In 2021, around 40% of public universities and 20% of private institutions shifted towards full-time online classes. Today, almost every university has adopted online classes. Around 9% of post-baccalaureate students enrolled in a completely online school.
(MarketScale; Center for American Progress)
Industry insights show that around 75% of the schools in the United States have plans to shift towards a completely remote or hybrid learning operating model. In 2021, about 74 of the 100 largest school districts in the U.S. started with a remote-only instruction model, affecting over 9 million students. Out of these, 49% chose the remote learning model and 27% chose hybrid instruction model.
(MarketScale)
Industry insights show around 80% of schools have either purchased or are purchasing devices and technology to support eLearning. Since 2020, there has been a growth of 205% in the number of new devices first connecting to the internet majorly due to schools’ efforts to build their inventories to support online learning for the students.
(Shift Learning)
IBM deployed training programs in the eLearning model for its employees and realized its advantages. It found that participants of eLearning programs could learn 5 times more material without the need to spend more time training.
(Statista)
In 2021, the global market for corporate eLearning was valued at $22.5 billion. The market is likely to grow at an average annual growth rate of 10.5% in the consequent years reaching a market size of almost $45 billion by the end of 2028.
(Fortune India)
More than 40% of the Fortune 500 companies regularly use eLearning platforms to train and upskill their workforce. The retention rates of face-to-face training stands between 8-10%, whereas learning retention rates of eLearning is 25-60%. IBM reported saving $200 million after switching some of its workforce training to eLearning.
(LinkedIn)
A study from LinkedIn revealed that around 90% of companies today offer digital learning opportunities. However, employees have a different take on digital learning. 68% of employees showed willingness to learn while at work, 58% prefer to learn at their own speed, and 49% only want to learn when necessary.
(Research.com)
Dow Chemicals and IBM know first-hand the cost savings of eLearning. Dow Chemicals saved a reported $34 million because it was able to reduce training course costs. It traditionally cost the company $95 per learner and by switching to eLearning, that cost dropped to just $11 per learner.
Employees undertaking eLearning experienced a 18% boost in engagement. This boost in motivation comes from happier and more confident employees. Studies show that companies with higher employee engagements produce 2.6x the earnings per share in comparison to its competitors.
(LinkedIn)
A study by Linkedin Learning from 2018 revealed that the top challenge for talent development was “getting employees to make time for learning.” 94% of employees said they would be happy to stay longer at a company if it invested in their upskilling and professional development. Meanwhile, 56% of employees say they would need help to spend more time on upskilling.
(MedCerts; Schoox)
According to a study, eLearning takes 40-60% less time to finish compared to classroom learning. IBM estimates that for each dollar they spent on eLearning products, it was able to achieve a $30 productivity boost. Some of the factors for this productivity boost include HR managers and employees spending less time overseeing employee education and new skills learned could be applied immediately.
(Pew Research)
According to a new Pew Research Center survey conducted in May 2022, 65% of students prefer in-person learning over hybrid or remote learning models. In the same survey, it was found that less than 9% of students would prefer a complete online environment. 18% of students prefer a combination of both online and in-person mode of learning.
(The Open University)
Another benefit of eLearning is that it’s more eco-friendly. Data from surveys across the United Kingdom reveal that distance learning involves 87% less energy and 85% lower CO2 emissions than traditional full-time campus-based courses. Part time courses involved 65% less energy and 61% lower CO2.
(Research Gate)
eLearning has a relation with failing grades—about 30%. A survey conducted with 1,000 students showed that 78% of them find it is easier to learn in an in-class environment. Though eLearning has many benefits to offer, there are many students (college and younger) that prefer learning in the traditional classroom.
(Pew Research)
Around 24% of teens coming from a household that makes less than $30,000/year revealed that they face difficulties completing schoolwork at home. This is compared to 14% of teens coming from a household with an income between $30,000 and $74,999, and just 8% of those in households that make $75,000 or more per year.
(MarketScale)
Studies reveal that on average, one hour of daily device usage time was spent on sites with inappropriate content. When disconnected, the web filtering solutions deployed by school networks fail to work properly. 4 in 10 schools witnessed rogue VPNs in their device environments.
(Pew Research)
Students hold mixed views about how their schools handle virtual learning environments. A survey revealed that only around 28% of students are fully satisfied with their schools’ way of handling virtual learning. 33% of students reported that they are somewhat satisfied, while 9% reported that their schools did not have a virtual learning offering.
(MarketScale)
With schools investing to increase their eLearning device inventory, there is a need to monitor these devices. There has been a growth of 205% in the number of brand new devices connecting to the internet for the first time since January 2020. Over 40% of school IT teams reported tracking the whereabouts of these devices as a “significant challenge.”
(Statista)
A survey from 2019 (pre-pandemic conditions) showed that 63% of American high school students use digital learning tools at school every day in comparison to 45% of elementary school students. The usage of digital tools and devices among school students is expected to grow in the coming years.
(Finances Online)
In 2020, the U.S. accounted for over 35% of the global eLearning market. However, the Asia-Pacific region is projected to witness the fastest growth rates and is likely to account for 26% of the global eLearning market by 2027.
(Credential Engine)
The U.S. government is estimated to spend $1.2 billion to train civilian government employees and almost $9.8 billion to train state and local government workers. Meanwhile, government agencies in the U.S. have spent $11 billion on the training of its employees.
And that’s a wrap. You just read some of the top statistics around eLearning to understand its impact on schools, the workplace, and the world. The next few years will be incredibly interesting – and the industry is likely to see big shifts and experience some major transformation.
Learn more:
The Top Online Learning Statistics
SOURCES
Global Newswire (1)
