2025 Comprehensive Online Class Statistics With U.S. and Global Insights
Joy A
May 01, 2025 · 15 min read
In this comprehensive report, we’ll explore 100 data-driven questions about online classes, focusing on trends in the United States and comparing them with global insights. This report depends on credible data backed by facts, figures, and citations.
Did You Know? The infographic above highlights some key stats: the online learning industry has grown 900% since 2000, the global e-learning market is valued in the hundreds of billions, tens of millions of learners are turning to online platforms, and 98% of universities moved classes online during the pandemic. These figures set the stage for the detailed statistics and trends we’ll discuss below.
Online Learning Statistics Since 2000
How many U.S. college students took at least one online class in 2022?
In fall 2022, about 10.1 million U.S. college students – roughly 54% of all enrolled students – took at least one course online.
Meaning, more than half of American college students were utilizing online learning to some extent in 2022.
In 2000, this number was effectively zero highlighting how common online classes have become.
How did that number compare to 2021?
In fall 2021, about 11.2 million students (60%) took at least one online course. This was due to the effects of Covid-19 pandemic.
6 out of 10 college students were learning online in 2021, before campuses widely reopened in 2022.
How did online college enrollment spike during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Before the pandemic, in 2019, only about 2.4 million college students were enrolled in any online college courses. In 2020, that number skyrocketed to 7.0 million as campuses shut down.
What portion of college students studied entirely online in 2022?
Roughly 26% of U.S. college students – about 4.9 million students were enrolled exclusively in online classes in 2022.
Meaning 1 in 4 college students took online classes.
How many students took a mix of online and in-person classes in 2022?
In 2022, another 28% of college students had a mix of online and in-person classes.
Meaning these students did part of their coursework online and part on campus.
How many college students had no online classes in 2022?
About 46% of U.S. college students in 2022 did not take any courses online.
What percent of students took some online classes in 2023 versus 2020?
In 2020 (height of COVID), about 27.6% of students took some courses online (and some in person), and in 2023 this was virtually unchanged at 27.5%.
How many college students were back entirely in-person by 2023?
By fall 2023, about 46.8% of students were not taking any online courses, meaning roughly 47% were fully back to traditional in-person learning.
Online Class College Data
Are community college students more likely to take online courses?
Yes – online classes have been slightly more popular at two-year community colleges. In fall 2022, about 58% of students at two-year colleges took at least one online course, compared to 53% at four-year colleges.
Do public or private college students take more online classes?
In 2022, 55% of students at public institutions took an online class, versus 51% at private institutions.
Do graduate students take online classes more than undergrads?
In 2022, about 39% of graduate students were studying exclusively online, compared to 24% of undergraduates who were fully online.
How much did fully online enrollment drop after campuses reopened?
In fall 2023, only 25.6% of higher education students were enrolled exclusively in distance (online) courses, down from 45.8% during the 2020-21 school year.
How many U.S. colleges primarily offer online programs?
In 2021, there were 422 online colleges in the U.S., defined as degree-granting institutions where at least 90% of students are enrolled exclusively online.
Online Learning Demographic
What is the racial makeup of students at fully online colleges?
In 2021, about 23% of students at primarily online colleges were Black. White students were about 53% at online colleges (similar to 51% overall). Hispanic/Latino students were 15% at online schools (a bit lower than 20% overall).
Which U.S. state has the highest rate of online college students?
Arizona stands out with about 51% of its college students enrolled exclusively online. In contrast, a state like Connecticut had only 19% exclusively online students in 2022.
Are colleges investing more in online learning programs now?
Overall, yes – schools are continuing to invest in online education. In a 2024 survey, 47% of college administrators said their school planned to increase spending on online learning programs.
What share of online college students work while studying?
A majority of online students are working adults. A recent survey found 68% of current online college students in the U.S. held full-time or part-time jobs while enrolled.
How many online students have children or family responsibilities?
A striking number do. According to the same 2023 survey, 95% of online college students reported having children under 18 living in their household.
Do students think online education is as good as in-person learning?
Many do – student perceptions of online learning quality have improved. The majority opinion among students now is that online classes can match or even exceed the educational quality of traditional classroom courses, often citing benefits like flexibility and self-paced learning.
Do students want to keep taking online classes after COVID-19?
For the most part, yes – a lot of students want online options to continue. The remote learning experiment may have had its challenges, but clearly, many students appreciated the convenience or found that it suited their learning style.
Taking Online Classes and Job Market Statistics
Would online college graduates recommend online learning?
Absolutely. An overwhelming 96% of students who graduated from an online program said they would recommend online learning to others.
Do online graduates feel their degrees paid off?
Yes – most feel it was worthwhile. Nearly all online grads think the benefits (career advancement, salary boost, personal growth) outweigh the costs of their education.
What challenges do students face in online programs?
Online learners report some distinct challenges. A survey of online program alumni found their top difficulties were paying for school without accruing debt (26%), dealing with unexpected personal life events (20%), and staying on track to graduate on time (15%). In addition, about 30% of online grads wished they had done more research on cost and financial aid before enrolling.
Why do students choose online classes over traditional classes?
Flexibility is the number one reason. Essentially, students choose online programs for the convenience – fitting coursework around jobs, family, and other commitments, and not being tied to a campus.
Do employers respect online degrees?
The stigma around online degrees has faded a lot. As long as the online program is from a reputable, accredited institution, most employers today recognize it similarly to on-campus credentials.
Do online students feel their education matches or exceeds traditional quality?
By and large, yes. In one survey of online learners, 90% said that online education is either comparable or better than traditional in-person education. This high figure suggests that students who experience online classes firsthand often become confident in the format.
Does online learning save time for students?
It often can. Studies have found that online learning can reduce total learning time by 40% to 60% compared to traditional classroom learning. Because students can learn at their own pace, speeding through material they grasp quickly and reviewing only as needed, e-learning tends to be more efficient. There’s also no commute time.
Do students retain more information when learning online?
They might, under the right conditions. Research indicates that e-learning can yield retention rates of up to 60% more information compared to face-to-face instruction. Interactive multimedia, the ability to pause and revisit material, and learning when one is most ready can all boost memory.
Taking Online Learning Cost Statistics
How much does an online college program cost on average?
The cost of online college can vary, but on average, the net price (after financial aid) comes out to around $17,140 per year, which is roughly $570 per credit hour.
Are public online colleges cheaper than private online colleges?
Typically, yes – similar to on-campus trends. Among exclusively online colleges reporting data, the average annual net price was about $12,980 for public online colleges, $15,940 for private non-profit online colleges, and around $19,290 for private for-profit online colleges.
Are online programs usually cheaper than on-campus programs?
Not always; many schools charge roughly the same. Only 14% of institutions said their online programs were priced lower than the equivalent in-person programs. Another 14% priced online higher, and about 64% said online and in-person tuition were about the same.
Do online students pay the same fees as on-campus students?
Often, they pay less in certain fees, but more in others. A survey of colleges found that 75% of schools charged online (remote) students the same tuition as in-person students in 2016. However, only 27% charged the same total price when you include fees. 54% of colleges charged remote learners higher total prices than on-campus students once extra online/tech fees were added.
How many learners worldwide were impacted by COVID-19 school closures?
The COVID-19 pandemic caused the largest disruption to education in history, affecting learners across the globe. At the peak in 2020, an estimated 1.6 billion students and youth worldwide, from kindergarten to college, had their education interrupted by school closures and had to transition to remote learning.
How did the pandemic affect K-12 remote learning in the U.S.?
Almost all schoolchildren in the U.S. had to learn from home during 2020. By June 2020, 93% of households with school-age children reported their kids had participated in some form of distance learning due to COVID-19 school closures.
Did all students have equal access to online learning during COVID-19?
No, there were significant access inequalities. A substantial share of lower-income families lacked reliable internet or devices for their kids’ remote schooling. This “digital divide” meant that students from poorer backgrounds often fell behind simply because they couldn’t connect to online classes as easily.
Online Learning Statistics World-Wide
How many digital tools do schools use for online learning?
Schools now use an astonishing array of educational technology tools. On average, a single school district accessed thousands of distinct online tools and services, reflecting both the rapid innovation in this space and, perhaps, the overwhelming choice educators face in managing online learning resources.
How many students worldwide have experienced online education?
It’s estimated that about 49% of students globally have engaged in some form of online education. That’s nearly half of all students on Earth who have taken an online course or used an e-learning platform.
How much has the e-learning industry grown over time?
The online learning industry has seen explosive growth, around 900% since 2000. To put that in perspective, the sector is almost ten times larger than it was at the turn of the millennium.
How large is the global online learning market in 2023?
As of 2023, the global e-learning market was valued at approximately USD 227.3 billion
How large could the global e-learning market be by 2032?
Projections show the market could reach staggering heights. By 2032, the global e-learning market is expected to grow to about USD 740.5 billion. That implies an annual growth rate of over 14% from 2023 to 2032.
What is the e-learning market forecast for the mid-2020s?
In the near term, estimates also predict robust growth. One report projects the online learning market will hit around $370+ billion by 2026. Similarly, another analysis put it at $457.8 billion by 2026 (as seen in the infographic).
Which regions lead or lag in online learning growth?
Currently, North America holds the largest share of the e-learning market (being an early adopter with many providers based in the U.S.), but the fastest growth is in Asia-Pacific.
How big is the online education market in the United States?
The U.S. is the single largest market for online education. For example, the online university education market in the U.S. is projected to reach $94 billion by 2025. In 2023 alone, U.S. e-learning revenues were already in the tens of billions and climbing.
How much has the U.S. e-learning market grown in recent years?
Even before the pandemic, the U.S. online learning market was on the rise. One analysis noted that the e-learning market in the U.S. grew by about $6.22 billion between 2017 and 2022. That growth was then turbocharged by COVID-19. By now (2025), the cumulative growth has pushed the U.S. market value much higher (as seen in the $94B projection for 2025).
How many people will be using online learning globally by 2029?
According to market forecasts, the number of online education users worldwide is expected to reach roughly 1.1 billion by 2029.
How many Americans will be online learners by 2029?
In the United States, the online education user base is also expected to grow significantly. It’s projected that around 87.6 million people in the U.S. will be using online learning by 2029
How many online learners are expected in Asia by 2029?
Asia will have the largest absolute number of online learners. By 2029, the Asia-Pacific region is forecast to have about 736.6 million online learning users.
How many online learners are expected in Europe by 2029?
Europe is also growing its online learner base, though at a more modest scale. By 2029, Europe is expected to have roughly 112.3 million users of online learning platforms. Additionally, the online education market in Europe is projected to reach about $21.3 billion in 2025
How popular is online learning in Europe today?
As of 2022, about 29.6% of internet users in the European Union had used online learning resources. That’s nearly one-third of all EU internet users engaging in some online education.
Online Learning Platforms Data
What is the most widely used online learning platform?
One way to gauge platform popularity is by web traffic. By that measure, the language-learning app Duolingo ranks at the top with around 89 million website visits between April 2022 and January 2024, making it the most popular education/training website in that period
What other online learning sites are widely used?
Other major online learning platforms also see heavy usage. In the same April 2022–Jan 2024 window, Coursera, a leading MOOC provider, had about 60 million visits, and Khan Academy, known for K-12 educational videos, had around 36.6 million visits
How many people have enrolled in MOOCs (online courses) so far?
MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) have seen tremendous growth in enrollment over the past decade. From around 300,000 learners in 2011, the total number of MOOC participants swelled to 220 million by 2021.
How fast is the MOOC market growing?
The MOOC market is one of the fastest-growing segments of online education. It’s projected to grow roughly 37.7% annually from 2024 to 2030. At that rate, the global MOOC market size could reach about $411.6 billion by 2030, up from around $60.3 billion in 2024
Are most MOOC courses really free?
Yes – the majority of MOOCs can be taken free of charge, especially if you’re just interested in learning and not in obtaining a credential.
Are micro-credentials being used in higher education?
Increasingly, yes. Micro-credentials (like short certificates, badges, or “nanodegrees”) are gaining traction as a complement to traditional degrees. According to Coursera’s data, 51% of global academic leaders say they have incorporated micro-credentials into their institutions
Do students like programs that include micro-credentials?
They do – students see value in micro-credentials. About 75% of students said they would prefer to enroll in degree programs that acknowledge or allow credit for micro-credentials. This means learners want their short online courses or certificates to count toward their academic progress.
Are more schools planning to offer micro-credentials?
Yes. Among institutions that do not yet offer micro-credentials, 68% said they are likely to integrate them within the next five years. So even if a college doesn’t currently have micro-credential options, there’s a strong chance it’s on the roadmap.
Can completing online certificates help you get a job?
Evidence suggests they can. Coursera’s 2023 Learner Outcomes Report found that 1 in 4 learners (25%) who completed an entry-level Professional Certificate on their platform secured a new job after finishing. The fact that a quarter of completers landed a job is a strong indication that employers are considering these credentials.
Online Classes and Career Statistics
What career benefits do people get from online courses?
Online course completers often see a mix of tangible and intangible benefits. In one survey of Coursera users, 41% of learners reported a tangible career outcome, such as getting a new job, earning a promotion, or getting a raise, after completing a course. And a whopping 82% reported intrinsic benefits, like improved job performance, greater confidence, or feeling more knowledgeable.
How common is online learning in corporate training?
Extremely common now. As of mid-2020s, 80% of companies worldwide report that they offer online training for their employees. Workplace e-learning has become standard practice for many industries, from mandatory compliance modules to full-fledged skill development courses.
Are most companies adopting e-learning for employees?
Yes – nearly all organizations are heading that direction. A recent report noted that 98% of organizations were planning to adopt e-learning by 2024 in their training programs. Many reached that goal early due to the pandemic’s push to remote work.
How much do companies spend on employee training?
Companies worldwide spend a huge sum on training and development, roughly $340 billion annually in total. This includes both online and traditional training.
Does online training improve employee performance?
It can have a notable impact. Organizations that implement robust e-learning programs have reported a 15% to 25% boost in employee performance on average. Essentially, when employees engage in effective online training, they tend to retain more and apply those skills, leading to measurable performance gains for the company.
What training technologies do companies use the most?
The two most common technologies are Learning Management Systems (LMS) and virtual conferencing tools. Across companies of all sizes, 90% use an LMS to organize and deliver training content, and 79% utilize virtual classrooms, webcasts, or video broadcasting for training sessions.
How did online universities fare during the pandemic?
Interestingly, fully online universities actually saw enrollment growth during 2020, even as overall college enrollment declined. While total postsecondary enrollment in the U.S. fell by about 3% from 2019 to 2020, some of the largest online-focused universities grew their enrollments by an average of 11%. It shows that providers with established online programs thrived and expanded their market share during the pandemic.
Did almost all universities move classes online in 2020?
Yes – the vast majority did. It’s reported that since 2020, about 98% of universities have moved classes online in some form. Essentially every college in the U.S. (and many around the world) had to stand up online teaching capabilities during the pandemic.
What do academic leaders say about online education quality?
Academic leaders have largely come around to a positive view of online learning. About 77% of academic leaders (chief academic officers, deans, etc.) believe that online education is equal to or superior to learning in the classroom.
Is online learning more environmentally friendly?
Yes – online learning can be much “greener” than face-to-face learning. A study by the UK’s Open University found that, on average, online courses use 87% less energy and produce 85% fewer CO₂ emissions per student compared to in-person courses. This is mainly because online students don’t commute (saving fuel) and there’s less campus infrastructure per learner.
Is earning a degree online cheaper than on campus?
It often is. One analysis found that an online degree can cost over $30,000 less than the same degree on campus. There are a few reasons: many online programs have lower tuition (especially for out-of-state students who would pay a premium on campus), you save on housing and commuting costs, and you can often continue working due to the flexibility (offsetting costs).
How many U.S. students use online learning every day?
A lot – digital learning has become a daily habit for many. About 63% of U.S. students (across K-12 and college) engage in online learning activities daily. This could range from using educational apps and doing homework online to attending classes virtually.
How many K-12 schools offer online courses?
Prior to the pandemic, a significant minority of schools had online offerings. In the 2017–18 school year, about 21% of public K-12 schools and 13% of private K-12 schools offered courses that were entirely online (at least to some students). Additionally, many more schools offered blended learning. By 2020, those numbers grew rapidly out of necessity, but 2018 data shows that even before COVID, roughly one in five U.S. schools had some form of online class or virtual school option.
How many schools and college students shifted online in spring 2020?
During the initial COVID wave in spring 2020, 77% of U.S. public schools reported that they moved to online distance learning, and 84% of college students said that some or all of their classes had moved online.
How many students attend online K-12 schools full-time?
Full-time virtual schooling at the K-12 level, while still a niche, has grown. In the 2019–20 school year, there were 477 full-time virtual schools in the U.S. serving about 332,379 K-12 public school students.
What is the graduation rate for online K-12 schools?
On average, full-time virtual K-12 schools have lower graduation rates than traditional schools. In 2020, the graduation rate for students in online high schools was just 54.6%, and for blended (part-online) schools it was about 64.3%, compared to a national average of around 85% for all high school students
How many families lack internet for online learning at home?
Despite the internet being seen as ubiquitous, a significant number of families don’t have it, which impacts online learning readiness. About 15% of U.S. households with school-aged children (6-17 years old) do not have high-speed internet at home
Do low-income households have less access to technology for e-learning?
Absolutely. Lower-income Americans have substantially lower tech ownership, which in turn affects their ability to participate in online education. In households earning under $30,000 a year, 24% don’t have a smartphone, 43% don’t have a computer, and about 40% don’t have home broadband
Would most students recommend online learning to others?
Many would. In a survey by Oxford College, 78% of learners said they would recommend e-learning to someone else. This aligns with the high satisfaction rates reported by other surveys of online students and graduates.
Do employees feel the need to upskill through online learning?
Yes, employees are eager for more learning opportunities, especially given rapid changes in skills demands. A 2024 survey found 72% of employees want to future-proof their skills, for example in areas like AI, by getting additional training.
How many hours of training per employee do companies provide?
It varies by company size. On average in 2024, midsize companies provided about 53 hours of training per employee for the year, large companies provided around 43 hours per employee, while small businesses lagged far behind with only about 42 minutes per employee. Yes, you read that right – small firms averaged less than an hour of formal training per employee annually.
How much venture capital investment is online education attracting?
Investment in edtech (education technology) has surged. In the U.S. alone, venture capital funding for edtech startups grew from about $1 billion in 2017 to $8 billion in 2021. Globally, 2021 was a record year for edtech funding.
Is online learning more common now than before 2020?
Absolutely – online learning has become far more common than it was pre-2020. Even after the return to campuses, online enrollment remains significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Are colleges planning to expand online programs in the future?
Yes, many are. Not only did nearly half of colleges increase online spending in 2024, but leadership signals continue to point toward expansion. Surveys indicate that administrators overwhelmingly view online programs as a strategic priority going forward.
Are companies increasing their budgets for employee e-learning?
In many cases, yes. Corporate training budgets have been shifting to accommodate more technology-based learning. According to Training Magazine’s industry report, 38% of companies increased their training budgets recently, largely due to investments in new technology or equipment for learning
Have some companies returned training to in-person formats?
To some extent. By 2024, as offices reopened, certain types of training that had gone virtual were shifted back on-site. For example, 46% of companies moved management and supervisor training back to in-person in 2024, and 41% did the same for employee onboarding training.
What types of training do companies prefer to keep online?
Companies have identified certain training topics that work well remotely and plan to expand those. Procedural and knowledge-based training are often kept virtual, whereas some leadership and soft-skill training might revert to in-person. The preference data shows companies are calibrating which content is best delivered online versus face-to-face.
How do companies deliver online training to employees?
The dominant method is self-paced e-learning modules (no live instructor), often through an LMS. The vast majority use desktop-based platforms.
Do undergraduates and graduate students use online learning at similar rates?
As of the latest data, undergrad and grad students are almost equally likely to take at least one online course. However, graduate students are more likely to be fully online (e.g., many online master’s programs exist), whereas undergrads often mix online and in-person. Graduate programs had a higher exclusive online rate.
How has online course enrollment changed over the last 20 years?
It has risen dramatically. Two decades ago, online courses were relatively rare. In the early 2000s, only a small percentage of students took any courses online. Over the past 20 years, it became increasingly common each year for students to take some of their coursework online, and the trend accelerated sharply in 2020.
Are students worried about technical issues during online classes?
Yes, technical glitches are a common concern. In one study, 66% of students reported being stressed about device malfunctions or technology failures when they needed them for class. This makes sense – if your laptop crashes or the internet drops in the middle of a live online class or exam, it can be very disruptive.
How are schools handling smartphones in the classroom?
Interestingly, there’s a trend toward banning smartphones in schools in some places to reduce distractions. By 2023, around 30% of education systems worldwide had policies or laws prohibiting phone use in schools, and by 2024, that figure rose to 40% of systems (79 countries) with phone bans.
Does using video help students learn online?
Yes, video is a powerful component of online learning. A recent study published by Springer found that 51% of students agreed that watching video content as part of their coursework improved their comprehension of the material.
Do employees want more online training opportunities?
Very much so. As mentioned earlier, 72% of employees want upskilling, and in general, workers appreciate flexible learning options that online training provides. They can learn at their own pace and schedule. Many employees specifically ask for access to e-learning platforms so they can take courses relevant to their career growth.
What percentage of people finish the MOOCS they start?
Completion rates for MOOCS are infamously low. On average, only around 5% to 15% of learners complete a MOOC that they enrol in. Most people sign up out of curiosity (especially since it’s free) and may not intend to finish, or they might drop out when time pressures arise.
How long were schools closed globally due to COVID-19?
On average, schools worldwide were fully closed for about 4.5 months in 2020 during the pandemic’s peak. Many countries had multiple periods of closure and reopening. By 2021, some schools were still not fully open.
Did many countries keep schools closed into 2022?
Unfortunately, yes – even two years into the pandemic, some countries had not fully resumed in-person schooling. As of early 2022, 48 countries had yet to fully reopen their schools. These tended to be in parts of the world with slower vaccine rollouts or where governments took a very cautious approach.
Which countries have the most online learners on Coursera?
The online learning landscape is global, but certain countries lead in usage on major platforms. The United States has the highest number of Coursera learners (about 17.3 million), followed by India (13.6 million) and Mexico (4.8 million). The U.S. and India together account for a huge portion of Coursera’s user base, reflecting their large populations and strong interest in tech and professional courses.
What percentage of higher ed students are enrolled exclusively online now vs. before the pandemic?
Before the pandemic (2019), only about 15% of U.S. college students were studying exclusively online (rough estimate based on available data). During the pandemic (2020-21), that shot up to around 45-60%. As of 2022, it settled at about 26%.
Is online learning likely to keep growing in the future?
All signs point to yes – continued growth. Colleges are not reversing their online initiatives (nearly half are increasing online program budgets). Student demand remains high, and globally, the number of online learners is projected to keep rising steadily through the decade.
Is online learning here to stay?
It appears so. Online learning has become an integral part of the educational landscape. Even after returning to “normal,” online enrollment is far above what it was pre-2020 and shows no signs of retreating to old levels.
