E-learning App Statistics 2023 For Startups & Businesses

In the last two years, the lives of everyone changed because of two things – the COVID-19 pandemic and the technology-enabled solutions.

On one hand, the pandemic forced governments to impose lockdowns and forced people to work and study from home. On the other hand, technology came to rescue the livelihoods and allowed people to connect in ways they never imagined.

Although e-learning is not a new concept and has been around for more than two decades, it was during the pandemic that people and institutions took to it in a major way.

Availability of mobile devices & reliable internet connection along with E-learning tools, unique apps ideas, and systems allowed learners all over to continue their education from the safety of their home.

But this was something you already knew!

• So how is the journey so far, and what is the road ahead?
• Is there any trend that we can benefit from in the future?
• How do numbers stack up against the commonly perceived wisdom?

Here we present for you the 15 most amazing stats in the e-learning market.

Take a glimpse:

The E-Learning market size crossed $250 billion in 2020. In the coming 7 years, between 2021 and 2027 it is projected to grow at 21% CAGR to cross $1 trillion. AI/ML, VR/AR, Cloud-based LMS are the driving forces behind this market growth. (Global Market Insights)

Isn’t it an astonishing market size?

Wouldn’t you like to know more?

Of course, you do.

Amazing E-learning Statistics – Editor’s Pick

• The global e-learning market size is projected to touch $650 billion by 2025.
• Only 77% of the US corporations used some form of online learning in 2017. This number shot to 98% by 2020.
• The US e-learning market is alone is $90 billion in 2021.
• The retention rates among students and fresh hires increase by 25 to 60 percent with E-learning programs.
• In the US alone, the market for corporate e-learning could cross $38 billion by 2024.
• 42% of the US corporations have seen an increase in bottom-line due to E-learning.
• According to a survey among 2,500 global companies, “comprehensive training programs” the revenue/employee increased by 218% and profit margins/employee by 24%.
• IBM alone realized cost savings of approximately $200 million when it switched to e-learning.

With these amazing stats in mind, let us dive deeper into the latest data.

Remarkable 2021 E-Learning Stats

Here we are discussing the most impressive and remarkable e-learning stats collected in 2021.

1. The E-Learning Market Is Mature At 22 Years

• Online learning came into being with the emergence of the world wide web in 1989. The sole reason for the development of WWW at that time was to collaborate and share knowledge with others seamlessly.
• In the middle 1990s, online learning took wings and was widely recognized as a new means of delivery of training and lessons.
• By 1998 the term e-learning was coined. This was the same year when Google was registered as a company to market the Google Search Engine.

2. The MOOCs Will Rule The Roost With A $25 Billion Market Share By 2025

• During the COVID-19 pandemic, for the first time, many globally renowned universities opened their course for the world for free. This led to a surge in demand for quality instructor-led and self-paced MOOCs.
• MOOCs allowed participation by an unlimited number of worldwide learners.
• The popularity of MOOCs stems from discussion forums, quality resources, learning material, and the availability of transcripts in multiple languages.
• MIT’s OpenCourseWare was the first MOOC to make their all e-learning resources freely and openly available in 2001. 2006 saw the launch of the Wikiversity and then many MOOC platforms like Coursera, Udacity, Udemy, edX, and NEPTEL were launched.
• In 2020 alone, globally more than 180 million learners benefitted from MOOCs.
• The MOOC market in 2021 is estimated to be $5.16 billion and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 37.11% to cross the $25 billion by 2025.

Read More: Tech Stack For Developing A Mobile App

3. The E-Learning Market In The US Alone Could Cross $90 Billion By 2024

How do you think the US schools and students are faring in the e-learning space?

Statistics for the US point that:

• More than 45% of elementary school students use every day at least one digital learning tool. 
• The middle school students are way ahead with 64% of them using one digital learning tool every day.
• A close second is the 63% of high school students who use a digital learning tool daily.
• Among undergraduate students, the proportion of students who prefer online learning over classroom teaching is 39%. While the same statistic for graduate students is an impressive 52%.

4. Global Mobile Learning Market Could Cross $80 Billion By 2027

• The latest statistics reveal that mobile devices are becoming the preferred delivery platform for e-learning resources.
• In 2021 mobile learning is one the fastest-growing segments in the e-learning sector with an average growth rate of close to 20% over the past 7 years.
• The mobile learning market was valued at $7.98 billion in 2015 and it crossed $22.4 billion by 2020.
• The market value at the end of 2021 is expected to zoom beyond $27.5 growing at 22.77%!
• Market experts project that the fast adoption of mobile learning due to COVID-19 could create tailwinds that can take the mobile-based e-learning market valuation past $80 billion by 2027.

Also Read: Most Popular Apps Stats in 2021

5. VR/AR Would Be The Key Driver Of E-Learning Going Forward

• Virtual reality and augmented reality or VR/AR can recreate the experience of being in the school classroom or laboratory, even if you are sitting at your home.
• These technologies open new avenues of course curriculum design and content creation in the immediate future.
• AR/VR allows the trainers to immerse their students to make the learning process engaging, effective, and practical.

6. Corporate E-Learning Could Witness A Growth Of Over 11% Between 2020 And 2024

Corporates focus on training, orientation, re-training, sensitization, and up-skilling for their employees and associates.

• E-learning in domains like sales/process/product training, recruitment training, employee orientation, and workshops is now a common feature.
• Companies could hire the best resource persons for delivery at a fraction of cost with no travel and office costs involved.
• Global corporates could create better synergies in their diverse teams resulting in better coordination and increased benefits.
• The market value of corporate e-learning would grow at 11% CAGR between 2020-2024 to reach $38.09 billion in size.

7. Corporates Save You To 60% In Time By Switching To E-Learning

• Despite knowing the benefits of continuous learning and training, middle and upper-level executives could spare only 1% of their time for corporate training. This was mostly because of their busy schedules.
• Managers feel the need for maximal utilization of training time for all employees to achieve the best possible results. 
• With self-paced, instructor-led courses available, executives at all levels can now complete their training in a convenient manner and at their preferred time of day.
• A survey among the HR managers revealed the learning outcomes improved by over 45% and time savings ranged between 40 to 60 percent.

Key E-Learning General Statistics

Now as you are equipped with the latest stats and facts, let us throw the light on some general statistics.

1. Global E-Learning Market To Touch $650 Billion Mark By 2025

The global e-learning market is seeing phenomenal growth – especially from emerging economies like China, India, and African countries.

• The global market size is projected to touch $650 billion by 2025, from a mere $165.36 billion in 2014.
• This means that the market size would have nearly quadrupled in just over 11 years, at a CAGR of 13.25%.

The reasons are simple to decipher:

• Easy 24×7 global availability.
• Cost-effective (mostly free).
• Globally recognized education, training, and certificates.
• Self-paced learning.

2. More And More Corporates Plan To Switch To E-Learning

• In 2004 only a handful of the US corporations (under 5%) employed e-learning at least once a year for their employees and associates.
• By 2017 three-fourths or 77%, of the US corporations used an online learning platform.
• In the US 67% of companies offered a mobile-based e-learning solution.
• By 2020 this figure jumped to 98% due to COVID-19 restrictions.

In a recent survey, most of these organizations would continue to use e-learning tools in the immediate to long-term future.

3. HR Manager Vouch Increased Retention Rates Via E-Learning

Talent retention is a far bigger challenge than talent acquisition.

• Abysmal retention rates of up to 8% to 10% are common in conventional training programs.
• As employees gain more control over the learning process, the retention rates improved by 25% to 60%.
• With self-paced learning, the opportunity to revisit the session, and the possibility to take the online quiz multiple times to improve scores takes the pressure off.

4. E-learning Helped Increase The Bottom Line For US Corporates

• Close to 42% of the US corporations reported a significant increase in their bottom lines and said the cause for it was better e-learning.
• That means training your employees and skilling them with essential marketable skills improves your brand and translates into more revenue.
• A survey by the “American Society for Training and Development” among 2,500 US companies found that with “comprehensive e-training programs” their revenue/employee grew by 218% and margins/employee by a healthy 24%.

These stats prove that it “pays to invest in your employees’ education.”

5. IBM Saved Millions Just By Switching To E-Learning

• IBM could save close to $200 million in 2020 just by switching all its training, workshops, events, and seminars to online mode.
• With their strong and innovative e-learning platform, IBM could achieve cost savings alone, which other companies dream of achieving in revenues.
• All corporates can save on many fronts like – instructor, travel, hotel stay, and equipment costs.

Read More: How Much Does It Cost To Make An App?

Trends in Academia 

Most universities, institutes of higher education, and even schools above the primary level are adopting e-learning in one or another way. The adoption rates among academics are one of the highest in the US putting it at the forefront.

1. Almost 2/5ths Of College-Going Students Find E-Learning Extremely Helpful

• Remember the day when you had to walk to the library to complete an assignment from college professors.
• In 2020, close to 2/5ths, or 43%, of college students use their smartphones and e-learning resources to complete their homework and assignments.
• With libraries buying the digital edition of popular books, now an unlimited number of students can read the same book simultaneously.

2. More Than Half Of The US College Students Use Laptops In Classrooms

Taking notes on a laptop is much difficult compared to pen and paper.

• But despite that, more than half of students, or 56% of them, found it easier to take notes on your laptop within the classroom.
• The number of users with tablets in classrooms is close to 51%.

3. Every 4 Out Of 4 Students In The US Acknowledge The Role Of E-Learning In The Improvement Of Their Grades

Most instructors are ready to offer students support beyond their class times, but they have limitations.

• Compare it to an e-learning course – you can easily see replays, pause, and play at any time, and do standardized practices.
• More than 80% of the students, acknowledged that e-learning has helped improve their grades by 15 to 35%. 
• Every 1 in two students had taken an e-learning course beyond their curricula in the last year.

Final Thoughts

Pandemic or not, the ground covered by e-learning is here to stay and it is difficult for most users to go back to traditional learning practices. It is a future-proof, thriving industry as revealed by these amazing and overwhelming statistics.

Technologies like Ai, data visualization, process and task automation, online assessment, and flexible time make e-learning an enriching experience. It adds value to millions of learners every day.

e-learning app has the potential to transform the knowledge transfer paradigms. Excellent educators will find a global platform while the mediocre trainers would be sidelined.

If you want to create an app like e-learning for your educational business, you need to hire the best app development company in your area, which has highly skilled mobile app developers who can take your app ideas to the next level.