40+ 2024 Elearning Statistics for Course Creators

Anyone who publishes a big round-up of elearning statistics and hopes it will actually get read is facing plenty of competition. E-learning stats posts are a dime a dozen – heck, maybe a penny a dozen since COVID came along and drove everything online.

So, why is this post different and worth reading?

Well, a key reason is that it was created specifically for people who create and sell courses online (or aspire to) and, by extension, anyone who cares about the edupreneurial course creation market – e.g., journalists, bloggers, investors, tech vendors. There’s a lot of hype out there about how big the overall e-learning market is, but how much does that apply to your average course creator?

My beef with most e-learning statistics is that they are just numbers – it’s hard to know how to interpret them or what to do with them. So, I’ve tried to weave together a range of statistics here to create a clearer, much lower-hype picture of the overall opportunity for course creators.

And that leads to the second reason: a lot of the online learning statistics you’ll find out there are just pure, unsubstantiated crap.

Lies, Damn Lies, and E-learning Statistics

I didn’t realize how bad the situation was until I went out and started doing research to find some stats.

What I found was a lot of posts that essentially repeat each other and, in doing so, repeat a lot of statistics for which either (a) there are no legitimate sources, or (b) the original statistic has been manipulated almost beyond recognition to support the author’s point.

I’m not going to point fingers, mostly because I don’t like to do that, but also because I don’t want to do anything that might drive more traffic to these questionable posts. That said, here’s a quick example.

I came across numerous posts with a claim along the lines of “The Research Institute of America reports that learning retention rates improve from 8 to 10 percent for face-to-face training to 25 to 60 percent for e-learning.” This sounded like promising data, but when I went searching for the actual source, I could not find it. That would be because, as this Learning Accelerators article makes clear, it doesn’t really exist.

So, if you read an e-learning statistics post that makes the claim above – and most recent ones do – you will know that the author hasn’t really done his or her homework.

That’s just one of many examples.

Now, none of this is to claim that all of the stats I share here are based on statistically valid surveys, double-blind studies, or other high standards. Frankly, high-quality research is very hard to find (or expensive). Still, I’ve done my best to find data that seems to be reliable and – perhaps more importantly – I’ve linked to the source in every case. 

So, read on to get insights into the online course market and the opportunity for edupreneurial course creators.

E-learning Market Size Statistics

Let’s start by taking a look at the overall e-learning market size – as well as the growth of online education. When doing this, it’s important to look at data that has been analyzed since the global pandemic became a factor – many earlier figures are way out of date at this point.

1. In 2023, the global e-learning market was valued at $456.5 billion (Source)
2. The U.S. e-learning market size was $122.4 billion by the end of 2023. (Source)
3. A 2023 report says the global e-learning market will reach USD 842.64 billion by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.6%. (Source)

It’s important to remember that the e-learning industry is made up of multiple categories – it’s not just about selling online courses. And different segments of the online education market are growing at different rates.

4. US$120.70bn is the estimated volume of the Online University Education market in 2024. (Source)
5. $23.35 billion is the estimated size of the global learning management system (LMS) Market in 2024 (Source)
6. MemberPress, a leading WordPress membership plugin, has helped its customers sell over $ 1 billion worth of memberships. (Source)

The membership site model is another significant segment in the eLearning market. While we couldn’t find stats showing the exact volume of this segment, the above stat gives you an idea.

The following table shows the estimated market sizes of some of the main eLearning segments by 2026. (Source)

The following table shows the estimated market sizes of some of the main e-learning segments by 2026. (Source)

Market size in $M	2019	2026	Growth
Online e-learning	101000	167500	66%
LMS	18000	36000	100%
Mobile e-learning	19500	48500	149%
Rapid e-learning	2000	4500	125%
Virtual classroom	11500	33500	191%
Others	47500	8000	-83%

Perhaps not surprisingly, one of the strongest current growth areas is in the form of online learning that most readily replaces classroom-based learning – virtual classrooms. Rapid e-learning and mobile e-learning, both of which tend to support convenience and deliver short, focused education at the point of need (aka microlearning) are also projected for major growth.

Stats for Online Course Market Size

Online courses are the most popular form of eLearning products. Creators also prefer building courses because:

• There’s a high demand for online courses.
• Different platforms and marketplaces simplify the course selling process.

7. In a 2024 study, 70% of e-learning professionals earning more than $100K/year said online courses were their number one revenue source in the past 12 months. (Source)

Two key places to look for e-learning statistics that relate to the direction of the market for online courses are:

• Massive open online course, or MOOC, platforms that grew out of partnerships with major universities like MIT and Yale
• Major online course marketplaces, like Udemy and Skillshare, where users can find courses on just about any topic.

Both have seen massive growth in recent years. 

8. The MOOC market, valued at USD 12.5 billion in 2024, is projected to grow to nearly USD 112 billion by 2031. (Source)

While the MOOC market tends to be dominated by academic-style courses produced by college and university faculty, the major source for content in online course marketplaces like Udemy tends to be entrepreneurial subject matter experts – aka edupreneurs.

9. Udemy on its own makes it clear that there is major demand for these types of courses. As of January 2024, the company said it hosts 210,000 courses for 67 million learners, resulting in more than 900 million enrollments. (Source)
10. As of March 2024, Udemy reports 1.44 million average monthly buyers on its platform. (Source)
11.  In 2024, Udemy reported an average monthly revenue of $26.3 million from its online course marketplace.  (Source)
12. Udemy Business reported average monthly revenues of $159.6 million in 2024. (Source)

LinkedIn, the leading recruitment platform in the world is also making rapid strides with LinkedIn Learning, its online learning marketplace.

13. LinkedIn Learning has more than 21,000 courses (Source) and over 27 million users (Source).

Of course, if you are a course creator, none of this means the market for your specific course will be strong – you really have to do the work to validate your course idea – but clearly there is very big overall market for online courses, and that means there are clearly opportunities for anyone who is willing to do the work to successfully sell courses online.

E-learning Statistics for the Course Creator Market

So, what do e-learning statistics say about course creator activity? As you might guess, it’s on the rise. Of course, I pointed that out years ago in Leading the Learning Revolution, but growth has continued, and COVID-19 has taken things to a new level.

14. Udemy claims to have 75,000+ instructors as of January 2024 (Source) 
15. Skillshare, one of Udemy’s main competitors, claims 38 million enrollments, 13 million registered users, 8,000 teachers and 29,000+ courses (Source)
16. Teachable claims more than 100,000 creators who have earned more than $500 million to date through courses and coaching. (Source)
17. Thinkific says it is home to more than 50,000 active course creators. (Source)
18. Kajabi claims 40,000+ knowledge entrepreneurs – people who mainly sell courses, but also coaching, membership, and other digital offerings. (Source)
19. In Q1 2024, Thinkific reported $16.1 million in revenue. (Source)

So, how much are course creators making?

20. In 2023, Teachable creators with $100,000+ sales on the platform increased by 10%. (Source)
21. Kajabi reports that on average its creators earn $37,000/year while the lifetime earnings of Kajabi customers surpassed $5 billion in 2023. (Source)
22. Skillshare reports that its top teachers make over $100K per year on the platform. (Source). However, teacher earnings drastically vary and can be anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. (Source)

Obviously, the numbers cover a pretty wide range of potential revenue, but any way you look at it, the amounts are not trivial. Clearly there is potential for making money – even very serious money – as a course creator.

Anyone planning to invest in launching and/or growing a course business really needs to identify worthwhile strategic goals in addition to direct revenue generation – like content marketing and driving prospects to other revenue sources like consulting and coaching. 

Maybe you’ll generate a lot of revenue from your courses, but if you don’t, at least you’ll achieve other valuable goals.

Online Course Platform Market Statistics

If you weren’t already aware of it, the information I’ve shared here should make it clear that this is a booming time for online course platforms and, more broadly, the software category of “learning management system,” or LMS, of which they are a part.

23. The global LMS market is projected to grow to $29 billion by 2026. That reflects 19.1 percent growth every year after. (Source)

Course platforms are only a slice of that market, but a pretty big one that has been growing rapidly. Most of these companies are privately held, which makes it harder to get financial information about them, but here’s some of what we know about some of the major players:

Teachable

24. Founded in 2013 (and originally called Fedora), Teachable was acquired by Amsterdam-based Hotmart in 2020 for somewhere in the range of $250M, according to people familiar with the transaction.

In 2024, Hotmart announced that the lifetime creator earnings across Teachable and Hotmart had crossed $10 billion. These platforms have over 200,000 creators who sold courses and learning programs to over 21 million customers in 2023. (Source)

Thinkific

25. Thinkific, founded in 2012, is one of the companies covered here that has gone public, making it significantly easier to get reliable financial information about it. In its initial public offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange, Thinkific raised $129M (CAD$184 million). (Source) 

As of March 2024, Thinkific has reported $56.6 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) from 60,000+ active users (Source)

LearnWorlds

26. Smaller (for now) than its rivals Teachable and Thinkific, LearnWorlds seems to be gaining ground. Founded in 2014 in Cyprus, but now with its headquarters in London, the company has raised $33.2M in funding. By the end of  2023, LearnWorlds had more than 4500 customers with annual revenues of more than $6.5M. (Source)

Kajabi

27. In 2023, Kajabi creators crossed $5 billion in total earnings from 70 million customers since its inception in 2010.  (Source)

Udemy

28. Founded in 2009, Udemy reported $729 million in annual revenue for 2023. The platform currently hosts 220,000+ courses by over 75,000 instructors. (Source)

Coursera

29. Finally, Coursera, founded in 2012 and currently the largest of the MOOC platforms, exceeded expectations with its initial public offering on March 31, 2021, achieving a market valuation of more than $7 billion. (Source).

As of Q1 2024, Coursera has reported revenues of $169.1 million from 148 million+ registered users enrolled in 7100+ courses and 50+ full degree programs. (Source)

Statistics on Why E-learning Is the Future

So, as all these e-learning statistics make clear, online is big. Clearly there is an opportunity for course creators – one that online course platform companies are capitalizing on and helping to fuel. But will it all last?

Here are some stats that suggest “Yes!”

It’s Standard for Rising Generations

If you want to know what the future may look like, look at what the people who will occupy it are doing.

30. 92% of people dedicate at least one hour per month to learning digitally (Source)
31. In a 2024 study of over 1000 respondents, 95% say they’ve learned something new from a creator in the last 12 months. (Source)
32. 47% of 18 to 25-year-olds surveyed report they use TikTok for learning. (Source)
33. 62% of people are more interested in creators who make digital content for educational purposes than entertainment purposes (Source)
34. 82% of people say what they’ve learned from creators is not taught in schools (Source)
35. 77% of learners globally and 91% of learners in developing economies report career benefits like getting more job offers, interview calls, and promotions after taking online courses. (Source)
36. 18% of learners in the US without a Bachelor’s degree reported an increased pay after taking a relevant online course (Source)
37. 98% of learners intend to enroll in more online courses after completing their first course. (Source)
38. 46% of learners in the US with an annual income of less than $20,000 say they have more growth opportunities after completing a relevant online course. (Source)

Done Well, It’s Effective

There’s a persistent bias out there that classroom-based education is simply more effective than e-learning. While it’s certainly true that many people prefer classroom-based, it’s been clear for decades that well-designed e-learning can be as effective or even more effective than traditional classroom instruction. (I discuss this issue extensively with my co-host in this episode of the Leading Learning podcast.)

A couple of my favorite sources for data on the effectiveness of e-learning are E-learning and the Science of Instruction, a classic book from learning scientists Ruth Clark and Richard Mayer, and “Does eLearning Work? What the Scientific Research Says!,” a review of the scientific research by Dr. Will Thalheimer. While not e-learning statistics per se, the following collection of findings from Thalheimer’s article [25] are based on a wealth of underlying stats and data:

39. When learning methods are held constant between eLearning and classroom instruction, both produce equal results.
40. When no special efforts are made to hold learning methods constant, eLearning tends to outperform traditional classroom instruction.
41. A great deal of variability is evident in the research. eLearning often produces better results than classroom instruction, often produces worse results, often similar results. 
42. What matters, in terms of learning effectiveness, is NOT the learning modality (eLearning vs. classroom); it’s the learning methods that matter, including such factors as realistic practice, spaced repetitions, real-world contexts, and feedback. 
43. Blended learning (using eLearning with classroom instruction) tends to outperform classroom learning by relatively large magnitudes, probably because the e-learning used in blended learning often uses more effective learning methods.

So, while it is not an absolute given that e-learning is better, it certainly can be – and often is – better. More importantly, as Thalheimer stresses (drawing on work pioneered by Clark and Mayer), it’s the methods that matter, not the modality.

The Impact Of AI On e-Learning

ChatGPT, Gemini, Co-pilot, and other generative AI tools are transforming the eLearning space with more and more creators turning to these tools for content creation, research, and other time-consuming tasks.

The following stats give you a glimpse of how AI is impacting this space.

44. 49% of people have or would consume content they knew was created by AI. (Source)
45. 78% of people believe AI-generated content is here to stay. (Source)
46. 70% of six-figure creators believe AI tools will help save over 26 hours a week in 2024. (Source)
47. 56% of six-figure creators believe AI tools will be one of the best ways to reduce burnout in 2024. (Source)
48. Over 2.2 million people enrolled in over 1100 ChatGPT-related courses between Dec 2022 and Oct 2023. (Source)

E-learning Statistics: Wrapping It All Up

So, that’s my tour of e-learning statistics for course creators and others who care about the online course creation market. Obviously, e-learning is very well established at this point – it was already being called a “juggernaut” at the time I wrote Leading the Learning Revolution.

The clear upside of where we are now with e-learning is that course creators no longer have to sell the concept. (I had to do a lot of that back I the early days!) The downside, of course, is that there’s a whole lot more noise and competition. But that’s true of any market once it matures. The statistics can tell you that the market is out there. Whether you are able to do something with that information is up to you.

Fortunately, there are sites like Learning Revolution to help you out. So, stick around and look around – you’ll find everything here from how to create an online course to how to choose the best online platform to how to market and sell.

Jeff Cobb, Founder of Learning Revolution

Jeff Cobb is an expert in online education and the business of adult lifelong learning. Over the past 20+ years he has built a thriving career based on that expertise – as an entrepreneur, a consultant, an author, and a speaker. Learning Revolution is a place where Jeff curates tips, insights, and resources to help you build a thriving expertise-based business. Learn more about Jeff Cobb here.