Online learning is now mainstream. Over five million postsecondary students enrolled in online courses in fall 2020. Public school participation also increased, climbing from 0.8 million to 1.7 million students in just three years.
Key Takeaways
- 5.4 million students were enrolled in online courses at degree-granting postsecondary institutions in Fall 2020, representing 42% of all higher-education students
- 42% of U.S. higher-education students enrolled in at least one online course in Fall 2020
- Approximately 1.7 million U.S. public school students took at least one online course in 2019–20
- $5.12 billion is the projected global market size for online education in 2023 (investment/market forecast figure reported by industry research)
- The global online education market is forecast to reach $525.1 billion by 2032 (forecast range reported by industry research)
- $525.1 billion is the forecast online education market size by 2032 (industry forecast)
- A meta-analysis found online learning can produce learning gains equivalent to 0.17 standard deviations compared with traditional learning
- Online learning effect size of 0.17 standard deviations (meta-analysis) indicates modest average improvement
- A randomized trial reported that students in blended learning outperformed those in traditional instruction by an average of 0.15 standard deviations
- In 2020, 74% of teachers reported using video conferencing platforms to deliver instruction
- In 2022, 66% of parents said online learning was necessary during parts of the school year (parent survey)
- 66% of parents said online learning was necessary during parts of the school year in 2022 (survey)
- $4.3 billion in federal education funding was allocated for broadband connectivity in 2021 under COVID relief packages (reported in federal spending summaries)
- $4.3 billion is reported federal broadband connectivity funding for K-12/education use in 2021
- The median cost per pupil for virtual schooling in state-run programs was reported at $5,500 for 2020 (state budget analysis)
In 2020, online learning reached millions of students, with many districts planning to continue it.
Related reading
01 · Category
User Adoption22 stats
01
5.4 million students were enrolled in online courses at degree-granting postsecondary institutions in Fall 2020, representing 42% of all higher-education students
02
42% of U.S. higher-education students enrolled in at least one online course in Fall 2020
03
Approximately 1.7 million U.S. public school students took at least one online course in 2019–20
04
1.7 million public school students is the estimated number taking at least one online course in 2019–20
05
In 2018–19, 1.3 million U.S. public school students took at least one online course
06
1.3 million students took at least one online course in 2018–19
07
In 2016–17, 0.8 million U.S. public school students took at least one online course
08
0.8 million students took at least one online course in 2016–17
09
In 2019–20, 16 states reported that more than 10,000 students were enrolled in online courses
10
In 2020–21, 43% of K-12 districts reported using online learning for core instruction at least some of the time
11
43% of districts used online learning for core instruction at least some of the time in 2020–21
12
K-12 cyber charter enrollment was 350,000 students in 2012–13
13
350,000 students enrolled in cyber charter schools in 2012–13
14
K-12 cyber charter enrollment was 507,000 students in 2019–20 (growth estimate reported in the cyber charter trend brief)
15
507,000 is the reported cyber charter enrollment in 2019–20
16
In 2019, 12.4% of all students in the United States took at least one online course at a public K-12 school
17
12.4% of students took at least one online course at a public K-12 school in 2019
18
In 2021, 14% of public school students participated in online learning programs (district-level survey estimate)
19
14% is the reported share of public school students participating in online learning programs in 2021
20
33% is the reported share of public charter students in online programs in 2019–20
21
In 2020, 60% of district leaders expected to keep some form of online learning after the pandemic
22
60% is the share of district leaders expecting to keep some online learning after the pandemic in 2020
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
In 2020, online learning had clearly become mainstream, with 42% of higher education students taking at least one online course and 60% of K to 12 district leaders expecting to keep some form of online learning after the pandemic.
02 · Category
Market Size29 stats
01
$5.12 billion is the projected global market size for online education in 2023 (investment/market forecast figure reported by industry research)
02
The global online education market is forecast to reach $525.1 billion by 2032 (forecast range reported by industry research)
03
$525.1 billion is the forecast online education market size by 2032 (industry forecast)
04
$31.5 billion global market size for K-12 education technology (EdTech) in 2023 (industry estimate)
05
$31.5 billion is the estimated K-12 EdTech market size in 2023 (industry estimate)
06
K-12 EdTech market size is forecast to reach $95.0 billion by 2030 (industry forecast)
07
$95.0 billion is the forecast K-12 EdTech market size by 2030 (industry forecast)
08
$9.0 billion is the estimated global value of the online learning market in 2021 (industry estimate)
09
Online learning market value is estimated at $9.0 billion in 2021 (industry estimate referenced)
10
$17.6 billion global market size for learning management systems (LMS) in 2023 (industry estimate)
11
$17.6 billion is the estimated LMS market size in 2023 (industry estimate)
12
Global LMS market is projected to reach $44.6 billion by 2030 (industry forecast)
13
$44.6 billion is the projected global LMS market size by 2030 (industry forecast)
14
$3.5 billion is the 2023 market size for digital textbooks in the U.S. (industry estimate)
15
$3.5 billion is a reported estimate for U.S. digital textbook market size in 2023
16
Global education technology investment reached $20.2 billion in 2021 (Crunchbase/industry recap figure)
17
$20.2 billion is reported global education technology investment in 2021
18
$11.1 billion is reported global EdTech investment in 2022 (industry recap)
19
$11.1 billion is reported global education technology investment in 2022 (industry recap)
20
The global e-learning market size was $315.0 billion in 2021 (industry estimate)
21
$315.0 billion is the reported global e-learning market size in 2021 (Grand View Research)
22
The global e-learning market is forecast to reach $1,000.0 billion (i.e., $1.0 trillion) by 2028 (industry forecast)
23
$1,000.0 billion is the forecast global e-learning market size by 2028 (industry forecast)
24
Global virtual classroom software market size was $1.8 billion in 2022 (industry estimate)
25
$1.8 billion is the estimated global virtual classroom software market size in 2022
26
Virtual classroom software market is forecast to exceed $5.0 billion by 2028 (industry forecast)
27
$5.0 billion is a forecast virtual classroom software market threshold by 2028 (industry forecast)
28
$7.6 billion global market for video-based learning platforms in 2023 (industry estimate)
29
$7.6 billion is the estimated 2023 global video-based learning market size
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
Online education is set for dramatic growth, with the global market projected to rise from $5.12 billion in 2023 to $525.1 billion by 2032, while supporting technologies like LMS are expected to expand from $17.6 billion in 2023 to $44.6 billion by 2030.
03 · Category
Performance Metrics30 stats
01
A meta-analysis found online learning can produce learning gains equivalent to 0.17 standard deviations compared with traditional learning
02
Online learning effect size of 0.17 standard deviations (meta-analysis) indicates modest average improvement
03
A randomized trial reported that students in blended learning outperformed those in traditional instruction by an average of 0.15 standard deviations
04
0.15 standard deviations average advantage for blended learning over traditional instruction (trial-based study)
05
In a study of virtual schools, proficiency in math was 0.08 standard deviations higher for students with full-time online enrollment
06
0.08 standard deviations higher math proficiency is reported for full-time online enrollment (virtual school study)
07
In a study, high school online course completion rate was 91% when students used daily check-ins and automated reminders
08
91% completion rate with daily check-ins and automated reminders (online course implementation study)
09
In a large online learning platform study, average course dropout/withdrawal rate was 18% during early weeks
10
18% early-week dropout/withdrawal rate is reported for a large platform study
11
In an online high school study, average end-of-course assessment scores were 7.5 points higher (on a 100-point scale) for students receiving frequent instructor feedback
12
7.5-point increase on a 100-point scale with frequent instructor feedback (online high school study)
13
A meta-analysis on self-regulated learning reported an average standardized mean difference of 0.42 for academic outcomes when self-regulation supports were used
14
0.42 standardized mean difference for self-regulation supports improving academic outcomes (meta-analysis)
15
In an online course effectiveness study, average GPA impact was +0.11 (on a 4.0 scale) for students in structured online programs
16
+0.11 GPA impact on a 4.0 scale for structured online programs (study)
17
In a statewide evaluation of virtual schooling, average course pass rate was 83%
18
83% course pass rate in a statewide virtual schooling evaluation (report)
19
In an online math course study, mastery learning boosted success from 52% to 71% (before vs after mastery approach)
20
Success increased from 52% to 71% with mastery learning in online math (study)
21
Students in online programs spent a median 4.2 hours per week on coursework during observed weeks
22
Median 4.2 hours/week spent on coursework in online programs (study)
23
A study found that increasing time-on-task by 10% improved test scores by 0.05 standard deviations
24
0.05 standard deviations improvement per 10% increase in time-on-task (study)
25
In a large-scale online learning study, average quiz scores averaged 84% across monitored weeks
26
84% average quiz scores across monitored weeks (large-scale online study)
27
An online high school study reported a graduation rate of 72% for students enrolled at least 1 year
28
72% graduation rate for students enrolled at least 1 year (virtual schooling study)
29
An RCT reported an average effect of +0.18 standard deviations on reading scores for online tutoring interventions
30
+0.18 standard deviations on reading scores from online tutoring (RCT paper)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Across these studies, online and blended learning tend to deliver modest but consistent gains, with effects commonly around 0.15 to 0.17 standard deviations and course outcomes such as 91% completion with daily check-ins and automated reminders.
More related reading
04 · Category
Industry Trends5 stats
01
In 2020, 74% of teachers reported using video conferencing platforms to deliver instruction
02
In 2022, 66% of parents said online learning was necessary during parts of the school year (parent survey)
03
66% of parents said online learning was necessary during parts of the school year in 2022 (survey)
04
In 2021, 61% of districts planned to maintain some online options for students
05
61% of districts planned to maintain some online options for students in 2021 (RAND report)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Across these years, the data points to steady, though slightly declining, commitment to online learning, with 74% of teachers using video conferencing in 2020 followed by 66% of parents saying it was necessary in 2022 and 61% of districts planning to keep some online options in both 2021.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis10 stats
01
$4.3 billion in federal education funding was allocated for broadband connectivity in 2021 under COVID relief packages (reported in federal spending summaries)
02
$4.3 billion is reported federal broadband connectivity funding for K-12/education use in 2021
03
The median cost per pupil for virtual schooling in state-run programs was reported at $5,500for 2020 (state budget analysis)
04
$5,500per pupil is the reported median cost for virtual schooling in 2020 (state budget analysis)
05
$350per student is reported average spending on devices in K-12 districts during 2020–21 pandemic response surveys
06
$350per student is the reported average spending on devices for districts during 2020–21 (NCES publication)
07
Annual per-student funding for public online charter schools commonly ranged from $4,000to $8,000 in state policy reviews (reported range)
08
$4,000–$8,000 per-student annual funding range is reported for public online charter schools in state policy reviews
09
Per-student funding for virtual public schools averaged about $6,500in one state comparative analysis for FY2020
10
$6,500per student average is reported in a FY2020 virtual public school funding analysis (report)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Across recent pandemic and post-pandemic reports, schools supported virtual learning with about $4.3 billion in federal broadband funding in 2021 while per-pupil costs clustered around a median $5,500 in 2020 for state-run virtual programs and roughly $4,000 to $8,000 for public online charters, with device spending averaging $350 per student in 2020 to 2021.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Online High School Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/online-high-school-statistics
MLA
Min-ji Park. "Online High School Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/online-high-school-statistics.
Chicago
Min-ji Park. 2026. "Online High School Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/online-high-school-statistics.
Sources & references
38 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+11 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)