The global eLearning market is growing exponentially year on year as businesses begin to realise the inherent value locked into such platforms. Offering a simple way to onboard new clients and easily educate your existing employees, there is no end to the ways in which eLearning courses can benefit individuals and companies.
As a specialist learning and development recruitment agency, we’re in a good position to be able to report on the state of the industry. Connecting hiring managers with qualified experts, we help candidates find eLearning jobs while assisting businesses to elevate their operations. Able to connect your business with contracted candidates in 24/hrs, we prioritise rapid efficiency.
No matter if you wish to post instructional design jobs, LMS jobs or beyond, at Instinct, we can connect you with the specialists that you require. To start your search, simply submit a vacancy and contact us today, and we’ll begin our consultation with you to ascertain exactly what you need. After that, you can leave the heavy lifting to us.
As just one part of the wider eLearning ecosystem, we care passionately about protecting and promoting the industry, which is thriving in the 2020s.
A breakdown of the eLearning market in 2025
As the quickest-growing market in the education industry, earning a massive 900% growth rate since 2000, eLearning has been adopted by businesses across the globe. The eLearning market is certainly thriving, largely thanks to the global popularity of such established platforms as Udemy, LinkedIn and Coursera.
Top-line eLearning market statistics
- The eLearning industry has a market size value of USD 352.98 billion in 2025.
- The industry has a Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.0% from 2025 to 2030.
- Digital eLearning lessons have a retention rate of 25%-60% when compared to the retention rates of 8%-10% with traditional training.
- The number of users in the eLearning market is expected to reach 995.9 million users by 2029.
- 70% of the global eLearning industry is in the US and Europe.
Which eLearning courses are the most popular?
One of the many benefits of eLearning is the sheer number of ways in which the learner can consume courses, tailoring their experience to their own ways of working. Virtual instructor-led courses have proven to be the most profitable and most popular form of eLearning in recent years, largely thanks to the real-time interactive elements of such lessons.
Emulating the interactive nature of the physical classroom, instructor-led eLearning courses use live discussions, Q&As and practical exercises to engage learners. This format of guided learning has a universality that makes it ideal for professionals, students and beyond, with the personalised feedback and interactivity involved being effective and engaging.
What learning method is the most popular?
Blended learning, whereby a student experiences a mixture of electronic and face-to-face teaching, has become the most profitable form of eLearning. It is the flexibility of this learning method that makes it particularly appealing for both students and organisations, with the result of blended learning being that students are more engaged and retain knowledge more efficiently.
The efficacy of blended learning is achieved through instructor-led virtual sessions, in-person feedback and physical assignments, with this format being preferred by sectors like the professional services industry. An adaptable approach to individual learning, blended learning lets students onboard knowledge in their own way, with this flexibility being part of its popularity.
Which sector of eLearning is growing most rapidly?
Alongside the increasingly popular emerging technologies, such as VR, AR and AI, that are used to deliver eLearning methods, it is the corporate sector that is joining them in their rapid growth. The rise of eLearning in the corporate and commercial world was only exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the new remote and hybrid ways of working requiring an optimised format of learning regardless of geographic location.
Employees in corporate jobs have to deal with constantly shifting legislation and upskilling in an environment that doesn’t stop its productivity. This has made the appeal of eLearning courses grow considerably, allowing businesses to adopt a cost-effective, systematic training programme while giving their employees a flexible way to learn efficiently.
Where in the world is eLearning the most popular?
North America is dominant in the sector, accounting for 35.4% of the global eLearning market in 2024. The popularity of eLearning across the continent is due, in part, to the comprehensive digital infrastructure of the area, with this providing seamless access for both teachers and students. Thanks to the strength of these initial foundations, eLearning has flourished.
The trend demonstrates that the only way is up, too, with the promotion of eLearning courses across the country, and the increasing investment in digital learning companies, leading other businesses to adopt eLearning solutions.
Projections for the future of eLearning
As remote and hybrid working only gain in popularity, eLearning has been proven to be the primary choice for organisations to educate their employees, clients and beyond. In fact, by 2030, the eLearning market is forecasted to be worth $545.3 billion. This projected growth is based on current numbers, as well as the emergence of new technologies that will change the digital learning landscape.
- The rise of gamified learning: One of the most engaging types of eLearning, gamification demonstrates a 34.75% increase in student performance. In addition, 83% of employees who undergo gamified feel more motivated to work, compared with the 61% who don’t. Championing user engagement, gamification can simplify and streamline complex topics.
- AI will continue to grow: Artificial intelligence (a.k.a. AI) will continue its digital dominance in the eLearning sector, with its ability to easily personalise lessons, examine behaviour and provide instant feedback being invaluable.
- VR and AR will thrive: As the technology grows more intelligent and accessible, VR and AR are due to thrive in the eLearning sector, projected to have a global market size of $28.70 billion by 2030. Using VR allows students to be placed directly into a real-life learning scenario, permitting them to utilise what they’ve learned in a safe environment.
Why is eLearning growing so rapidly?
The exponential growth of eLearning platforms has come around thanks to changing working habits that mean employees no longer need to spend their entire working hours in the office. Thanks in part to the Covid-19 pandemic that forced businesses to reconsider office working hours, remote learning has led to eLearning being a far more convenient option for organisations to adopt.
But, it’s only through contemporary technological advancements that has facilitated change to take place, with innovations like AI, gamification and VR expanding the possibilities of what eLearning can achieve. In the Western world, a digital internet network is ubiquitous, making eLearning easy and effortless to complete, no matter where you are.
The same advancements go for mobile phone-based learning, with organisations favouring the flexibility that such platforms offer their learners. This is particularly true when considering the modern focus of businesses significantly investing in employee training so as to improve the productivity of their workforce and prepare them for legislative changes.
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Who are the key companies in the eLearning market?
The eLearning market is so ubiquitous in modern life that you may not have even realised that you utilise these platforms in your day-to-day. For example, you might be an employee in the creative sector who uses Skillshare to update your knowledge, before going home and using the gamified education platform Duolingo to learn a new language bit by bit.
Although the eLearning space is vast, including countless different platforms that specialise in various areas, there are a number of large online education brands that dominate the space. These platforms include:
- Coursera: Working with over 350 market-leading organisations, such as Google and IBM, Coursera offers university-standard education, including degrees and courses for students across the world.
- edX: Offering over 4000 different courses, edX is ideal for students wanting to expand their knowledge. Founded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, this platform boasts over 86 million learners.
- LinkedIn Learning: Connecting directly with your LinkedIn account, using LinkedIn Learning helps you to make a winning profile. Ideal for students of all ages, this platform is accessible and effortless to use for users on the go.
- Teachable: With over 100,000 creators and over 38 million students who use the platform worldwide, Teachable is a well-known site that lets users sell and access everything from online courses to coaching.
- Udemy: With 27,000 courses and 77 million learners, Udemy is one of the largest eLearning platforms anywhere in the world, offering a range of lessons across several different sectors, including AI, statistics and much more.
The biggest challenges to eLearning growth
Although eLearning is very much in its ascendancy, just like any technological innovation, there are always challenges that stunt its further growth. One of the main factors that contributes to the success of eLearning platforms is their engagement, having the ability to seize attention with far more efficiency than traditional methods. But, this very much relies on the content itself being informed and insightful – without good quality content, eLearning platforms collapse.
Achieving successful content delivery means the regular update of material to make sure it’s up to date and general meticulous attention to detail. This can be particularly challenging when it comes to the medical sector, with organisations turning to specialist NHS recruitment agencies to recruit specialist experts who have the necessary knowledge and expertise. When judging your own content, installing a learner feedback system is one of the best ways that you can review and improve your work.
But even with good content, there’s no guarantee that students will be engaged. To challenge screen fatigue and engagement time eLearning platforms should include a variation of different eLearning styles. As previously discussed, blended learning, which incorporates both physical and virtual lessons, could be a good solution. The adoption of innovative technologies like VR that embrace cutting-edge eLearning techniques should also be considered.
It’s easy to forget that good quality internet access is something of a modern-day luxury when you take the entire world into account. If a student cannot access a platform, it is useless. Therefore, the eLearning industry is fighting access issues to make sure even customers in low-bandwidth environments can get hold of resources.
How Instinct can help you
Become a part of the rapidly growing eLearning sector with Instinct. Incorporate eLearning into your business processes to help onboard new employees, standardise practices and streamline your operations. Helping you get the right professionals in the right places, Instinct can elevate your work in a variety of ways.
- A boutique service with a vast talent pool: Using our specialised team, we use a specific, tailored approach to work with pace and efficiency. We can deliver candidates to you with pace and efficiency thanks to our vast talent pool that’s been organically grown.
- We offer a speedy recruitment process: If you’re looking for contracted clients, you can enjoy a 24-hour turnaround, allowing you to easily get the experts that you need.
- We take on your recruitment responsibilities: Recruiting for the right role can be long and complex, but with Instinct, you can let us handle the entire recruitment process. We’ll work closely with you from our consultation all the way till beyond your new hire is working, with our aftercare offerings helping employees to easily integrate.
If you want to directly access the eLearning experts you need in a crowded, competitive market, contact Instinct Resourcing today and discover how we can optimise your recruitment process. Supporting eLearning specialists and businesses looking to improve their own operations, at Instinct, we elevate talent and champion efficiency.
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