These online learning figures cover the measurement periods and populations identified in the available source material. Estimates, surveys and forecasts retain their reported scope.
Key Online Learning Statistics
The main findings are:
- In fall 2024, 19,659,633 U.S. postsecondary students were enrolled.
- Undergraduate distance participation was 36% in 2019 (Fall 2019; U.S. undergraduates).
- Four-year institutions had 8,089,258 distance participants in fall 2024 (U.S. four-year institutions).
- PISA 2022 assessed 15-year-olds in 81 education systems (International).
- Students using devices for leisure up to one hour daily scored 49 math points above those using them five to seven hours (PISA 2022; OECD).
- A webinar meta-analysis included 31 studies and 3,823 learners (Published 2026; International).
- In fall 2024, 10,761,754 students took at least one distance-education course.
- Undergraduate distance participation was 75% in 2020 (Fall 2020; U.S. undergraduates).
- 54.1% of four-year students took at least one distance course in fall 2024 (U.S. four-year institutions).
- 59% of OECD students said peers’ devices distracted them in at least some math lessons (PISA 2022).
- Students using smartphones in most math lessons were 1.4 times as likely to be distracted (PISA 2022; OECD).
- Web-based instruction was 6% more effective than classroom instruction for declarative knowledge in a meta-analysis (Published 2006; Education and training studies).
- In fall 2024, 54.7% of students took at least one distance-education course.
- Undergraduate distance participation was 61% in 2021 (Fall 2021; U.S. undergraduates).
- Two-year institutions had 2,672,496 distance participants in fall 2024 (U.S. two-year institutions).
Contents
- Key Online Learning Statistics
- Online learning statistics: enrollment scale
- Online learning enrollment trends
- Online learning by institution and level
- Online learning access and the digital divide
- Online learning outcomes and distraction
- Synchronous and asynchronous online learning statistics
Online learning statistics: enrollment scale
- In fall 2024, 19,659,633 U.S. postsecondary students were enrolled. (Number and percentage of students…)
- In fall 2024, 10,761,754 students took at least one distance-education course. (Number and percentage of students…)
- In fall 2024, 54.7% of students took at least one distance-education course. (Number and percentage of students…)
- In fall 2024, 8,897,879 students took no distance-education courses. (Number and percentage of students…)
- In fall 2024, 45.3% of students took no distance-education courses. (Number and percentage of students…)
- In fall 2024, 5,547,429 students took some but not all courses by distance education. (Number and percentage of students…)
- In fall 2024, 5,214,325 students took all courses by distance education. (Number and percentage of students…)
- In fall 2024, 26.5% of students took all courses by distance education. (Number and percentage of students…)
- In fall 2024, 3,252,961 exclusively distance students were in same-state institutions. (Number and percentage of students…)
- In fall 2024, 1,781,956 exclusively distance students were in different-state institutions. (Number and percentage of students…)
IPEDS degree-granting institutions.
Distance education is broader than online-only degrees.
IPEDS measure.
Mixed delivery.
Exclusive distance education.
Residence relationship.
Online learning enrollment trends
The reported undergraduate distance participation figures cover U.S. undergraduates.
| Measurement period | Undergraduate distance participation (percent) |
|---|---|
| Fall 2019 | 36% |
| Fall 2020 | 75% |
| Fall 2021 | 61% |
Source: Fast Facts: Distance learning.
- About 9.4 million undergraduates took at least one distance course in 2021 (Fall 2021). (Fast Facts: Distance learning)
- About 4.4 million undergraduates studied exclusively at a distance in 2021 (Fall 2021). (Fast Facts: Distance learning)
- 84% of undergraduates reported classes moved online-only in spring 2020. (Fast Facts: Distance learning)
- The 2023 distance-course participation rate was 54.2% (Fall 2023). (Number and percentage of students…)
- The 2024 distance-course participation rate was 54.7% (Fall 2024). (Number and percentage of students…)
- 2024 total enrollment was 19,659,633, up from 19,038,434 in 2023 (Fall 2023-2024). (Number and percentage of students…)
- 77% of public schools moved classes to online distance learning in spring 2020. (Fast Facts: Distance learning)
- 73% of private schools moved classes to online distance learning in spring 2020. (Fast Facts: Distance learning)
NCES definition.
Pandemic year.
Rounded NCES figure.
Emergency move, not normal adoption.
IPEDS.
Descriptive change.
Could be self-paced or real-time.
Emergency response.
Online learning by institution and level
- Four-year institutions had 8,089,258 distance participants in fall 2024 (U.S. four-year institutions). (Number and percentage of students…)
- 54.1% of four-year students took at least one distance course in fall 2024 (U.S. four-year institutions). (Number and percentage of students…)
- Two-year institutions had 2,672,496 distance participants in fall 2024 (U.S. two-year institutions). (Number and percentage of students…)
- 56.9% of two-year students took at least one distance course in fall 2024 (U.S. two-year institutions). (Number and percentage of students…)
- Public institutions had 7,915,690 distance participants in fall 2024 (U.S. public institutions). (Number and percentage of students…)
- 55.2% of public-institution students took at least one distance course in fall 2024 (U.S. public institutions). (Number and percentage of students…)
- Undergraduates numbered 16,385,717 in fall 2024. (Number and percentage of students…)
- 8,951,854 undergraduates took at least one distance course in fall 2024. (Number and percentage of students…)
- 54.6% of undergraduates took at least one distance course in fall 2024. (Number and percentage of students…)
- 5,063,173 undergraduates took all courses by distance education in fall 2024. (Number and percentage of students…)
IPEDS.
Online learning access and the digital divide
- PISA 2022 assessed 15-year-olds in 81 education systems (International). (Students, digital devices and success)
- 59% of OECD students said peers’ devices distracted them in at least some math lessons (PISA 2022). (Students, digital devices and success)
- 29% used smartphones several times daily in schools with phone bans (PISA 2022; OECD schools with bans). (Students, digital devices and success)
- 21% used smartphones every or almost every day in schools with phone bans (PISA 2022; OECD schools with bans). (Students, digital devices and success)
- 58% of French students reported own-device distraction in at least some math lessons (PISA 2022; France). (Students, digital devices and success)
- 18% of Japanese students reported peer-device distraction in math lessons (PISA 2022). (Students, digital devices and success)
- 32% of Korean students reported peer-device distraction in math lessons (PISA 2022). (Students, digital devices and success)
- More than 95% of students in wealthy European countries reported a home computer in PISA 2018. (Education in the Digital Age:…)
- 34% of Indonesian students reported a home computer in PISA 2018. (Education in the Digital Age:…)
- 88% of advantaged-school students in Peru reported their own home computer versus 17% in disadvantaged schools (PISA 2018). (Education in the Digital Age:…)
- 94% of high-SES Mexican students reported home internet versus 29% of disadvantaged students (PISA 2018; Mexico). (Education in the Digital Age:…)
- 102 countries closed all schools in March 2020, affecting nearly 900 million children. (Education in the Digital Age:…)
Not all online learners.
Self-report.
Access, not quality or exclusive use.
Pre-pandemic.
School socioeconomic grouping.
Pre-pandemic self-report.
Not a count of online learners.
Online learning outcomes and distraction
- Students using devices for leisure up to one hour daily scored 49 math points above those using them five to seven hours (PISA 2022; OECD). (Students, digital devices and success)
- Students using smartphones in most math lessons were 1.4 times as likely to be distracted (PISA 2022; OECD). (Students, digital devices and success)
- 43% of OECD students felt nervous or anxious when phones were not nearby (PISA 2022). (Students, digital devices and success)
- Students with phone-separation anxiety scored 9 PISA points below the OECD average (PISA 2022). (Students, digital devices and success)
- A second-order meta-analysis covered 19 first-order meta-analyses and 841 primary studies (Published 2022; International literature). (Examining research on the impact…)
- The synthesis extracted 26 effect-size comparisons: 15 cognitive, 7 affective and 4 behavioral (Published 2022; International literature). (Examining research on the impact…)
- Its overall distance-learning effect was g=0.156, 95% CI 0.087-0.224 (Published 2022; International literature). (Examining research on the impact…)
Leisure use, adjusted association.
Association.
Self-report, not diagnosis.
Causality cannot be determined.
Heterogeneous evidence.
Not one common experiment.
Random-effects synthesis.
Synchronous and asynchronous online learning statistics
- A webinar meta-analysis included 31 studies and 3,823 learners (Published 2026; International). (Synchronous online learning supports cognitive…)
- Web-based instruction was 6% more effective than classroom instruction for declarative knowledge in a meta-analysis (Published 2006; Education and training studies). (The Comparative Effectiveness of Web-Based…)
Webinars are synchronous and not all online learning.
Older evidence; outcome-specific.