Transparency & Outcomes Report
2U’s Transparency and Outcomes Report highlights the critical role of public-private partnerships in expanding access to affordable, high-impact online education. Together, we’re empowering learners, accelerating careers, and meeting global workforce demands.
Redefining What’s Possible in Education
At 2U, we know online learning isn’t just a trend—it’s an irreversible shift redefining the future of education.
Current market data supports this vision: Nearly half of chief learning officers now say online programs are outpacing traditional on-campus enrollment. In 2023, 53% of college students took at least one online class, and the global e-learning market is expected to grow by over 20% from 2022 to 2030.
Over the last 15 years, we’ve empowered more than 5.7 million learners to achieve their personal and professional goals by completing an online program. Their Net Promoter Scores (NPS) consistently reflect “excellent” satisfaction across products. And they go on to address critical workforce needs, with over 33,000 graduating from programs in fields like nursing, social work, education, and counseling.
The outcomes speak for themselves: Public-private partnerships like ours are pivotal for expanding access to life-changing education and building the skilled workforce the global economy requires
Our 2023 Transparency & Outcomes Report highlights our impact on learners, universities, employers, and society. Divided into these four sections, the report brings together data points and stories from our partners and learners who have transformed through the power of online education.
Learner Impact
Together with our partners, we’re committed to offering all learners the skills, knowledge, and support they need at every age and stage of their lives. We believe that more equitable access to high-quality education is the key to social mobility and economic security. In 2023, diversity in the graduate degree programs we power exceeded the national average for many groups.
University Impact
Through our work with nonprofit universities to meet learners’ needs with educational experiences that support every career journey, we’ve crafted a portfolio of free-to-degree courses and programs that marry the necessity of affordability and access with the demand for academic quality and market relevance.
We recognized early on that AI would kickstart a seismic shift in the education landscape. With the World Economic Forum projecting that 1.1 billion jobs will be redefined by technology in the next decade, we anticipated the ripple effect. We knew learners would demand programs that prepare them for an AI-driven world. We heard it loud and clear from our partners, too: Preparing students for a future shaped by AI is no longer optional—it’s essential. So in 2023, we met the moment. We quickly expanded our AI content footprint to over 450 programs and saw a 54% jump in AI-related open course enrollments. AI-related executive education enrollments skyrocketed 424% as business leaders sought tools to navigate organizational change.
Employer Impact
In 2023, employers faced mounting challenges as 77% reported difficulties finding workers with the right skills—the highest in nearly two decades. The World Economic Forum projected that 40% of core skills would shift by 2025, with analytical thinking, problem-solving, and AI expertise in high demand. Across industries, businesses struggled to fill critical roles, delaying innovation and risking their competitive edge.
Together with our partners, we design programs that align directly with industry needs, equipping learners with the skills employers demand. From reskilling workers for emerging tech roles to empowering employees with leadership tools, we’re bridging the gap between talent and opportunity.
Societal Impact
The mismatch between the supply and demand of skilled professionals in critical sectors like healthcare and education is growing. A large portion of the population also faces significant barriers to accessing higher education. We strongly believe that the key to addressing these pressing societal issues lies in expanding access to market-relevant, high-quality education. From all the learners who’ve graduated from our partners’ programs in helping hands disciplines to investments we’ve made in organizations that help improve the lives of those affected by crisis, our outcomes stand as proof.
Outcomes
In 2019 and 2020, we partnered with Gallup to better understand the experiences learners have in the online graduate degree programs we offer with our partners. In 2021, we sought to do the same for the boot camps we power through our Gallup-2U Boot Camp Graduates Study.⁴ Based on self-reported data from a web survey with a sample of 3,824 respondents who graduated from 2U-powered boot camps, it is the largest and most comprehensive analysis of boot camp outcomes to date. For more information on Gallup’s methodology, please refer to the full report.