Mission
Celebrating Half a Million Lives Changed and Counting
Recently, we crossed a milestone celebrating 500,000 graduates from our partners’ programs. That’s half a million people who chose to change their lives through education. Half a million stories of determination and transformation. Profound impact that reflects the very heart of our mission.
Each graduate represents something much bigger than themselves. They are educators shaping the minds of tomorrow, healthcare professionals saving lives, business leaders creating opportunity, and innovators charting paths we’ve yet to imagine. Every one of them reminds us why we do what we do at 2U and why education is one of the world’s most powerful forces for good.
Take Niaomi Moshier, for example, who we recently featured in our Transparency & Outcomes Report. Growing up as a caregiver for her mother battling sickle cell disease, Niaomi saw firsthand how healthcare systems often fail those who need them most. Determined to change that, she is earning her Master of Public Health online with The George Washington University while working with New York-Presbyterian to help reduce maternal mortality, address health inequities, and expand care for Black women and girls.
And Alice Ndung’u. In Nairobi, Alice witnessed too many young lives derailed by poverty that pushed them into crime. She took on pro-bono cases as a lawyer to help youth offenders avoid prison, but she wanted to do more. Enrolling in a course on human rights from SDG Academy transformed her approach—teaching her how to address the root causes of crime, not just its consequences. Armed with new insights, Alice fights for systemic change today, ensuring youth offenders get a second chance and a path to a better future.
Niaomi and Alice are two of 500,000 reasons to believe in expanding access to quality education for passionate individuals to affect real change in their communities. To believe education is more than the degree or skill achieved—it’s about creating purpose and empowerment.
Innovating for the Future
As we move into a new year, we’re focusing on keeping pace with the latest ways people are learning and working to build even more flexible pathways to education for the next 500,000 graduates. Our new technical microcredentials are just one example.
These targeted programs blend live teaching with on-demand learning to help working professionals build practical, job-relevant skills employers need in weeks, not months or years. From Python Fundamentals and Machine Learning to AI Applied Fundamentals, these programs are designed to help learners stay competitive in today’s fast-changing world.
The future of education is about flexibility and precision. We’ll continue to meet learners where they are, connecting them with education that fits their lives at the high quality our partners are known for. And we’ll continue to be more agile, delivering education that better matches current market needs, learner preferences, and the evolving demands of the tech labor market.
Why This Moment Matters
This milestone is not about the number itself. It’s about the ripple effect of opportunity—how one graduate’s success can uplift families, communities, and even industries.
As we look toward the next 500,000 graduates, we feel an overwhelming sense of possibility. What barriers to education will we knock down? How will we help learners tackle the challenges of tomorrow? How will we work with our partners to improve more lives through education?
We feel energized by what’s ahead. Every graduate drives us to continue to innovate and expand opportunities for the next generation.
So here’s to the first 500,000 graduates and the countless learners who will follow in their footsteps. Thank you for fueling our mission. The power of education is limitless, and you are the ultimate proof.
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Learn more about us.
At 2U, we’re on a mission—to eliminate the back row in higher education and help partners thrive in the digital age. To learn more about who we are and what we do, follow the links below.