Online English-taught degrees double outside ‘big four’

Online English-taught degree programmes have doubled in number in the past five years, research from the British Council and Studyportals has found, with a notable increase occurring in countries outside the UK, the US, Canada and Australia, known as the “big four”.

Between 2019 and 2024, according to the Mapping Online English-taught Programmes Worldwide report, the number of these programmes available worldwide rose by 123 per cent, exceeding 15,000. Although the big four still account for 92 per cent of the supply, the offering outside these countries has almost doubled, from 623 programmes to 1,212.

Despite offerings increasing across most of the world, the British Council and Studyportals note that Asia has a “relatively low supply”. In China, for instance, there are no online bachelor’s or master’s programmes taught in English, despite the availability of on-campus offerings in the Chinese region expected to overtake Europe by the end of the decade.

Cities becoming English-language online education “hubs”, meanwhile, include Johannesburg, Barcelona, Dublin, Sharjah and Berlin.

“While the big four markets continue to dominate the landscape of online programmes, the overall shift in English as a medium of education provides international students with more choice and flexibility than ever before,” said Megan Agnew, global partnerships manager at the British Council.

In countries outside the big four, particular growth has occurred in STEM disciplines as well as in business-related fields, with just over half of available programmes centred on computer science, information technology or business and management.

While the same subjects are popular in the UK, the US, Canada and Australia, the big four countries have also seen a proliferation of courses in nursing, psychology, criminal justice and cybersecurity – a disparity that, the report states, “presents opportunities for other study destinations to consider offering these in-demand programmes”.

Attributing the global increase in online English-taught programmes to the Covid pandemic, the report predicts a “sustained” growth in supply, stating, “In general, the e-learning market is projected to grow substantially, making online degrees more prevalent and accessible.”

Studyportals chief executive Edwin van Rest commented: “Online education is poised to drive a more inclusive and dynamic future for international higher education, stimulate lifelong learning and increase the flexibility of labour markets.”

emily.dixon@timeshighereducation.com