EducationDynamics Releases “2024 eLearning Index” Revealing Key Strategies for Higher Ed Growth

High-demand STEM industries and increased desire for graduate programs offer promising opportunities.

Lenexa, Kan. (September 12, 2024) – EducationDynamics (EDDY), the nation’s leading experts in marketing and enrollment management services for higher education institutions, unveiled crucial insights from its 2024 eLearning Index, focusing on the growing demand for specialized STEM and healthcare programs. It highlights the critical need for higher education institutions to adapt to the evolving educational demands and prepare students for significant growth in high-demand fields.

EducationDynamics developed the “eLearning Index” to help education leaders, enrollment managers, and marketers identify emerging programs that have the characteristics for long-term success, analyzing completion data across degree levels and certificates to identify top programs. Combined with the eLearning Index Web App, educators can learn more about research initiatives that tackle critical real-world issues to prepare graduates for current and future workforce demands.

The eLearning Index Web App offers data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics and Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Additional practical information included in the web app includes the student demand index, labor index, demographic information, STEM occupation projections and more.

For years, the index has stressed the importance of developing specialized tracks within STEM education, particularly in data science, cybersecurity, renewable energy, and biotechnology. This year’s report doubled down on this trend, while also stressing the need of address the complex demands of fields such as cybersecurity and information assurance by integrating comprehensive skills and fostering collaborations across computer science, engineering, business and law faculties.

Additionally, the Index revealed graduate programs continue to grow, with master’s degree occupations projected to see an 11% increase and graduate certificate programs experiencing a 31% enrollment surge over the past five years. This reflects a significant shift towards advanced, specialized education as students seek to enhance their career prospects and meet the demands of the modern workforce.