As the online and professional education association, UPCEA continues to serve as a trusted source for actionable benchmarking data to inform strategic decisions about structure, staffing, finance, and innovation.
With online enterprises under growing pressure to offset funding shortfalls and generate new revenue streams, this year’s Benchmarking Online Enterprises Survey (BOnES) findings offer a clearer picture of what’s working—and where institutions are still finding their footing.
In 2025, the BOnES study gathered insights from 121 participants, primarily from public research universities and large institutions, with additional representation from smaller, private, and specialized providers. Respondents described online units that increasingly play a central role in sustaining institutional budgets, adopting emerging technologies like AI, and scaling capacity to meet evolving learner expectations. The findings shed light on how different institutions are balancing innovation, operations, and revenue—revealing promising practices as well as persistent challenges. Download your copy of UPCEA's newest research study today.
Key Findings
The benchmarking study revealed several critical findings that highlight both the growth and challenges facing online education in higher education:
- Investments Fuel Growth and Efficiency – Online enterprises are seeing strong budget and revenue growth from 2024 to 2025. Much of this supports staff expansion, signaling online education’s strategic role. Some institutions are also becoming more efficient—generating nearly $5 in gross revenue for every $1 invested, though results vary widely.
- AI Adoption Varies by Institution – AI use is rising, especially in teaching and admin tasks, but maturity levels differ. About half of online enterprises collaborate with the institution on AI decisions; others operate independently or lack formal strategies. Institutional size and type strongly influence adoption patterns.
- New KPIs Enable Smarter Benchmarking – Per capita budget and revenue metrics offer clearer comparisons across student headcount, credit hours, and other relevant categories. Although these new KPIs provide valuable benchmarks, they also highlight how a small number of large-scale programs can skew averages, which emphasizes the need for careful interpretation.
Webinar
Learn More! Join Us for this Informational Webinar:
BOnES 2025: Data & Insights from UPCEA's Online Enterprise Study
Thursday, October 9, 2025 - 2:00 PM-3:00 PM ET
Get a first look at findings from the 2025 Benchmarking Online Enterprises Survey (BOnES), including new per capita metrics, trends in staffing, budgets, and AI adoption in online learning. Gain actionable insights to benchmark your unit and guide strategic planning.
Panelists:
- Bruce Etter, UPCEA
- Julie Uranis, UPCEA