“Last year, the online and professional education association UPCEA urged institutions to close the gap between student expectations on institutional preparedness for online learning as part of its annual report on the Benchmarking Online Enterprises Survey. This year’s report, released Monday, warns that the story beneath the 2026 data isn’t one of a “rising tide lifting every online enterprise equally, but rather a sector beginning to sort itself into those pulling ahead and those bracing for contraction.”

The average online enterprise budget increased from $8.1 million in 2025 to $12.5 million in 2026, even as the median decreased from $4.5 million to $3.5 million, the report found. Average 2026 revenues were $30.5 million—well above 2025’s $23.9 million and 2024’s $18 million. The share of online enterprises generating at least $2 in revenue for every dollar budgeted also has risen each year, to 43 percent in 2026. Yet, 41 percent of institutions represented anticipate an increase in program budgets while 23 percent expect a decrease.”

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