49 Trending Online Course Businesses [2024]

Updated: July 9th, 2023
Create An Online Course

An online course business involves creating and selling digital classes teaching specialized skills or knowledge to subscribed students.

As an entrepreneurial course creator, you identify educational gaps around topics you have expertise in and develop engaging video lessons and supplementary materials.

With flexibility around self-paced or cohort-based structures, building a student base provides passive income potential.

For founders who enjoy information-sharing, launching an online course platform presents a lucrative way to monetize your instructional talents with small startup costs by serving eager lifelong learners seeking convenient access to emerging subjects.

Looking for some examples of a online course?

Interested in case studies of a successful online course? Check out our full list of success stories.

1. Course Hero

Website traffic: 29M/month

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2. edX

Access 2000 free online courses from 140 leading institutions worldwide. Gain new skills and earn a certificate of completion. Join today.

Where they're located: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Website traffic: 17.8M/month

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Learn more about starting an online course:

Where to start?

-> How to start an online course?
-> How much does it cost to start an online course?
-> Pros and cons of an online course

Need inspiration?

-> Other online course success stories
-> Marketing ideas for an online course
-> Online course slogans
-> Online course names

Other resources

-> Online course tips
-> Email templates for an online course

4. Thinkific

Create online courses and membership sites with Thinkific and feel confident that you’ve got the easiest technology and the best support in the industry.

Where they're located: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Current team size: 108

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5. Udacity

Advance your career with online courses in programming, data science, artificial intelligence, digital marketing, and more. Built with industry leaders.

Website traffic: 5.22M/month

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6. Harvard Business School

Where they're located: Columbus, Ohio, USA
Website traffic: 2.23M/month

7. DropShip Lifestyle

Learn how to start an online store with Drop Ship Lifestyle. Checkout our reviews, online courses, drop shipping tools, and more! Voted #1 eCommerce Course.

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8. Spartans Online

Online, on campus, on your schedule. Extend yourself. This is a marketing website for extended study programs such as Summer Session, Winter Session, Open University, Special Session, Continuing Education, etc. This new website will be the main portal for all extended study programs.

Where they're located: San Jose, California, USA

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9. ImagineU Summer Entrepreneurship Accelerator

Where they're located: Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Website traffic: 710K/month

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10. Stukent, Inc.

Stukent provides the world's FIRST Internet Marketing Simulation, and an Internet Marketing Textbook to universities across the globe. Check out our courseware...

How much they make: $6M/year
Where they're located: Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA
Current team size: 50
Website traffic: 180K/month

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How I Started A $500K/Month Digital Education Company

Stukent, a digital courseware company with a focus on providing students with hands-on digital marketing experience through a variety of texts, videos, and projects, was ranked the 268th fastest-growing company in the US in 2018, an impressive feat considering it was bootstrapped by founder and CEO Stuart Draper, and faced the challenge of raising funds for several rounds of funding to stay afloat.

About
Stuart started Stukent, Inc. over 10 years ago
Revenue
Stuart grew the business to $500K/month
Read by 11,331 founders

11. University of Mississippi

Where they're located: Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Website traffic: 600K/month

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12. University of Massachusetts Boston

Where they're located: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Website traffic: 660K/month

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13. Create and Go

Learn how to start a successful blog, drive traffic and grow your audience, and make money blogging. Learn how we did it with our health and wellness blog!

How much they make: $1.2M/year
Where they're located: Texas, USA
Current team size: 0
Website traffic: 60K/month

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They Quit Their Jobs & Make $1.2M/Year With Online Courses

Two friends built an online blog that grew to generate an average of $130k per month, eventually turning it into a successful course business Create and Go with over 10,000 students, by focusing on what their readers needed, investing in their business, building an email list, and utilizing social media platforms like Pinterest and YouTube for traffic.

About
Alex started Create and Go about 7 years ago
Revenue
Alex grew the business to $100K/month
Read by 13,830 founders

14. Coursesity

At Coursesity, discover best free online courses & tutorials for programmers, developers to learn web development, apps development, database, data science, machine learning, blockchain etc.

How much they make: $12K/year
Current team size: 1
Website traffic: 410K/month

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How I Validated And Built A $1K/Month Side Project

Coursesity is a search engine for online courses and tutorials with courses in seven different learning domains and 230 subjects, attracting 10,000 people within the first three days of launching the site on Product Hunt, and using a side projects strategy has helped to attract 8,000 new users.

About
Keyul started Coursesity about 6 years ago
Revenue
Keyul grew the business to $1K/month
Read by 5,846 founders

15. Frontend Mentor

Improve your front-end skills by building real projects. Solve real-world HTML, CSS and JavaScript challenges whilst working to professional designs.

How much they make: $360K/year
Where they're located: London, UK
How much did it cost to start: $8K
Current team size: 0
Website traffic: 470K/month

We Built A $180K/Year Learn-To-Code Community

Online learning community Frontend Mentor has over 200,000 members, with over 1,500 paid subscribers generating over $15,000 MRR, offering professionally designed challenges to improve front-end coding skills with a freemium business model and a focus on real-life experience.

About
Matt started Frontend Mentor over 5 years ago
Revenue
Matt grew the business to $30K/month
Costs
It cost Matt $8000 to start the business
Read by 9,735 founders

16. Davenport University

Davenport University offers flexible, career-focused degree programs that prepare students to enter the workforce upon graduation.

Where they're located: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Website traffic: 90K/month

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17. ISSA Trainer : Members Section

ISSATrainer.com is the official members section for ISSA personal trainers. You can study course materials and take your exam online.

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18. Horkey HandBook

How much they make: $588K/year
Where they're located: Wyoming, MN, USA
How much did it cost to start: $205
Current team size: 0
Website traffic: 40K/month

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This Mum Of 3 Kids Turned A Side Hustle Into A $588K/Year Online Courses Business

Gina, a personal finance worker turned virtual assistant, started a side hustle that evolved into a 7-figure business, The #FullyBookedVA System, which offers courses and support for new and existing virtual assistants seeking to launch and grow their business, with features including weekly group coaching, client leads, and specialization tracks.

About
Gina started Horkey HandBook over 9 years ago
Revenue
Gina grew the business to $49K/month
Costs
It cost Gina $205 to start the business
Read by 3,904 founders

19. The Savvy Couple

Join our savvy family and learn how budget your money, save money fast, and make money from home and online. The best family finance blog around!

How much they make: $240K/year
Where they're located: Rochester, New York, USA
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 2

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How This 28-Year-Old Couple Quit Their Jobs And Make $20K/Month Running A Blog

Learn how one couple created a successful personal finance blog, The Savvy Couple, that now makes over $20,000 per month and has sold thousands of digital workbooks and courses, by focusing on purposeful content and optimizing their ROI with efficient time management.

About
Kelan started The Savvy Couple over 7 years ago
Revenue
Kelan grew the business to $20K/month
Costs
It cost Kelan $500 to start the business
Read by 26,217 founders

20. University of Detroit Mercy Home Page

Michigan’s University of Detroit Mercy is Catholic, Jesuit & Mercy. Study architecture, business, liberal arts, dentistry, law, engineering, science & healthcare.

Where they're located: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Website traffic: 290K/month

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21. Pryor Learning Solutions

Pryor Learning Solutions is the industry leader in business training. We deliver thousands of high-quality training options that can satisfy your needs any time, anywhere, in any format.

Where they're located: Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Website traffic: 290K/month

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22. American Management Association

Management training courses & seminars led by expert AMA faculty. Join the millions of professionals who choose AMA for their training and consulting needs.

Where they're located: Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Website traffic: 150K/month

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23. SI Certs

SI Certs offers online training for ICC special inspector exams and the CWI certification test. Since 2011, we have helped many people get certified.

How much they make: $1.5M/year
Where they're located: Eagle Mountain, UT, USA
How much did it cost to start: $2.5K
Current team size: 1

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My Past Career Helped Me Build A $60K/Month Online Business

SI Certs CEO Gabriel Kramer shares how he turned his experience as a construction inspector into an online test prep course business that made over $45,000/month in revenue last year, and is projected to make $60,000/month this year.

About
Gabriel started SI Certs about 13 years ago
Revenue
Gabriel grew the business to $125K/month
Costs
It cost Gabriel $2500 to start the business
Read by 13,949 founders

24. Let's Reach Success

Learn how to reach success and achieve financial freedom by building better habits, starting a blog, and earning passive income with side hustles:

How much they make: $60K/year
Where they're located: The Netherlands
How much did it cost to start: $100
Current team size: 0

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How I Created A $5K/Month Online Course About Blogging

How a full-time blogger created a 5-figure online business from a hobby, and now helps people start a side hustle and earn passive income with a signature program that teaches how to start and grow a blog, reach 100K page views and $5,000/month, and live life on their own terms.

About
Lidiya started Let's Reach Success almost 11 years ago
Revenue
Lidiya grew the business to $5K/month
Costs
It cost Lidiya $100 to start the business
Read by 12,891 founders

25. Kadenze

Kadenze brings together educators, artists, and engineers from leading universities to provide world-class education in the fields of art and creative technology. Email us at [email protected] or call us at (661) 367-1361

Website traffic: 100K/month

26. Proofread Anywhere

Home of the online training course Transcript Proofreading: Theory and Practice™. Learn how to proofread transcripts for court reporters from home.

How much they make: $2.4M/year
Current team size: 1

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How I Built A $200K/Month Business Selling Proofreading Courses

Proofread Anywhere provides courses for proofreading that have helped founder Caitlin Pyle go from making $4,000 per month to $200K per month in income through creating a digital business with high profit margins, automated systems, and using ads, content, and affiliates to attract and retain customers.

About
Caitlin started Proofread Anywhere over 9 years ago
Revenue
Caitlin grew the business to $200K/month
Read by 10,891 founders

27. ClickMeeting

Video conferencing, online meetings, and webinar software to bring your students, customers, and team members together.

How much they make: $10.8M/year
Where they're located: Gdańsk, Poland
Current team size: 93
Website traffic: 4.19M/month

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Our Online Meetings Platform Skyrocketed During The Pandemic And Now Makes $10.8M/Year

ClickMeeting, a platform for webinars and online meetings, has grown to host over 2 million events with 30 million attendees and has been profitable since its launch in 2010, with a focus on reliability and quality customer service.

Revenue
Szymon grew the business to $897K/month
Read by 2,973 founders

28. Khan Academy

You can learn anything. Expert-created content and resources for every course and level. Always free.

How much they make:
Website traffic: 53.5M/month

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29. Markeko

Everything you need to pass your next Facebook Blueprint Certification Exam: Study Guides, articles, tips and tricks to help you study for your exam.

How much they make: $48K/year
Where they're located: Guatemala
Current team size: 1

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How I Started A $4K/Month Blog That Helps People Get Facebook Blueprint Certifications

Diego launched Markeko, a blog helping people pass Facebook Blueprint Certification exams, generating $4K a month and having a community of over 11K members, using a lean launch strategy and focusing on building and retaining a community.

About
Diego started Markeko about 6 years ago
Revenue
Diego grew the business to $4K/month
Read by 7,226 founders

30. unknown

Where they're located: Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Website traffic: 310K/month

31. Ellen Yin Media LLC

How much they make: $960K/year
Where they're located: Salem
How much did it cost to start: $100
Current team size: 3

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How I Launched A Six Figure Online Membership That Helps Coaches & Service Providers Make Their First $10K Month

Founder Ellen Yin shares how she profitably bootstrapped growth from a $300 client project into 7 figures in lifetime revenue and how she launched a $10K/month online course using pre-selling to test and validate her offer.

About
Ellen started Ellen Yin Media LLC about 6 years ago
Revenue
Ellen grew the business to $80K/month
Costs
It cost Ellen $100 to start the business
Read by 7,549 founders

32. Duomly

We are an e-learning platform providing programming courses for everyone. We are focusing mainly on Machine Learning, Blockchain, and Web Development.

How much they make: $14.4K/year
Where they're located: Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
Current team size: 0
Website traffic: 80K/month

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How We Launched A $1.2K/Month Edtech Application That Helps Beginners In The IT Industry

Duomly, an edtech application that helps beginners gain knowledge in software development such as Machine learning and AI, Front-end and Back-end development, Blockchain development, and building Mobile apps, has achieved sales of around $1200/month since giving customers the possibility of paying by credit cards 3 months ago.

About
Radoslaw started Duomly about 6 years ago
Revenue
Radoslaw grew the business to $1.2K/month
Read by 4,907 founders

33. University of San Jose

Where they're located: San Jose, California, USA

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34. Jacksonville State University Catalogs < JSU

Where they're located: Jacksonville, Florida, USA

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35. Your Lifestyle Business

Get actionable tips & strategies to build a lifestyle business you can run from anywhere in the world whether that be your kitchen table or a beach in Fiji!

Where they're located: Worldwide
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 0

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36. Writing Revolt

If you want to learn how to start freelance writing as a beginner or improve your copywriting, Writing Revolt is THE place to be. Come on in! :)

How much they make: $300K/year
Where they're located: Dallas, TX, USA
Current team size: 0

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I Got Fired. It Fueled Me To Build My Own $300K/Year Business

A freelance writer who started from scratch and built a multiple six-figure online business, helping freelance writers learn how to make money online, through online courses in freelance writing and blogging, and focusing on YouTube and email newsletter marketing efforts.

About
Jorden started Writing Revolt almost 9 years ago
Revenue
Jorden grew the business to $25K/month
Read by 16,917 founders

37. Made Urban

Do you want to sell more of your handmade products online or at craft shows? Learn how to apply big businesses tactics to your small handmade business and start seeing results.

How much they make: $60K/year
Where they're located: Edmonton
How much did it cost to start: $5K
Current team size: 0

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I Turned A Failing Startup Idea Into A Successful E-Book Business

A small business owner and blogger shares how she turned her failing handmade marketplace into a successful e-book business that generates between $5,000 - $8,000 per month, by focusing on a blog that resonated with her audience and providing unique value in her e-books.

About
Erin started Made Urban almost 12 years ago
Revenue
Erin grew the business to $5K/month
Costs
It cost Erin $5000 to start the business
Read by 4,059 founders

38. Hondros College

Hondros College is an industry leader in real estate, appraisal, insurance, mortgage lending, and home inspection education. Start your journey today!

Where they're located: Columbus, Ohio, USA

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39. CE Credits Online

CE Credits Online has helped over 20,000 teachers and administrators fulfill their salary advancement and recertification needs from the comfort of their homes

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40. The Template Tribe

How much they make:
Where they're located: Sunshine Coast QLD, Australia
How much did it cost to start: $2K
Current team size: 0

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41. Course Creator Pro

How To Build, Launch, and Scale Digital Products Online

How much they make:

42. Fizzle

Earn a living doing something you love.

Where they're located: Austin, Texas, USA

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43. OneHourProfessor.com

How much they make: $360K/year
Where they're located: Las Vegas, NV, USA
How much did it cost to start: $140
Current team size: 3
Website traffic: 210K/month

How I've Built A Websites Portfolio That Has Generated $1M+ In Profit

Learn how Ron Stefanski generated over $1 million in profit from his online business, OneHourProfessor.com by obsessively measuring and following data, using SEO, and focusing on reinvesting profits into growth.

About
Ron started OneHourProfessor.com over 9 years ago
Revenue
Ron grew the business to $30K/month
Costs
It cost Ron $140 to start the business
Read by 4,679 founders

44. Swim University

The leading source for swimming pool care and hot tub care information. We provide articles, videos and easy step by step guides.

How much they make:
Where they're located: Boulder, CO, USA
Current team size: 2

45. Ship 30 for 30

Ship 30 for 30 is a cohort-based curriculum & daily writing challenge that teaches you how to start writing online by writing 30 Atomic Essays in 30 days.

How much they make:
Where they're located: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Current team size: 0

47. PyImageSearch

Helping developers, students, and researchers master Computer Vision, Deep Learning, and OpenCV.

How much they make:
Where they're located: Philadelphia, PA, USA
Current team size: 9

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48. Millennial Money Man

Millennial Money Man teaches Millennials how to make more money with side hustles, save more money, and pay off debt.

How much they make: $1.8M/year
Where they're located: Houston, Texas, USA
How much did it cost to start: $50
Current team size: 3
Website traffic: 280K/month

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How I Started A $88K/Month Personal Financial Improvement Website

Millennial Money Man founder Bobby Hoyt and partner Mike Yanda created Laptop Empires, which boasts a seven-figure revenue through their flagship Facebook Side Hustle Course, helping retirees and millennials launch and grow their local Facebook ad agencies.

About
Bobby started Millennial Money Man almost 9 years ago
Revenue
Bobby grew the business to $150K/month
Costs
It cost Bobby $50 to start the business
Read by 9,317 founders

49. Human Focus International

Browse through a range of accredited online health and safety training courses for any industry – designed to minimise workplace risk & meet compliance

Where they're located: London

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