2021

Impact
Report
Serving the world through learning
Coursera Impact Report 2021

Table of contents

PG. 4 PG. 6 PG. 13 PG. 20

Executive summary Serving learners Connecting partners Empowering
institutions

PG. 26 PG. 29
Creating social Data methodology
change appendix

2
OUR VISION

We envision a world where anyone,

anywhere has the power to transform
their life through learning.
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Executive summary

Letter from the CEO Achieving human progress

through learning
Early in the pandemic, online learning shaped the response to a global crisis that changed the way we learn. More than a year later,
new trends show that the combined force of online learning and remote work is creating a powerful opportunity to provide not just

92M 250+
skills but more equitable job opportunities worldwide. To that end, I’m excited to present the second annual Coursera Impact Report.

With the double disruption of the pandemic and automation intensifying the unemployment crisis, people everywhere need to
develop new skills for a digital future. Over 20 million new learners have come to Coursera in the past year to access world-class Learners Partners
learning. The highest growth came from regions where higher education infrastructure is severely constrained in its capacity to meet
the demand of a growing population. Growing collaboration between universities, industry, and governments to address the skills
shortage through online learning is shaping a new and inclusive lifelong learning model.

2,900 230
Coursera is honored to be a platform that individuals and institutions around the world trust to learn the skills required to navigate
change and disruption. This year, Coursera earned B Corp™ certification for meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental
performance, accountability, and transparency. We also converted to a Public Benefit Corporation. The transition underscores our
deep commitment to making a positive impact on society. Companies Government entities

As the 2021 Impact Report affirms, offering flexible pathways to skills and credentials that prepare people for remote and digital jobs
can pave the way for talent to rise from anywhere in the world. Together with our partners, we’re excited to continue our efforts to
fulfill this promise in our quest to build a more just world.

Jeff Maggioncalda
CEO, Coursera
3,600
Campuses
$460M
In scholarships*

*Scholarships are equivalent to costs saved through free access to content on Coursera

4
 Coursera Impact Report 2021 Executive summary

More learners are accessing online learning

The demand for online learning on Coursera continues to outpace pre-pandemic levels.

100 200
92M 189M

71M 143M
Millions

Millions
50 100
44M
35M 76M
28M 59M
21M 43M
26M
0 0

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Total number of registered learners Total number of enrollments

Data is cumulative as of September 30, 2021; Each year’s data represents the trailing four quarters up to Q3. For more information, refer to Data Methodology Appendix.

5
Serving learners
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Serving learners

Online learning is now a worldwide phenomenon

“
Equitable access to high-quality learning is no

92M 189M 2.2M

longer just a promise, it’s a reality for learners
worldwide. Rapid product innovation has
been pivotal to growing access and helping
learners meet their goals while enabling our
Learners Enrollments Enrollments in Entry-level partners to accelerate their online strategy.
Professional Certificates

+29% +32% +200% This moment is a turning point from where we

can deliver accessible learning experiences
YoY Growth YoY Growth YoY Growth
for broader impact—to serve new populations
and connect them to opportunities in a digital
NORTH AMERICA EUROPE ASIA PACIFIC
world.

20M
Learners
39M
Enrollments
16M
Learners
38M
Enrollments
28M
Learners
68M
Enrollments
Shravan Goli
Chief Product Officer
Coursera
+24% +26% +26% +27% +35% +35%
YoY Growth YoY Growth YoY Growth YoY Growth YoY Growth YoY Growth

LATIN AMERICA MIDDLE EAST AFRICA

17M
Learners
27M
Enrollments
5M
Learners
10M
Enrollments
3M
Learners
5M
Enrollments

+26 % +32 % +39 % +38 % +43 % +50%

YoY Growth YoY Growth YoY Growth YoY Growth YoY Growth YoY Growth

Data as of September 30, 2021; Numbers rounded to the nearest million.

7
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Serving learners

Top 10 countries with the most learners

Learners from around the world come to Coursera to build critical skills.

1. United States 2. India 3. Mexico 4. Brazil 5. China

17.3M 13.6M 4.8M 3.7M 3.3M

6. Canada 7. Russia 8. UK 9. Colombia 10. Egypt

2.4M 2.4M 2.4M 2.2M 1.6M

Total registered learners as of September 30, 2021

8
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Serving learners

Top 10 countries by learner growth

Emerging economies reported the highest rate of new learner growth.

1. Paraguay 2. Lebanon 3. Philippines 4. Guyana 5. Indonesia

98% 97% 85% 74% 69%
110k learners 158k learners 1.3M learners 60k learners 789k learners

6. Kenya 7. Ethiopia 8. Rwanda 9. Vietnam 10. Kazakhstan

61% 60% 57% 55% 54%
303k learners 103k learners 50k learners 718k learners 323k learners

Data represents growth in new registered learners among countries with at least 50,0000 learners and covers the period of October 1, 2020 – September 30, 2021, compared to the period of October 1, 2019 – September 30, 2020. Bottom number represents total number of registered learners.

9
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Serving learners

Reducing the gender gap in STEM and digital skills Top skills among women
Women are pursuing online education, including STEM courses, at higher rates than before the pandemic. 1. Communication

Share of new registered women learners over time Share of STEM course enrollments from women over time
2. Leadership and Management
50 54% 50
50%
43% 43% 44% 45% 3. Probability and Statistics
38% 37%
33% 33%
25 25 31% 31%
4. Entrepreneurship

5. Computer Programming
0 0

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Percent of new registered learners Percent of new registered learners

6. Business Pyschology

Top 5 courses among women 7. Business Analysis

The Science of Well-Being COVID-19 Contact Tracing First Step Korean

Yale University Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School Yonsei University
4.9 of Public Health 4.9 8. Data Analysis
360,000 enrollments 4.9 200,000 enrollments
280,000 enrollments
9. Machine Learning
Learning How to Learn English for Career Development
Deep Teaching Solutions University of Pennsylvania
4.8 4.8
10. Marketing
140,000 enrollments 130,000 enrollments

Data as of June 30, 2021, per 2021 Coursera Women and Skills Report

10
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Serving learners

Learner ratings on Coursera

4.7
Average course rating
98%
Enrollments are in courses with
94%
Learners would recommend
81%
Learners gave their course
65%
First-time learners go on to
greater than a 4-star rating Coursera to a friend a 5-star rating enroll in another course

New innovations improve learner access and experience

Accessibility features Low-data downloads on mobile Real-time personalization

Supports the use of screen readers and keyboard navigation, closed Enables learners to conserve mobile data by choosing the best video Provides real-time, personalized recommendations of learning
captions, visual affordances, and more to help ensure the experience download option for their bandwidth including high-res, standard, content most suited to a learner’s interests and goals.
across web, mobile, and projects is accessible to learners of all abilities. and low-res.

11
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Serving learners

Top career skills among learners

Learners invested in high-impact career skills to become job ready and improve their prospects in a challenging labor market.
“
Before I joined Coursera, it was difficult and
time-consuming to find reliable and structured
content and to test my learning progress
Business Technology Data Science afterwards. Now I’ve completed four courses
and I’m applying my skills to my current job.
1. Communication 1. Computer Programming 1. Probability and Statistics
[...] Not only does my resume look impressive—
2. Leadership and Management 2. Theoretical Computer Science 2. Machine Learning filled with the names and logos of world-class
institutions—but these certificates also bring me
closer to my career goals by validating the skills
3. Entrepreneurship 3. Mathematics 3. Data Analysis I’ve learned. Now I’m working as a marketing
analyst, and it is evident to me how all the skills
4. Business Analysis 4. Algorithms 4. Mathematics I learned through Coursera prepared me for the
real world.
5. Finance 5. Cloud Computing 5. Data Management
Rayan Braga
Learner from Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Helping learners achieve their goals

81%
Learners in emerging markets
71%
Learners report
64%
Learners without a bachelor’s
report career benefits career benefits degree report career benefits

Outcomes conditional on learners having a stated career goal for taking content on Coursera. See Data Methodology Appendix for further details on the Learner Outcomes Survey.

12
Connecting partners
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Connecting partners

Expanding access to world-class universities

“
Online learning has become core to the

175+
University partners
4,400
Courses
490
Specializations
39
Certificates
student experience both on- and off-campus.
Universities worldwide are integrating online
learning into their curricula. By focusing
on skills and practical application, they’re
improving student employability.

33
Degrees
34M
Enrollments in
190+
Countries reached
Throughout 2021, we expanded our
partnership with many new universities and
the past year introduced a greater selection of courses,
certificates, and degrees. These credentials
are creating a more inclusive higher-
education experience with affordable and
flexible pathways for learners.
New university partners
Betty Vandenbosch
Chief Content Officer
Coursera

New university partners from top left to bottom right: Ashoka University, Dartmouth College, Howard University, Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Indian Institute of Technology
Guwahati, Indian Statistical Institute, Institut supérieur de l’aéronautique et de l’espace, Khalifa University, Morehouse College, Pepperdine University, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Queen Mary University of London,
University of Notre Dame. List is not exhaustive.

14
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Connecting partners

Top 10 new courses from university partners

Our university partners responded with agility to evolving learner needs by launching courses that help learners develop job-relevant skills, enhance personal
development, and prioritize their overall well-being.

1. Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty & Stress 6. Human Resources Analytics

Yale University University of California, Irvine
4.8 4.6
78,000 enrollments 15,000 enrollments

2. The Korean Alphabet: An Introduction to Hangeul 7. English and Academic Preparation – Pre-Collegiate
Sungkyunkwan University Rice University
4.6 4.5
20,500 enrollments 14,500 enrollments

3. Mindfulness and Well-being: Living with Balance and Ease 8. IELTS Writing Section Skills Mastery
Rice University University of California, Irvine
4.9 4.6
16,500 enrollments 13,500 enrollments

4. Principios de Psicología (Principles of Psychology) 9. Introduction to Python Programming

Tecnológico de Monterrey University of Pennsylvania
4.7 4.1
16,000 enrollments 13,000 enrollments

5. Web Development with Java Spring Framework 10. COVID-19 Training for Healthcare Workers
Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University Stanford University
3.7 4.8
15,000 enrollments 13,000 enrollments

Top courses based on enrollments in the trailing four quarters up to Q3; Numbers have been rounded.

15
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Connecting partners

Partner satisfaction on Coursera “

IIM Kozhikode has always sought to carve

89% 87% 87%

a unique space and keep itself relevant by
constantly innovating and reinventing its
content and delivery. Our partnership with
University partner representatives University partner representatives are University partner representatives are Coursera seamlessly dovetails with these
are satisfied with Coursera overall satisfied with the Coursera platform satisfied with Coursera’s support services
ideals. With its robust platform, AI-driven
tools, and global reach, Coursera is a great
foil to IIMK’s commitment to the 3D’s—
Digitization, Diversification, and Disruption.
New innovations for educators
As the field of education transforms
dramatically in a post-pandemic world, this
partnership will provide great value to our
domestic and global audiences. Together, we
will introduce learners to new and refreshing
perspectives as we pursue our motto of
globalizing Indian thought and nurturing
value-driven, fair-minded individuals.

Debashis Chatterjee
Academic integrity features LMS content import Question banks Director
Helps instructors prevent and detect Allows educators to quickly migrate large Enables educators to randomly draw and Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode
cheating—especially important in for-credit amounts of content to Coursera from filter questions by category or difficulty level
learning programs—with disabled copy their LMS, including Blackboard, Canvas, when designing assessments, which helps
and paste of URLs and peer assignments, Desire2Learn (D2L), edX, Moodle, Open ensure each learner’s assessment has a
anonymous peer review, and improved edX, Open LMS, and Sakai. unique question configuration that still tests
plagiarism detection. the same knowledge.

Data represents percentage of respondents from university partner institutions who answered “satisfied” or “very satisfied” in the 2021 Coursera Partner Satisfaction Survey.

16
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Connecting partners

Degrees on Coursera
There is growing demand for affordable degrees that offer deep value, but are delivered with the flexibility today’s learners need.
“
Being a mid-career professional with a young
family, a face-to-face MBA was not an option.

16k
Macquarie’s MBA, offered via Coursera, was

33
Degrees
9
Degrees with
3
Spanish-language Degree students
a viable alternative that allowed me the
flexibility to learn remotely, asynchronously,
and at a pace that suited my life.
performance-based degrees 40% YoY growth
admissions
[...]Through the Macquarie GMBA, I have had
the opportunity to extend my network to other
learners globally and connect with people with
New degree programs from leading universities around the world a diverse and rich perspective. They have lent
a truly global lense to problem discussions,
Master of Arts in International Relations, which has been a rewarding experience.
Master of Business Administration Security, and Strategy
Fundação Instituto de Administração O.P. Jindal Global University
Nandita Carvalho
Student from Sydney, Australia
Master of Business Administration in Macquarie University Global MBA
Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Statistics Business Analytics
Indian Statistical Institute O.P. Jindal Global University

Global Master of Arts in English Language

Teaching (ELT) Leadership Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
National Research Tomsk State University University of London

Master of Arts in Public Policy Bachelor of Science in Marketing

O.P. Jindal Global University University of London

List represents new degrees announced since October 1, 2020.

17
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Connecting partners

Job-relevant content from industry partners

Industry leaders are creating content and credentials that fill skill gaps and meet real-world employer needs.
“
Google believes the opportunities created
by technology should truly be available to

75+ 760 100 36 9M

everyone.

Our Google Career Certificates, designed for

Industry partners Courses Specializations Professional Certificates Enrollments in the past year individuals of all backgrounds, have proven
to be an effective way to help people prepare
for well-paying, high-growth jobs and attain
greater economic mobility.

New industry partners Lisa Gevelber

VP, Grow with Google

List of new industry partners is not exhaustive.

18
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Connecting partners

Entry-level Professional Certificates

Entry-level Professional Certificates paved the way for people globally, including those without a college degree, to build digital skills
for high-demand entry-level jobs.
“
I still use the lessons I learned in the IBM Data
Science program all the time. Right now,
I’m working with [my employer] to run an

15 1.5M 1.3M 190+

education project in the Lake Chad Basin.
We’re laying the groundwork for randomized
trials in Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria,
Entry-level Professional Enrollments in Enrollments in Countries reached
Certificates the past year ACE-recommended Entry-level and my data capability in Python—especially
150% YoY growth 185% YoY growth Professional Certificates in machine learning and text analysis—comes
in handy.

I’ve encouraged all seven members of the data

team I supervise to try out the IBM program to
New Entry-level Professional Certificates Entry-level Professional Certificate enrollments from
women over time help further our work.
Marketing Analyst 50
Melaine Nyuyfoni Nsaikila
Data Analytics Learner from Yaounde, Cameroon
Project Management IBM Data Science Professional Certificate
37%
UX Design
30%
25
Data Analytics with Excel and R 25%
Data Engineering
Full-Stack Cloud Developer

Bookkeeping 0

2019 2020 2021

Sales Operations
Percent of new enrollments

Percent of new enrollments from women as of June 30, 2021, per 2021 Coursera Women and Skills Report.

19
Empowering institutions
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Empowering institutions

Supporting global institutions

“
We’re in the midst of an unprecedented global

6,500 130 5M 12.6M

skills crisis. Students need new digital skills
to be employable. Companies are looking to
close critical skill gaps, and governments are
Institutions Countries reached Learners Enrollments in the past year
grappling with how to reskill citizens at scale.
Establishing stronger collaboration between
these institutions will be critical to driving an
inclusive recovery.

By creating greater access to world-class

education online through public-private
Helping businesses Helping universities improve Helping governments partnerships, institutions can provide
transform their talent student employability reduce unemployment
essential skills training and create accessible
pathways for learners to secure high-demand
jobs in the new economy.

Leah Belsky
Chief Enterprise Officer
Coursera

21
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Empowering institutions

Coursera for Business Trending skills for business learners

A growing number of companies used Coursera for Business to help their organizations develop the critical skills needed to thrive 1. Agile Software Development
in a rapidly changing business landscape.

2,900 620k 1.7M 92

2. Excel
%
Companies Business learners Enrollments in Learners reported 3. Computer Programming
the past year positive career outcomes
35% YoY growth
4. SAP ERP

5. Leadership Development
Augustin Vigoureux Tim Converse
Learner from New York, USA Sr. Director of Applied Machine Learning, Adobe
6. Cloud Computing
WPP’s AI Academy is upskilling the workforce with critical digital skills, Adobe, a global technology leader, wanted to enhance its knowledge
helping agencies within the WPP group like MediaCom, Mindshare, of artificial intelligence to better integrate the technology into its
Xaxis, and Wavemaker drive greater value for customers. The Academy products. Because engineering talent is in high demand throughout the 7. SQL
is powered by Coursera SkillSets. “WPP’s AI Academy has given me the technology sector, Adobe decided to partner with Coursera to provide
opportunity to look at my current skill set and see where I can strengthen its existing workforce with additional AI and machine learning training
my skills to be more efficient. It has allowed me to help automate opportunities. “With a greater understanding of what AI can do through 8. Blockchain
elements of my job. On top of this, I recently joined MediaCom where SQL Coursera coursework, engineers can think of new ways to incorporate
and Tableau are a big part of the role, so I’m glad I spent time learning in Adobe’s AI and machine learning technology into our products and bring
these areas and can now apply my learning in my day-to-day job.” new features to customers faster.” 9. Apache

10. Machine Learning

See Data Methodology Appendix for further information on the Learner Outcomes Survey.

22
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Empowering institutions

Coursera for Campus Trending skills for campus learners

After helping universities quickly transition online during the pandemic, Coursera for Campus is now creating new opportunities for 1. Computer Programming
higher education to respond with agility to changing student expectations.

3,600 3.8M 4.1M 65 73

2. Excel
% %
Campuses Campus learners Enrollments in Campuses are using Learners reported 3. Blockchain
the past year Coursera to help improve positive career outcomes
student employability
4. Machine Learning

Aparna Deep Aawatif Hayar

President of University Hassan II of Casablanca,
5. Data Analysis
Student from Symbiosis International University
Morocco

Through the Campus Response Initiative, Symbiosis International In response to changing student priorities since the pandemic, Morocco 6. Cloud Computing
University in India offered its students free access to courses on Coursera has upgraded its national higher education system by launching a
to mitigate the impact of campus closures and help students develop job- curriculum using ‘skill-first’ content on Coursera. This followed the
relevant skills. The success of the initial collaboration paved the way for a shift to a four-year bachelor system aimed at lowering student drop- 7. SQL
long-term partnership. “[During the pandemic, I was] fortunate enough to out rates and enhancing student employability. Over 320,000 students
discover Coursera, where I had access to a variety of courses, including First from 13 public universities will learn on Coursera in the next four years.
Step Korean by Yonsei University, where I learned my favorite language. I “Universities have an urgent mandate to prepare students with the skills 8. Finance
acquired basic Excel skills from two courses within the Excel for Business they need to succeed in a more challenging economy. Using Coursera for
Specialization from Macquarie University, and learned how to effectively Campus gives University Hassan II of Casablanca in Morocco the ability
write in English from the Write Professional Emails in English course from to shape a curriculum with job-relevant learning and credentials that we 9. Cybersecurity
Georgia Tech. As a beginner in business studies, the reading and video believe can improve learning outcomes and make students job ready.”
content, quizzes, real-life case studies, and assignments gave me the
confidence and tools to excel in school.”
10. Apache

See Data Methodology Appendix for further information on the Learner Outcomes Survey.

23
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Empowering institutions

Coursera for Government Trending skills for government learners

Government agencies around the world are using Coursera to drive critical reskilling programs, amid rising unemployment and the 1. Excel
growing skills crisis.

2. Computer Programming

230
Government entities
580k
Government learners
6.8M
Enrollments in
59%
Governments are using
86%
Citizens reported 3. SQL
the past year Coursera for workforce positive career outcomes
development
4. Leadership Development

5. Cybersecurity
Ummee Kulsum Lori Lightfoot
Learner from Bangladesh Mayor of Chicago
6. Project Management
The Commonwealth of Learning partnered with Coursera to address the Chicago Connected launched in June 2020 to provide no-cost, high-
unemployment crisis, which disproportionately impacted underserved speed internet service to eligible Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students
populations. Through our joint program, over 128,000 learners in 54 and their families, serving approximately 42,000 households and cutting 7. Cloud Computing
countries across the Caribbean, Asia Pacific, and Africa enrolled in a the city’s digital divide by nearly two-thirds. In September, Chicago
record 1 million courses to learn new professional skills. “[The COL- expanded the initiative to offer free access to job training for families
Coursera program] helped me acquire skills and knowledge that are with Coursera. “Chicago Connected was always about more than 8. Machine Learning
essential to gear up for the post-pandemic job market and boosted my expanding internet access. From the start, we recognized the potential
confidence level so that now I am ready to excel in the workforce with my of the program to provide a platform for digital learning and workforce
new diverse skill set.” development [...]. With the launch of the Chicago Connected-Coursera 9. Blockchain
partnership, I am thrilled to announce this significant next step in our
mission to bridge the digital divide and provide upskilling opportunities
for our residents to take advantage of.” 10. Wireless Networking

See Data Methodology Appendix for further information on the Learner Outcomes Survey.

24
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Empowering institutions

Helping institutions implement role-based skilling “

We believe every engineer will be a machine

5 300+ 740k
learning engineer in a not-too-distant future.
We needed a learning platform that offered
courses in machine learning, AI, and deep
Academies SkillSets Institution learners in the past learning, among others.
year grew to an intermediate
or advanced skill level
Coursera checked all the boxes. And with
courses and credentials from top tech
companies like DeepLearning.AI, IBM,
Google Cloud, and world-class universities
New innovations for institutions like Stanford, NYU, and University of Michigan,
selecting Coursera for Business was an easy
choice.”

Amit Sahasrabudhe
Director, Chief of Staff, Payments Technology
eBay

Academies and SkillSets Right-to-left support Curriculum integration features

Equips organizations with SkillSets, providing Provides enterprises with the option to Enables campuses to integrate content
job-based learning to help employees develop choose Arabic as their preferred language on from Coursera into their core curriculum
specific skills for specific roles using data- Coursera, automatically setting the learner with features including for-credit tags,
driven content recommendations. and administrator experience to flow from limited availability schedules, curriculum
right to left on desktop and mobile. recommendations, and online gradebooks.

Intermediate level indicates that the learner demonstrates the ability to apply basic concepts on the job independently. Gaining a skill at an advanced level indicates mastery of the material and ability to both teach and
identify novel skill applications.

25
Creating social change
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Creating social change

Social impact programs

Coursera works with a variety of nonprofit organizations to offer free learning resources to several communities in need, including
refugees, veterans, justice-impacted individuals, and underserved high-schoolers.
“
Vulnerable communities have been
disproportionately impacted by the
pandemic. Now more than ever, online
learning can offer new opportunities and

100+
Nonprofit and
110k
Underserved
205k
Enrollments in
direction. We see transformational impact
when people in need build digital skills that
connect them to new careers.
community partners learners reached the past year
As a B Corp, we are committed to
collaborating with institutions to reduce
barriers to a world-class education and using
education as a force for good to drive lasting
social change.
Timothy Horn
Learner from Virginia, USA
Tjuan Dogan
As an industry partner, the United Service Organizations (USO) created Global Director, Social Impact
Coursera
a course on Coursera to help military learners transition back into the
workforce and civilian life. This content, as well as other job-relevant
programs on Coursera, is free for U.S. service members and their families
through the USO’s social impact partnership with Coursera. “Though I
retired from the Air Force two years ago, ‘Making Your Military Transition
a Transformation’ made me reassess some of my professional priorities.
I recently changed roles in my company and can honestly say that this
course impacted my approach to my new role [...]. Although I’m retired from
a 30-year military career and am 50-plus years of age, I never ever want to
stop learning, growing, and challenging myself. Education plays a central
role in my professional future, without question.”

27
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Creating social change

Commitment to social justice Notable social justice courses

Together with the Coursera partner community, we strengthened our commitment to increasing social justice by offering new courses Indigenous Canada
for learners everywhere to gain a deeper understanding of racism, bias, and social justice. University of Alberta
4.8

20+ 21k 23k

425,000 enrollments

New social Learners in Feminsim and Social Justice

Enrollments in
justice courses new courses the past year University of California, Santa Cruz
4.8
80,000 enrollments

Partners who launched social justice content in the past year

Inclusive Leadership: The Power
of Workplace Diversity
Wayne A.I. Frederick University of Colorado
President, 4.9
Howard University 45,000 enrollments

“Historically, there has been a disconnect between companies and top-

level talent from underrepresented communities who don’t have the Race and Cultural Diversity
in American History
same access and resources as other job seekers. Our partnership with
University of Illinois
Coursera can help enhance opportunities for people of color by aligning
4.6
their education with the needs of businesses. This initiative is good for
41,000 enrollments
job seekers, good for business, and good for the country. In addition, it
helps us spread the vision and mission of Howard University beyond our
campus. Exposure to our world-class faculty will empower people to Reimagining Blackness and
Architecture
fight systemic racism, combat inequality, and pursue a life dedicated to
The Museum of Modern Art
servant leadership.”
4.8
5,000 enrollments

List of partners who launched new social justice content is not exhaustive. Numbers represent all-time enrollments.

28
Data methodology
appendix
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Data methodology appendix

Technical appendix
OVERVIEW

The data used in this report is primarily drawn from Coursera enrollments. Some statistics are reported cumulatively since the founding of Coursera in 2012. Statistics that make
reference to “the past year” are reported for the four-quarter period prior to the publication of this report: beginning of Q4 2020 through end of Q3 2021. At several points in the
report, we mention growth. This is computed as year-over-year (YoY) growth for the above-defined one year period unless otherwise noted. Year-over-year growth is computed in the
standard way (change divided by prior year total).

Building this report involved data from several components:

1. Learner outcomes
2. Cumulative enrollments
3. Trending skills
4. Share of registrants and enrollments by gender

30
Coursera Impact Report 2021 Data methodology appendix

LEARNER OUTCOMES Campus learners:

• Found a new job
We send surveys to learners six months after completing a course asking • Found a new internship
respondents to report any outcomes they have received due to taking Coursera
• Improved candidacy for a new job
content. Not all learners take the survey as we request, so survey stats represent
• Picked a career path
the percentage of survey respondents. We track career outcomes using a
question that asks whether the respondent had any of the outcomes listed below.
In the surveys, learners can state whether their goal for using Coursera is career, Workforce-development learners:
education, or personal. (Learners can have multiple goals.) We report career • Got a promotion
outcomes conditional on the learner saying their goal for using Coursera was to
• Got a pay increase
achieve career outcomes. For the enterprise user surveys (Business, Campus,
• Found a new job
and Government), we assume all learners are intending to use the platform for
• Improved skills for a current or future job
career outcomes, and we do not condition the outcome statistics on the learners’
stated goals. • Improved candidacy for a new job
• Picked a career path
Career outcomes are different for different groups of learners.

Consumer learners:
CUMULATIVE ENROLLMENTS
• Got a promotion
• Got a pay increase This report uses a specific definition of cumulative enrollments. Cumulative
• Found a new job enrollments are course enrollments that occured on Coursera’s current course
• Started a business hosting platform. This platform was rolled out in 2014, and all course enrollments
• Improved candidacy for a new job made in 2016 (and beyond) were made on this platform. Enrollments from prior
• Became better at current job platforms are not included in this count. Thus, the true number of cumulative
• Picked a career path enrollments is likely higher than what is reported.

We report year-over-year (YoY) growth in cumulative enrollments as the number

Business learners: of cumulative enrollments from the current platform as of the end of Q3 2020
• Got a promotion compared with the number of cumulative enrollments from the current platform
• Got a pay increase as of the end of Q3 2021.
• Improved skills for a current or future job
• Improved candidacy for a new job
• Picked a career path

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Coursera Impact Report 2021 Data methodology appendix

TRENDING SKILLS SHARE OF REGISTRANTS AND ENROLLMENTS

We measure trending skills for different groups of learners by incorporating
BY GENDER
several measures of internal and external demand for each skill into a single, The share of registrants that are women is computed as the number of registrants
weighted index: that are women divided by the number of registrants that are either men or
women. The share of enrollments accounted for by women is computed as the
• Learner Enrollments: The average enrollments per course by consumer and
number of enrollments from women divided by the number of enrollments from
enterprise learners in content tagged to a particular skill.
either men or women. Gender is based on a combination of self-reported gender
• Search Trends: The number of searches on Coursera by logged-in learners for in profile field and in linked social accounts and gender as inferred from first
a particular skill. name. The approximately 42% of registrants and 39% of enrollments for which
we cannot identify binary gender are excluded from these statistics. Gender data
• Google Trends: The Google Trend Index for a particular skill, which provides in this report is as of June 30, 2021, per the 2021 Coursera Women and Skills
a measure of search activity on Google pertaining to specific keywords and Report. For more information, see the Data Methodology section of the Coursera
topics. Women and Skills Report.

Within a given domain, we calculate the above fields for each skill. To ensure
all metrics are on the same scale, we first compute the z-score of each attribute
within its domain and then generate a weighted average of z-scores to calculate
the index value for a skill in a particular time period. The ranked list of skills is
curated by subject matter experts, and this finalized version is included in the
report.

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Coursera Impact Report 2021 Data methodology appendix

ABOUT THE DATA SCIENCE TEAM AT COURSERA BEHIND THE IMPACT REPORT
The Data Science team at Coursera develops the statistical and machine
DATA SCIENTISTS EDITORS
learning models that power a personalized learning experience, leads the
experimentation and inference that informs Coursera’s strategy, and builds the Xinying Yu Arunav Sinha
products to access data for the company’s university partners and enterprise Data Science Manager VP of Global Communications
customers. Eric Karsten Chandni Brunamonti
Data Scientist II Senior PR Manager
The team has ideated and launched learner and enterprise-facing products
Darren Kenney
powered by machine learning that have been covered in TechCrunch, Harvard
Data Scientist I
Business Review, MIT Technology Review, and the World Economic Forum.
See more of their work on the Coursera Data Blog.
DESIGNERS CONTRIBUTORS
Stephanie Hale Jeff Maggioncalda
Senior Director, Brand Marketing Chief Executive Officer
Lotenna Enwonwu Betty Vandenbosch
Creative Director Chief Content Officer
Juliana Nagan Kim Caldbeck
Senior Designer Chief Marketing Officer

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