Digital learning is more than a fad. It has become a preference. The interest in eLearning has grown significantly over the last decade. Attendance has been increasing by 17% annually, and one out of every three college learners has taken an online course.

There’s much to love about eLearning. It’s an easy way to attend class, and digital learning offers most of the perks you’d see in a contemporary classroom, like socialization and learner response opportunities. Online learning has the additional benefit of engaging learners through gamification and simulations.

The only thing amiss about the eLearning experience is the price. Online learning is expensive.

Supply and demand are the economic principles that lower the costs of a product/service. People want eLearning, and as a result, vendors have stepped in to supply the market. Economics tells us that the price for the service should go down, but that’s not the case with eLearning.

It’s still a significant investment.

Why is ELearning So Expensive?

We’ve come to expect a lot from tech. The digital age inspired the idea that we should be sharing everything. Online learning, however, isn’t based on shareware. Other factors determine the cost of eLearning. Some of these factors, like the development of the courses, are less know.

A single hour of online content can take as much as 160 hours to produce, at a total cost of $10,000. Classes that are 30 or more hours in length can become expensive.  In addition to the research, vendors must also consider supporting their online courses and staying current in the market.

The companies that produce these classes are from the business sector. They are interested in making profits. They must be if they want to stay in business. If it’s a publically held business, their shareholders demand it. There’s one more cost factor; the Online Program Manager or OPM. The OPM is the liaison between the eLearning company and the school, ensuring that things run smoothly. The OPM intervenes and makes it fair if problems arise.

The OPM is paid a salary, and that also must be added to the eLearning program cost.

How Much Should ELearning Cost?

Even though eLearning can seem expensive, it may still be more cost-effective than taking courses in person.

The cost per hour may be less than standard classroom instruction, but tuition isn’t the only savings for eLearning. The college learner who attends online courses can save thousands on housing, transportation, and fees for unneeded services. This can make taking on the added expense of course content development and deployment seem more reasonable.

Actual costs for eLearning vary by region and program, but it may still be worth looking into eLearning.