US Education & Training Online Universities/E-Learning - PPC Market Share Analysis September 2026

Leveraging Adthena’s Whole Market View, this analysis explores recent trends in Google Ads for the US Online Universities/E-Learning category from the last month. Our Data Analyst, Ask Arlo provides commentary on key findings.

Online Universities/E-Learning – US

Google AI Overview visibility for Education & Training Online Universities/E-Learning US

See how often AIOs appear and how search intent is distributed across buying signals.

AIO Frequency

How often a Google AI overview appears on search terms relevant to this category.

Frequency Percentage
Frequency 54.5580809182
45.4419190818
54%

Complex Query Frequency

A complex query is a longer, more detailed search that often contains multiple keywords, specific conditions, or multi-part questions.

Frequency Percentage
Frequency 48
52
48%

Search Intent Distribution

Breakdown of search queries by their underlying goal.

Intent Distribution
Investigational 18%
Transactional 5%
Navigational 9%
Seasonal 0%
Local 0%
Problem Solving 8%

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Market Exposure

Share of Clicks for top 10 US Education & Training Online Universities/E-Learning brands

Here are the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Clicks for the last month.

Share of Clicks - Last month
Share of Clicks - Last month
Domain Share of clicks
coursera.org 9.47
khanacademy.org 8.65
udemy.com 5.62
teacherspayteachers.com 5.42
asu.edu 4.96
phoenix.edu 4.33
devry.edu 3.11
snhu.edu 2.63
wgu.edu 2.47
capella.edu 2.31
others 51.03
  • coursera.org - 9.47%
  • khanacademy.org - 8.65%
  • udemy.com - 5.62%
  • teacherspayteachers.com - 5.42%
  • asu.edu - 4.96%
  • phoenix.edu - 4.33%
  • devry.edu - 3.11%
  • snhu.edu - 2.63%
  • wgu.edu - 2.47%
  • capella.edu - 2.31%
  • others - 51.03%

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In the education PPC landscape, ‘others’ dominate with 51.03% click share, while Coursera leads individual domains at 9.47%.

Market Exposure

Share of Spend for the top 10 US Education & Training Online Universities/E-Learning brands

Curious about your market position? Here you can see the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Spend for the last month. 

Share of Spend - Last Month
Share of Spend - Last Month
Date phoenix.edu asu.edu devry.edu capella.edu snhu.edu chamberlain.edu waldenu.edu coursera.org forbes.com wgu.edu
2026/09/01 8.21% 10.96% 4.23% 2.46% 4.85% 1.89% 3.44% 6.48% 2.31% 2.03%
2026/09/02 8.31% 11.85% 4.39% 3.45% 5.62% 1.79% 2.05% 5.23% 3.47% 1.98%
2026/09/03 6.72% 10.66% 6.42% 3.8% 5.02% 1.75% 5.53% 4.44% 3.4% 2.57%
2026/09/04 7.55% 10.37% 6.46% 4.5% 6.36% 2.3% 1.98% 3.01% 3.42% 3.65%
2026/09/05 7.89% 10.19% 4.61% 4.68% 7.19% 3.03% 1.42% 3.73% 2.66% 4.58%
2026/09/06 7.44% 9.48% 6.49% 5.17% 7.87% 2.74% 1.55% 2.74% 2.06% 4.43%
2026/09/07 9.19% 9.87% 7.09% 6.4% 6.49% 2.41% 1.71% 1.91% 2.92% 3.73%
2026/09/08 10.94% 11.34% 5.77% 5.41% 5.71% 2.26% 1.65% 3.15% 3.13% 3.03%
2026/09/09 10.8% 10.09% 5.75% 5.39% 5.34% 1.9% 1.41% 3.54% 2.83% 3.1%
2026/09/10 9.67% 10.06% 5.27% 6.01% 5.59% 2.32% 1.58% 4.3% 3.16% 2.8%
2026/09/11 10.33% 10.1% 4.83% 5.52% 4.9% 3.08% 1.55% 4.9% 2.86% 2.45%
2026/09/12 10.86% 10.5% 4.24% 4.54% 4.8% 3.04% 1.11% 5.55% 1.87% 3.22%
2026/09/13 11.87% 10.05% 3.54% 4.11% 4.23% 2.72% 1.19% 5.91% 1.71% 2.98%
2026/09/14 12.42% 11.41% 2.91% 3.75% 3.38% 3.07% 1.34% 6.88% 1.7% 2.05%
2026/09/15 11.77% 10.48% 5.67% 5.07% 4.95% 2.65% 2.84% 4.58% 2.22% 1.78%
2026/09/16 10.52% 10.04% 6.6% 5.25% 5.25% 3.31% 3.04% 3.95% 1.72% 2.5%
2026/09/17 10.99% 10.53% 6.25% 5.62% 4.37% 3.21% 2.92% 3.87% 2.49% 1.72%
2026/09/18 10.8% 10.48% 5.19% 4.74% 4.6% 3.4% 2.91% 3.93% 3.72% 2.3%
2026/09/19 10.66% 9.99% 5.18% 5.36% 4.7% 3.27% 2.55% 3.85% 4.45% 2.18%
2026/09/20 8.08% 9.55% 5.75% 5.71% 5.17% 2.71% 2.49% 3.02% 4.58% 2.29%
2026/09/21 8.04% 9.43% 7.68% 5.37% 4.66% 2.37% 2.27% 3.06% 3.5% 2.24%
2026/09/22 7.86% 9.66% 6.13% 4.81% 4.83% 2.6% 1.67% 3.47% 3.68% 2.28%
2026/09/23 9.21% 10.76% 5.63% 4.51% 5.42% 2.66% 2.35% 4.22% 3.98% 2.23%
2026/09/24 8.07% 9.05% 7.08% 4.07% 5.31% 2.72% 2.76% 3.82% 2.73% 2.33%
2026/09/25 7.1% 10.07% 7.43% 4.78% 4.56% 2.83% 2.04% 3.53% 2.68% 2.73%
2026/09/26 7.44% 10.07% 8.24% 5.24% 5.13% 3.15% 1.48% 3.45% 2.29% 2.44%
2026/09/27 8.67% 10.3% 7.31% 5.27% 4.77% 3.44% 1.67% 3.13% 2.33% 2.17%
2026/09/28 10.16% 10.73% 7.68% 4.2% 4.17% 2.86% 1.95% 3.72% 2.07% 2.23%
2026/09/29 10.3% 12.43% 7.04% 3.76% 3.63% 3.29% 2.33% 4.06% 2.46% 1.76%
2026/09/30 9.86% 8.67% 7.23% 5.32% 4.32% 3.61% 2.73% 2.63% 2.26% 1.36%
  • phoenix.edu
  • asu.edu
  • devry.edu
  • capella.edu
  • snhu.edu
  • chamberlain.edu
  • waldenu.edu
  • coursera.org
  • forbes.com
  • wgu.edu

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In September 2026, phoenix.edu’s PPC spend share fluctuated, peaking mid-month at 12.42%. ASU maintained a steady presence, ending at 8.67%. DeVry and Capella saw varied trends, while Coursera’s share dipped to 2.63%.

Market Exposure

Competitor Count for US Education & Training Online Universities/E-Learning

Ever wondered how many competitors you’re up against in your industry? Well look no further, here we can see the number of advertisers bidding over the last month. 

Competitor Count - Last month
Competitor Count - Last month
Date Competitor Count
2026/09/01 1161
2026/09/02 1272
2026/09/03 1275
2026/09/04 1342
2026/09/05 1327
2026/09/06 1332
2026/09/07 1330
2026/09/08 1314
2026/09/09 1315
2026/09/10 1299
2026/09/11 1271
2026/09/12 1279
2026/09/13 1303
2026/09/14 1220
2026/09/15 1255
2026/09/16 1268
2026/09/17 1263
2026/09/18 1267
2026/09/19 1269
2026/09/20 1261
2026/09/21 1273
2026/09/22 1252
2026/09/23 1252
2026/09/24 1219
2026/09/25 1245
2026/09/26 1220
2026/09/27 1221
2026/09/28 1206
2026/09/29 1219
2026/09/30 1216

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

September saw a dynamic shift in advertisers, starting at 1,161 and peaking at 1,342. The month concluded with 1,216 advertisers.

Campaign Efficiency

Market Loss & Market Gains for US Education & Training Online Universities/E-Learning

Here we’re looking at the Top 10 biggest industry movers by market share gains and losses for the last 30 days.

Market Loss & Market Gains - Last month
Market Loss & Market Gains - Last month
Name Market Trend
khanacademy.org 5.08%
devry.edu 0.69%
nu.edu 0.44%
forbes.com 0.39%
oregonstate.edu 0.36%
chegg.com -0.69%
wgu.edu -0.79%
teacherspayteachers.com -0.83%
coursera.org -1.86%
quizlet.com -2.26%

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Khan Academy surged with a 5.08% click share increase, while Quizlet faced a 2.26% decline. Devry and NU saw modest gains, contrasting Coursera’s 1.86% drop.

Campaign Efficiency

US Education & Training Online Universities/E-Learning Share of Impressions

Take a look at the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Impressions over the last month.

Date khanacademy.org phoenix.edu devry.edu asu.edu coursera.org capella.edu snhu.edu connectionsacademy.com forbes.com wgu.edu
2026/09/01 3.38% 5.45% 3.4% 5.59% 9.08% 1.5% 3.29% 3.43% 1.49% 1.59%
2026/09/02 2.51% 5.05% 3.98% 6.61% 7.46% 2.19% 4.28% 2.39% 2.31% 1.66%
2026/09/03 1.12% 4.75% 5.81% 6.2% 6.78% 2.51% 2.9% 1.82% 2.65% 2.05%
2026/09/04 2% 5.25% 5.48% 6.05% 5.51% 2.88% 4.26% 2.82% 2.39% 2.91%
2026/09/05 4.17% 5.63% 3.42% 5.81% 5.49% 2.96% 4.66% 1.42% 1.71% 3.47%
2026/09/06 0.93% 4.93% 4.9% 5.65% 4.85% 3.74% 5.38% 1.44% 1.44% 4.29%
2026/09/07 1.86% 6.44% 5.45% 6.2% 3.34% 4.73% 4.21% 1.43% 2.38% 3.42%
2026/09/08 1.02% 8.26% 4.94% 7.02% 5.24% 4.07% 3.94% 2.15% 2.51% 2.43%
2026/09/09 2.2% 9.02% 5% 5.87% 5.92% 3.74% 3.7% 3.1% 1.95% 2.74%
2026/09/10 2.49% 7.46% 4.23% 5.9% 6.54% 4.1% 4.09% 3.05% 2.17% 2.57%
2026/09/11 2.24% 7.74% 3.91% 6.03% 7.99% 3.91% 3.43% 4.58% 1.87% 2.21%
2026/09/12 2.31% 7.91% 3.42% 5.9% 8.21% 3% 3.71% 4.46% 1.24% 3.11%
2026/09/13 2.06% 9% 3.02% 5.43% 8% 2.73% 3.31% 3.6% 1.09% 2.44%
2026/09/14 2.47% 8.74% 2.74% 6.32% 9.82% 2.41% 2.52% 4.3% 1.11% 1.85%
2026/09/15 0.99% 8.98% 4.76% 6.1% 6.8% 3.4% 3.96% 2.51% 1.44% 1.66%
2026/09/16 2.1% 7.57% 6% 5.96% 6.38% 3.42% 3.7% 3.39% 1.23% 1.98%
2026/09/17 2.06% 8.07% 5.62% 6.15% 5.88% 3.59% 3.27% 2.5% 2.07% 1.52%
2026/09/18 2.67% 7.86% 4.14% 6.17% 5.88% 3.13% 3.44% 2.6% 3.18% 1.91%
2026/09/19 3.39% 8.13% 4.67% 5.8% 5.16% 3.55% 3.62% 1.94% 3.55% 1.88%
2026/09/20 3.54% 6.09% 4.61% 5.81% 4.24% 4.02% 4.08% 2.08% 3.67% 2.07%
2026/09/21 2.35% 6.41% 6.63% 5.89% 4.38% 3.79% 3.5% 2.67% 2.4% 2.12%
2026/09/22 2.31% 5.75% 4.92% 5.82% 5.04% 3.33% 3.57% 2.28% 2.6% 2.49%
2026/09/23 2.98% 7.19% 4.66% 6.45% 6% 3.14% 3.93% 2.65% 3.59% 2.01%
2026/09/24 4.39% 6.06% 5.81% 5.38% 5.34% 2.74% 3.6% 2.35% 1.88% 1.96%
2026/09/25 4.4% 5.32% 5.64% 5.63% 5.66% 3.15% 3.1% 1.3% 1.9% 2.39%
2026/09/26 5.27% 5.82% 6.06% 5.56% 5.65% 3.07% 3.63% 1.5% 1.41% 1.77%
2026/09/27 3.81% 6.82% 5.45% 5.87% 5.3% 3.39% 3.16% 1.94% 1.44% 1.58%
2026/09/28 3.19% 8.25% 5.9% 6.09% 5.98% 2.95% 3.07% 1.7% 1.38% 1.98%
2026/09/29 4.46% 7.93% 5.73% 7.19% 6.35% 2.48% 2.88% 1.66% 1.67% 1.48%
2026/09/30 7.31% 7.03% 5.54% 4.96% 4.69% 3.9% 2.68% 2.1% 1.54% 1.22%
  • khanacademy.org
  • phoenix.edu
  • devry.edu
  • asu.edu
  • coursera.org
  • capella.edu
  • snhu.edu
  • connectionsacademy.com
  • forbes.com
  • wgu.edu

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

In September 2026, Khan Academy’s impression share fluctuated, peaking at 7.31% on the 30th. Phoenix.edu maintained a strong presence, while Coursera.org saw a notable rise mid-month. The month concluded with Khan Academy leading the impression share.

Campaign Efficiency

Google Text Ad Copy Insights & Creative Trends for US Education & Training Online Universities/E-Learning

Ever wondered how your rivals’ ads are doing? Here we can see the top-performing ads in the industry over the last month.

Google Text Ad Copy Insights & Creative Trends for US Education & Training Online Universities/E-Learning - Last month
  1. 1
    Engaging. Flexible. Free - Learning That Fits Your Life https://enroll.astravo.org

    A Better Way to Learn. 400+ Free K-12 Courses. Caring & Qualified Teachers. Enroll Today.

  2. 2
    No-Cost Online Schooling - Enrollment Is Now Open https://learn.connectionsacademy.com › learnmore

    Apply Today at Connections Academy. Online, Tuition-Free Quality Education.

  3. 3
    Coursera® Official Site https://www.coursera.org

    Access 10,000+ Online Courses — Earn a certificate for every learning program that you complete at no additional cost. Develop new skills in 2026 with an unlimited-access subscription to over 10,000+ courses. Find A Course.

  4. 4
    Khan Academy https://www.khanacademy.org

    Learn for free about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more. Khan Academy is a nonprofit with the mission of providing a free, world-class education...

  5. 5
    Online Medical Assistant Program | CCMA Certification https://www.stepful.com

    Our Online Medical Assistant program prepares you for the CCMA certification exam in just 5 months. Get help finding an externship & job after completion.

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

In the competitive landscape of online education, Astravo.org and Connections Academy emphasize flexibility and cost-free learning, appealing to K-12 students. Coursera.org and Khan Academy offer expansive course libraries, focusing on skill development and free education. Stepful.com targets career advancement with its medical assistant program, highlighting swift certification and job placement.

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