HarvardX’s and MITx’s MOOC Data Visualized and Mapped

MOOCs are controversial, but there is one thing that everyone agrees on: We need more research.

Harvard and MIT, both members of edX, have compiled data that will go a long way toward helping educators understand who takes MOOCs, and why. Rather than offering access to the raw data, each institution has given its data a visual treatment.

In total, Harvard and MIT MOOCs enrolled nearly 2 million students and awarded more than 65,000 certificates. Students were predominantly male, and most had already completed a bachelor’s degree. MOOCs are especially popular with students in their mid- to late twenties, and the reach — 193 countries and 188 countries respectively — was impressive.

Dive into the data below, and click the titles to access interactive data on the institutions’ websites.

HarvardX: World map of enrollment

MITx: World map of enrollment

HarvardX: World map of certificate attainment

MITx: World map of certificate attainment

HarvardX: Gender composition

MITx: Gender composition

HarvardX: World map of gender composition

MITx: World map of gender composition

HarvardX: Education levels composition

MITx: Education levels composition

HarvardX: World map of education composition

MITx: World map of education composition

HarvardX: Age composition

MITx: Age composition

HarvardX: World map of age composition

MITx: World map of age composition