Business model
In September 2013, it announced it had earned $1 million in revenue through the sale of verified certificates that authenticate successful course completion.[29] Coursera first rolled out a series of fee-based course options, which included verified credentials for completion, in 2013.[30] As of October 2015, the company had raised a total of $146.1 million in venture capital.[31]
In January 2016, Coursera rolled out fees to earn grades and assessments for "the vast majority of courses that are part of Specializations".[32] The company offers financial aid to people who demonstrate a need.[33] In July 2016, the company launched an enterprise product called Coursera for Business. TechCrunch notes that the company "opened itself to additional revenues from the lucrative corporate e-learning market, which some reports suggest was worth $12 billion in the US alone".[34] Coursera for Business customers include L'Oréal, Boston Consulting Group, and Axis Bank. In October 2016, Coursera launched a monthly subscription model for Specializations and a 1-week free trial. The company has said subscription costs will vary "depending on the topic area".[35]
In January 2017, the company launched Coursera for Governments & Nonprofits. Coursera has announced partnerships with the Institute for Veterans & Military Families (IVMF) in the United States and entities in Egypt, Mongolia, Singapore, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan.[36] In June 2017, Jeff Maggioncalda became the CEO of Coursera.[37][38][39]
In March 2018, Coursera launched six fully online degree courses, including bachelor's and master's qualifications in various domains.[40]
In 2020, reports indicated that Coursera operates on a mixed model, with fewer than 10% of students choosing to pay for courses, whereas the vast majority preferred the free options available. Around 60% of students in degree programs initially explore free courses. Coursera's CEO describes the platform as a "managed marketplace," akin to Apple's app store, where the company curates courses, sets format standards, and establishes pricing guidelines. Revenue sharing varies, with universities receiving 60% of revenue from degree courses, and an even split for certificate courses in technology and business.[41]
In December 2024, Jeff Maggioncalda left the company and was replaced by Greg Hart as CEO. Greg Hart served as Technical Advisor to Jeff Bezos for 23 years and led the development of Amazon Alexa/Echo, before working as Chief Product Officer at Compass, the leading real estate brokerage in the US.[9] Greg Hart took function at Coursera on February 3rd of 2025 and changed the business model of the platform, removing the option to audit courses for free, and replacing it with the possibility to preview a course, which gives access for free to only the first module of a course whilst the rest is being blocked under a paywall.
