---
title: "University online degrees: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the university online degrees schools and universities use. Share of Search among Coursera, Open University, University of Phoenix, edX, Udacity and SNHU, the university online degrees Brandwave compares worldwide, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/university-online-degrees"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# University online degrees: Which are searched most?

Compare the university online degrees schools and universities use. Share of Search among Coursera, Open University, University of Phoenix, edX, Udacity and SNHU, the university online degrees Brandwave compares worldwide, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: University online degrees
- **Market**: Global
- **Brands compared**: 6
- **Month measured**: Aug 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Coursera, 66.1%

## Which brand is most popular in search among university online degrees worldwide?

- In August 2026, Coursera was the most searched among university online degrees worldwide, with an estimated 3.4M branded searches and 66.1% estimated Share of Search within this set.
- Open University is in 2nd place, 51.6 percentage points behind at 14.5% Share of Search.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, University of Phoenix’s estimated Share of Search among university online degrees worldwide increased from 8.8% to 10.9%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, edX’s estimated Share of Search among university online degrees worldwide decreased from 8.8% to 7.3%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Udacity’s estimated Share of Search among university online degrees worldwide decreased from 2.2% to 1.2%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Coursera’s estimated Share of Search among university online degrees worldwide peaked at 68.3% in December 2025 and was lowest at 62.5% in November 2025.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Open University’s estimated Share of Search among university online degrees worldwide peaked at 17.2% in July 2026 and was lowest at 12.2% in June 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, University of Phoenix’s estimated Share of Search among university online degrees worldwide peaked at 11.1% in June 2026 and was lowest at 7.5% in December 2025.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, edX’s estimated Share of Search among university online degrees worldwide peaked at 10.6% in February 2026 and was lowest at 7% in July 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Udacity’s estimated Share of Search among university online degrees worldwide peaked at 2.8% in December 2025 and was lowest at 1.2% in July 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, University of Phoenix rose from 4th to 3rd among university online degrees worldwide.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, edX fell from 3rd to 4th among university online degrees worldwide.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Coursera, Open University and SNHU held steady: their estimated Share of Search among university online degrees worldwide each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [Coursera vs Open University: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/coursera-vs-open-university): 66.1% against 14.5% Share of Search.
- [Coursera vs University of Phoenix: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/coursera-vs-university-of-phoenix): 66.1% against 10.9% Share of Search.
- [Coursera vs edX: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/coursera-vs-edx): 66.1% against 7.3% Share of Search.
- [Open University vs University of Phoenix: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/open-university-vs-university-of-phoenix): 14.5% against 10.9% Share of Search.
- [Open University vs edX: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/edx-vs-open-university): 14.5% against 7.3% Share of Search.
- [University of Phoenix vs edX: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/edx-vs-university-of-phoenix): 10.9% against 7.3% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for university online degrees worldwide in August 2026?

- In August 2026, Coursera gained estimated Share of Search among university online degrees worldwide, from 64% to 66.1%.
- In August 2026, Open University lost estimated Share of Search among university online degrees worldwide, from 17.2% to 14.5%.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Udacity worldwide fell 55.2% over 11 measured months, from 135K to 60.5K in August 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for edX worldwide fell 33.1% over 11 measured months, from 550K to 368K in August 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for SNHU worldwide fell 17.2% over 11 measured months, from 2.9K to 2.4K in August 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Coursera | 66.1% | 3.4M | 0.0% | Coursera |
| 2 | Open University | 14.5% | 736K | -18.2% | Open University |
| 3 | University of Phoenix | 10.9% | 550K | 0.0% | University of Phoenix |
| 4 | edX | 7.3% | 368K | 0.0% | edX |
| 5 | Udacity | 1.2% | 60.5K | 0.0% | Udacity |
| 6 | SNHU | 0.05% | 2.4K | 0.0% | SNHU |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Coursera | 4.1M | 65.7% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Open University | 900K | 14.5% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | edX | 550K | 8.8% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | University of Phoenix | 550K | 8.8% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Udacity | 135K | 2.2% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | SNHU | 2.9K | 0.05% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Coursera | 3.4M | 62.5% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Open University | 900K | 16.8% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | edX | 550K | 10.3% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | University of Phoenix | 450K | 8.4% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Udacity | 110K | 2.1% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | SNHU | 2.4K | 0.04% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | Coursera | 3.4M | 68.3% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Open University | 602K | 12.3% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | edX | 450K | 9.2% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | University of Phoenix | 368K | 7.5% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Udacity | 135K | 2.8% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | SNHU | 2.9K | 0.06% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | Coursera | 4.1M | 65.9% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Open University | 900K | 14.5% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | edX | 550K | 8.9% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | University of Phoenix | 550K | 8.9% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Udacity | 110K | 1.8% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | SNHU | 4.4K | 0.07% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | Coursera | 3.4M | 64.7% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Open University | 736K | 14.2% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | edX | 550K | 10.6% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | University of Phoenix | 450K | 8.7% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Udacity | 90.5K | 1.7% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | SNHU | 2.9K | 0.06% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | Coursera | 3.4M | 63.2% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Open University | 736K | 13.9% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | edX | 550K | 10.4% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | University of Phoenix | 550K | 10.4% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Udacity | 110K | 2.1% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | SNHU | 2.9K | 0.05% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | Coursera | 3.4M | 65.5% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Open University | 736K | 14.4% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | University of Phoenix | 550K | 10.7% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | edX | 368K | 7.2% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Udacity | 110K | 2.1% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | SNHU | 4.4K | 0.09% | 6 |
| May 2026 | Coursera | 3.4M | 65.7% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Open University | 736K | 14.4% | 2 |
| May 2026 | University of Phoenix | 550K | 10.8% | 3 |
| May 2026 | edX | 368K | 7.2% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Udacity | 90.5K | 1.8% | 5 |
| May 2026 | SNHU | 2.9K | 0.06% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | Coursera | 3.4M | 67.7% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Open University | 602K | 12.2% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | University of Phoenix | 550K | 11.1% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | edX | 368K | 7.4% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Udacity | 74K | 1.5% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | SNHU | 2.4K | 0.05% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | Coursera | 3.4M | 64% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Open University | 900K | 17.2% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | University of Phoenix | 550K | 10.5% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | edX | 368K | 7% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Udacity | 60.5K | 1.2% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | SNHU | 2.4K | 0.05% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | Coursera | 3.4M | 66.1% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Open University | 736K | 14.5% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | University of Phoenix | 550K | 10.9% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | edX | 368K | 7.3% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Udacity | 60.5K | 1.2% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | SNHU | 2.4K | 0.05% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | Coursera | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | edX | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Open University | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | SNHU | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Udacity | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | University of Phoenix | — | — | — |

## What is being compared

- **Coursera**: Measured on the search term “coursera”.
- **edX**: Measured on the search term “edx”.
- **Open University**: Measured on the search terms “open university” and “openuniversity”, summed into one figure.
- **SNHU**: Measured on the search term “snhu online”.
- **Udacity**: Measured on the search term “udacity”.
- **University of Phoenix**: Measured on the search term “university of phoenix”.

- [Coursera](/demand/global-en/brands/coursera)
- [edX](/demand/global-en/brands/edx)
- [Open University](/demand/global-en/brands/open-university)
- [SNHU](/demand/global-en/brands/snhu)
- [Udacity](/demand/global-en/brands/udacity)
- [University of Phoenix](/demand/global-en/brands/university-of-phoenix)

## Methodology

- [How is branded search demand measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among university online degrees worldwide?

In August 2026, Coursera was the most searched among university online degrees worldwide, with an estimated 3.4M branded searches and 66.1% estimated Share of Search within this set. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "University online degrees: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/university-online-degrees

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/university-online-degrees. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.