edX is a prominent massive open online course (MOOC) provider and learning platform, established in May 2012 by MIT and Harvard and now operated by 2U. It delivers university level courses, professional certificate programmes, MicroMasters credentials, and fully accredited online degrees. Learners typically use edX for:
- Academic learning: Undergraduate and postgraduate studies via MOOCs and MicroMasters.
- Professional development: Career upskilling in areas like AI, data science, HR and management.
- Certification preparation: Vendor or academic credentials (e.g., IBM, Microsoft, LSE).
- Corporate and government training: Staff development via Open edX installations.
Key Features & Benefits
- High quality content: Courses from over 160 institutions including Harvard, MIT, Berkeley, LSE, IBM and Google.
- Open edX platform: Freely available LMS used by universities, NGOs, governments, IMF and corporations like Microsoft and Google.
- Varied credentials: Offers verified certificates, MicroMasters, MicroBachelors, professional diplomas and full Master’s degrees.
- Assessment variety: Incorporates in-video quizzes, peer assessment and projects.
- Personalisation & analytics: Adaptive course recommendations, skill-gap detection and SSO/API integrations.
- Accessibility & flexibility: Self-paced modules, mobile-friendly, offline access, transcripts, and multi-language support.
Benefits:
- Global reach: 83 million learners as of 2023.
- Flexible pathways: Modular learners can upgrade free content to verified credentials.
- Cost effective formal learning: Affordable routes to recognised qualifications.
- Pedagogical innovation: Research backed instructional design with bite sized video and interactive exercises.
Sectors & Example Clients
| Sector | Examples & Applications |
| Higher Education | MITx and HarvardX MOOCs; Stanford Lagunita; French national MOOC portals |
| Corporate Training | Microsoft, IBM, IMF, Tenaris, McKinsey Academy use Open edX for employee and client learning |
| Government & NGOs | National deployments in France, China, Mexico; UN agencies and NGOs like Amnesty use Open edX |
| Professional Development | LSE’s MBA Essentials; IBM’s Data Science programme; Harvard AI certificate via HarvardX |
Company History & Headquarters
- Founded: May 2012 by MIT and Harvard, evolving from MITx and based at Cambridge, MA.
- Open source platform: In June 2013, the platform was open sourced as Open edX, enabling global use and adoption.
- Programme innovation:
- Launch of high school offerings (2014),
- MicroMasters initiative (2016),
- Partnerships with GE and Microsoft (2018).
- Acquisition by 2U: edX became part of 2U in November 2021; 2U filed for Chapter 11 in July 2024 but edX remains operational.
Industry Awards & Recognition
- Fast Company named edX among “Most Innovative Companies” in 2024.
- Influential in early MOOC discourse; labelled leaders in virtual learning evolution .
- Widely featured as a top provider for online degrees and professional training.
Overall Sentiment from Customer Reviews
Capterra (4.0/5)
“I completed a MicroMasters from MIT and found it extremely valuable”.
Pros: Broad course selection and university level depth. Cons: Customer support rated lower (3.0/5).
G2 Feature Data
High ratings for in course assessments (89%), video content (96%), certifications (86%) and mobile compatibility (97%).
User Reviews & Medium analysis
- Platform navigation is intuitive, though mobile UX can be patchy.
- Interactive content and engagement with forums praised; delays in support and orientation friction noted.
- Completion rate caveats common in MOOCs, yet verified-track credential value is high