Study.com is an online education platform that provides course materials, study tools, and educational resources for students from kindergarten through college. The company behind Study.com aims to make education accessible and affordable to all students through its innovative online platform.
The Founders of Study.com
Study.com was founded in 2002 by Ben Sanders and Burck Smith in Oakland, California. Both Sanders and Smith were passionate about education and wanted to harness the power of the internet to provide high-quality learning materials to students around the world.
Ben Sanders came from an academic background, having taught philosophy at the university level before starting Study.com. He brought content expertise and an instructor’s perspective to the platform. Burck Smith had a background in educational software and wanted to disrupt traditional education by using technology to make learning more engaging, flexible, and affordable.
Together, Sanders and Smith bootstrapped Study.com for the first few years, producing all of the initial course materials themselves. They focused on developing strong pedagogy, understandable explanations, and features that would help students learn. Their goal was to create an online learning platform that would genuinely help students master concepts.
The Growth of Study.com
In the early years after its founding, Study.com focused on producing materials for middle school and high school students. They developed thousands of video lessons, practice tests, and study guides covering core academic subjects.
By 2010, Study.com had expanded its offerings to over 200 college-level courses. The company also kept innovating on its platform, rolling out new features for tracking progress, taking notes, and reviewing material.
In 2011, Study.com received $15 million in venture capital funding from Accel Partners. This influx of investment allowed them to continue growing their course catalog and expand their team.
By 2020, Study.com offered over 7000 video lessons and 5000 practice tests covering math, science, English, social studies, and college-level material. The company has served over 30 million students and become one of the most comprehensive online learning platforms available.
Key Milestones for Study.com
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2002 | Founded by Ben Sanders and Burck Smith in Oakland, CA |
| 2008 | Launched materials for over 100 high school courses |
| 2010 | Offered 200+ college courses |
| 2011 | Received $15 million in venture capital funding |
| 2020 | Provided over 7000 video lessons and 5000 practice tests |
Study.com’s Products and Services
Study.com offers a variety of products and services aimed at students ranging from middle school through college and adults returning to school. Their offerings include:
- Video lessons – Study.com has over 7000 short video lessons explaining concepts across subjects. These are similar to Khan Academy videos.
- Practice tests – They offer over 5000 practice tests to help reinforce learning. Tests provide instant feedback and explanations.
- Study guides – Their study guides summarize key concepts, terms, examples and practice problems in written/visual format.
- Flashcards – Students can use interactive flashcards to master key terms and definitions.
- Courses – Study.com offers over 200 college-level courses for credit through partner colleges.
- Tutoring – Students can get 1-on-1 help from expert tutors in math, science, English and other subjects.
By combining short video lessons with assessments, study tools, and tutoring support, Study.com aims to provide a robust learning solution for students seeking to build academic skills, prepare for exams, or earn transferable college credits.
Number of Video Lessons, Practice Tests, and Courses Offered by Study.com
| Product | Number Available |
|---|---|
| Video Lessons | Over 7,000 |
| Practice Tests | Over 5,000 |
| Courses | Over 200 |
Study.com’s Users and Learners
Study.com serves a wide range of learners including:
- Middle and high school students using Study.com for help with homework, test prep, and skill building in math, science, English, history, etc.
- Homeschooled students using Study.com’s curriculum and lessons to supplement education.
- College students taking online courses through Study.com for affordable college credits.
- Adult learners returning to school and using Study.com to prepare for exams like the GED.
- International learners using Study.com as a low-cost supplement to formal education.
- Lifelong learners taking courses for career growth and personal enrichment.
To date, Study.com has helped over 30 million students and adult learners improve their academic skills and reach learning goals. The company continues to expand its reach globally.
Estimated Number of Learners Using Study.com (in millions)
| Learner Group | Estimated Number of Learners |
|---|---|
| Middle School Students | 5 million |
| High School Students | 10 million |
| College Students | 5 million |
| Adult Learners | 10 million |
| Total Learners | Over 30 million |
Study.com’s Impact on Education
Since its founding, Study.com has had a significant impact on education by:
- Making learning more accessible and affordable through low-cost online materials.
- Allowing students to supplement school curriculum with engaging video lessons.
- Offering college courses for credit at a fraction of normal tuition rates.
- Providing an alternative path to education for homeschoolers and adult learners.
- Pioneering the use of short video lessons to explain concepts in a visual, easy-to-understand way.
- Innovating through tools like adaptive practice tests, digital flashcards, and tutoring.
- Empowering students to take control of their learning and study at their own pace.
As one of the early disruptors in online education, Study.com played an important role in demonstrating how the internet could be leveraged to provide affordable, personalized learning at scale. The company helped pave the way for many of today’s e-learning platforms and edtech tools.
Study.com Today
Today, Study.com remains headquartered in Oakland, California where a team of educators, animators, designers and engineers produce new content and improve the platform’s features. Both co-founders Sanders and Smith continue to lead the company and contribute their expertise.
Study.com has expanded its course catalog to over 200 college-level online courses spanning the social sciences, business, mathematics, humanities, health professions, and more. These courses are offered for credit through accredited partner colleges like the University of Maryland Global Campus.
The company employs a freelance network of over 500 educators who contribute expertise as writers, tutors, test prep experts, and consultants. Study.com has formed content partnerships with major publishers such as Pearson, Cengage, and McGraw Hill.
To support its growth, Study.com has raised over $40 million in funding from investors like Accel Partners, IVY Ventures, Silicon Valley Bank, and Sand Hill Angels. The additional capital has allowed the company to scale its platform, content library, and user base.
With over 30 million learners served to date, Study.com continues on its mission to make education accessible, engaging, and affordable for all. The company is exploring adding new subjects, grade levels, and ways to personalize the learning experience on its platform.
Conclusion
Study.com has become one of the leading online education platforms by providing high-quality video lessons, practice tests, courses, and study tools to millions of students around the world. The company was founded with a vision of leveraging technology to make learning more accessible.
Through rapid content development and constant innovation, Study.com has helped pioneer the model of using short video lessons and assessments to teach academic subjects online. The platform has made it easier for students of all ages to supplement their education in an affordable and engaging way.
Going forward, Study.com is well-positioned to continue expanding its reach and impact on learning. The company combines academic rigor, technological innovation, and commitment to accessibility in a potent recipe for disruption in education. Their journey over the past two decades provides an inspiring example of how online tools can transform how people learn.