The Rise of Online Program Managers in Higher Education

Unless you have been living way off the grid, it should come as no surprise that online higher education programs are continuing their expansion in both enrollment and popularity. In fact, according to a recent article in Forbes , about 10 million college students took at least one online class in 2022, and the overall e-learning market is expected to grow by 20.5% between 2022 and 2030.

This demand from today’s students for online learning options has given rise to a new player in the higher education sphere: online program managers.

Online program managers (OPMs) are companies that partner with colleges, universities, and postsecondary schools to develop, operate, and manage online courses and programs. The idea is that these institutions, which may lack the budget and/or resources to build and maintain these programs on their own, can utilize the expertise of OPMs instead to handle everything from program design to student recruitment.

The details of these partnerships can vary depending on the school’s needs, resources, and budget, and there are a few different business models to choose from.

The two most common are the revenue share model and the fee-for-service model:

• The revenue share model requires little upfront from the institution as the OPM shoulders the load of creating and marketing the online program. They’re paid back by getting a share of the tuition fees.
• The fee-for-service model requires more upfront from an institution, but also offers more control over what their budget is and what it should be spent on without the burden of third-party fees.

Two other less common models are the hybrid model and the in-house model:

• The hybrid model combines aspects of both revenue sharing and service fees, which allows for a more bespoke partnership structure that distributes the risk and control.
• The in-house OPM model is when institutions don’t contract out, but instead build an OPM team within the institution, which is ideal for control and management but requires significant ongoing costs for technology and personnel.

Tools like learning management systems, data analytics, demographic research, customer relationship management, and more are used by OPMs in the development and marketing of these joint online programs.

There are quite a few potential benefits of forging a partnership with an OPM, so let’s break it down into a few specific categories:

And by this we mean benefits both for you, in engaging students, and the students themselves. Many OPMs include marketing and recruitment as part of their key services, leveraging all of their tools to target the right audience and connect with them using the right message. They can get your institution’s name, brand, and programs out to a wider audience than you likely could on your own, and that can often result in higher enrollment rates.

They can also help in providing support to your students, lightening the burden on faculty and staff. This can include anything from guidance through the enrollment process to connections with academic advisers to technical support.

Speaking of tech support, an OPM partner can be a major resource by taking on the tech infrastructure that goes with running and supporting online learning. They already have expertise and familiarity with the learning management systems you’ll need and the latest developments in online programming. Instead of having to buy, install, and train on all this technology on your own, you have access to professionals who can provide assistance, support, and insight.

It’s important for us to note that there are criticisms and controversies surrounding OPMs, primarily centering around the revenue-sharing model. OPM companies that get a percentage of every student enrollment could be incentivized to ignore quality program development and admissions practices in favor of aggressive recruitment strategies. Instead of working in the best interests of the school and the student, they may only focus on the number of bodies they’re bringing through the door because it benefits their bottom line.

The involvement of an OPM, in some capacities, can also impose limitations on the faculty teaching these courses as the company may have input on how to maximize the curricula.

Okay, let’s say you’re now interested in partnering with an OPM company. What should you look for? And how do you decide which OPM is right for your institution? You need to make sure you’re evaluating several things:

• Business model — This one is first because the answer to this could potentially eliminate a number of candidates right out of the gate. What business revenue models does each OPM offer? Does it fit your budget and resources? And are you comfortable with how it will work for both of you?

• Recruitment — Before you sign onto any partnership, ensure you’re on the same page when it comes to student recruitment. They should be able to tell you about the strategies and analytics they use to target your key demographics and what campaigns they implement to create connections and prevent admissions drop-offs.
• Marketing — One of the most critical aspects of an OPM relationship is how they’re going to get the word out about the program in the first place. Make sure the company you choose knows what they’re doing in the digital marketing and lead generation space. Get solid agreement with them on how they’ll represent your brand and how they will maintain transparency in their reports and results.
• Data — We generate so much data in everything we do these days, which means your OPM partner will have access to a potential flood of analytics. You need to assess potential companies for what kind of data and insights they collect and ensure you will have regular, accurate access to those numbers.

Take your time with this process. Don’t rush to sign with the first online program manager you find without knowing the ins and outs of what you need and what they can provide. A bad match with an OPM company can set you back time and money, but a good OPM match can revolutionize your institution’s ability to compete in the online education landscape.

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This entry was posted on Friday, June 13th, 2025 at 3:04 pm and is filed under Industry News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.