News & Press
2U Named Online Education Solution Provider of the Year by EdTech Breakthrough
2U has been named the 2026 "Online Education Solution Provider of the Year" by EdTech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies, and products shaping global education today.
The annual EdTech Breakthrough Awards program honors innovation across categories including e-learning, student engagement, adaptive learning, AI in education, and career preparation. For the eighth consecutive year, the program spotlighted the companies, products, and services shaping the future of education worldwide.
What this recognition reflects
We've always believed that high-quality education shouldn't be a privilege of geography or circumstance. Today, through more than 250 institutional and enterprise partnerships, 2U develops and delivers over 5,300 online programs on edX, reaching more than 100 million people worldwide.
From executive education and professional credentialing to master's degrees and open courses, our work is built around a single idea: expand access without compromising rigor.
Over the past year, 2U has continued to deepen its investment in AI as a tool to improve learning outcomes and support student success. Xpert Learning Assistant — embedded across a broad portfolio of programs — provides learners with course-aligned academic support whenever they need it. Early data shows meaningful improvements in attendance, homework completion, and grades. The faculty remain firmly in control. They set the terms for how AI can be used in their courses, and safeguards are built into the experience to help protect academic integrity. That balance, using AI to support learning while keeping educators at the center, is what we think responsible AI in education looks like. That approach is what earned us recognition from EdTech Breakthrough.
“2U is helping define what high-quality online education looks like at global scale. Its model brings together trusted institutions, flexible learning pathways, and responsible technology to expand access while preserving academic quality,” said EdTech Breakthrough Managing Director Steve Johansson. “As AI reshapes how learners discover programs and receive support, 2U is applying technology in ways that strengthen the role of educators and help institutions meet changing workforce needs."
Why it matters
This recognition comes at a pivotal moment for higher education where universities, employers, and learners are asking harder questions about what online education can and should deliver. As those expectations evolve, 2U remains focused on continuing to build the platform, partnerships, and AI capabilities that make it possible to address those questions at scale — and to keep doing it in ways our partners and learners can trust.
We're proud of this recognition, and grateful to the institutional partners, faculty, and teams whose work continues to make our mission possible.
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