Boom times ahead as unis outsource teaching Share The global market for a niche model of online education is set to triple over the next five years as universities outsource course design, delivery and marketing to private companies. HolonIQ, an education market intelligence company, has estimated that the global online program management market, valued at $5.7 billion in 2020, is expected to grow to about $13.3 billion by 2025. Some online university students might not realise they are being taught by a private company. Getty But debate is raging over whether online program management (OPM) providers are a force for good, driving efficiencies and high-quality education, or whether these largely hidden partnerships are gouging students with excessive fees and undermining the traditional university model.