In 2025, digital credentials became currency for jobs, admissions, advancement, and opportunity.
No longer passive records, they turned into verifiable proof that moves people forward: into hiring systems, alumni directories, admissions packets, and social feeds.
Employers asked for trust. Learners asked for recognition that opens doors. Credentialing leaders responded.
This year, more than 9 million learners earned digital badges designed to be seen, shared, and acted on. Program referrals (from shared badges) hit record highs. Learner directories and digital credential transcripts gained traction. And, according to our 2025 State of Credentialing research, 91% of employers reported actively looking for digital credentials when reviewing candidates.
The shift was unmistakable: programs that issued for outcomes, not just completion, stood out.
You’ll see that in the numbers and in the Certified Impact Award 2025 winners who helped lead the way.
Here’s what we accomplished together in 2025.*
In 2025, customers issued more than 42 million digital credentials using Accredible. That brings the total to over 170 million since our founding — a scale that makes Accredible the largest network of verifiable digital credentials in the world.
Each one represents a recognized achievement, a documented skill, or a step toward a new opportunity. Whether learners are applying for jobs, advancing their education, or building their professional presence, digital credentials make those milestones easier to see and trust.
More than 9 million people earned digital credentials through Accredible in 2025, bringing the total to over 32 million learners worldwide.
If those learners formed a country, they’d rank among the 50 largest in the world. Each one now holds a verified record of achievement they can use for career moves, further education, or wherever opportunity next appears.
In 2025, customers launched more than 88,000 new credentialed courses — nearly 278 a day. That brings the all-time total to over 657,000.
Every one of those courses started with a team: program leaders, instructional designers, and subject matter experts working to deliver content that’s relevant, rigorous, and ready to be recognized. From technical training to leadership development, these courses help learners stay current and help credentialing programs remain essential.
Learners searched CourseFinder more than 97,000 times in 2025, a 26% increase from last year. The top queries blended essential workplace tools with fast-growing specializations.
Excel climbed to the number one spot. AI surged from #10 to #2. Data-related roles dominated, with new entries like Data Engineer, Data, and Marketing joining the list. Meanwhile, Java, SQL, and Cybersecurity dropped out, a signal that learner demand may be shifting toward broader data fluency and productivity tools.
Most searched courses in 2025:
- Microsoft Excel (↑ from #3 in 2024)
- AI (↑ from #10)
- Data Science (↓ from #1)
- Project Management (↑ from #5)
- Python (↓ from #2)
- Data Engineer (new)
- Data (new)
- Marketing (new)
- Digital Marketing (↓ from #8)
- Graphic Design (↓ from #4)
Learners focused heavily on durable and data-driven skills in 2025, with Technology Application rising to the top for the first time.
Leadership, Communication, and Problem Solving remained strong, while new entries like Collaboration, Data Analysis, and Data Visualization reflected growing demand for adaptability and data fluency. Skills like Management, Teamwork, Coaching, and Decision Making dropped out, suggesting that learners are prioritizing versatility and proof of applied ability over traditional leadership traits.
Most-earned skills in 2025:
- Technology Application (↑ from #5 in 2024)
- Leadership (↓ from #1)
- Critical Thinking (↑ from #7)
- Problem Solving (↓ from #3)
- Communication (↓ from #2)
- Project Management (no change)
- Collaboration (new)
- Data Analysis (new)
- Data Visualization (new)
- Analytical Thinking (new)
In 2025, learners engaged with 6.8 million credentials — downloading them, adding them to resumes, and sharing them across their professional networks. That’s a 25% year-over-year increase in the actions that drive visibility, clicks, and program growth.
To support that momentum, we introduced SMS Engagement, delivering credential updates straight to recipients’ phones. Programs now reach learners faster, prompting real-time action and unlocking more value from every issued credential.
LinkedIn remained the top channel for sharing credentials in 2025, both on learner profiles and in newsfeeds. With 1.4 billion monthly visits and 87% of HR leaders reporting using it to search for and validate digital credentials, it continues to be the most trusted platform for visibility.
Slack, Telegram, X, and Messenger appeared in the top 10 for the first time, reflecting new patterns in how credentials move inside organizations, across networks, and toward opportunity.
Top credential sharing channels in 2025:
- LinkedIn (via Licenses & Certifications profile add) (no change)
- LinkedIn (via newsfeed) (no change)
- Email (no change)
- Email signature (no change)
- WhatsApp (no change)
- Facebook (no change)
- Telegram (new)
- X (new)
- Slack (new)
- Messenger (new)
Shared digital credentials don’t just build learner pride. They drive peer discovery, clicks, and enrollment. In 2025, credentials shared through Accredible generated more than 900,000 referral clicks back to customer programs — a 34% increase from the year before.
The rolling 12-month platform-wide referral rate now stands at 27%. That means more than one in four times a credential is shared, someone new clicks through to explore a customer’s program. It’s proof that verified achievement doesn’t just validate skills. It brings the next learner to your door.
Today’s learners hold more than just degrees. They’re earning certifications, badges, and microcredentials that reflect real skills. But capturing the full picture isn’t always easy.
That’s why we introduced digital credential transcripts in 2025: to help learners consolidate everything into one structured, shareable, and verifiable record. Thousands of learners have already put them to work. The top transcript recipients? Universities and employers as part of admissions applications, job interviews, and career moves.
Today’s learners want more than validation — they want to be discovered. And employers are actively looking. That’s why online directories are rising fast. According to our State of Credentialing research, 84% of learners said they want to be featured in a public directory to connect with future opportunities, and nearly three-quarters of employers say they already use or want access to credential directories when sourcing talent.
In 2025, that demand translated into real growth. More than 800,000 learners opted into Spotlight directories across 60 organizations — up 167% year over year. At the same time, directory searches from employers and talent sourcers rose more than 5x. These directories are becoming one of the largest verified talent networks in the world, built around the brands learners trust, not a single centralized platform.
Nearly all learners (96%) say they want clear pathways to help them master a topic. And top-performing issuers are listening. According to our State of Credentialing data, they’re 42% more likely to offer structured sequences that guide progression and build momentum over time.
That’s translating to real engagement. In 2025, more than 1.5 million learners enrolled in pathways created through Accredible’s Pathways functionality — up 46% from the year before. When learners can see the next step, they’re more likely to take it.
While the Certified Impact Awards celebrate excellence across innovation, impact, and design, this list recognizes the organizations that issued the highest volume of digital credentials through Accredible in 2025. These are the scale leaders — the programs that validated the skills and achievements of millions of learners around the world.
So, who earned top honors in 2025? Drum roll, please:
- Skillsoft (3X Honoree)
- Google Skillshop (3X Honoree)
- Corporate Finance Institute (3X Honoree)
- Ascend Learning (2X Honoree)
- British Council (3X Honoree)
- McGraw-Hill (3X Honoree)
- Databricks
- City & Guilds (2X Honoree)
- Trinity College (3X Honoree)
- Google for Education
Collectively, these ten issuers delivered millions of credentials that carry real-world weight — helping learners prove what they know, unlock new roles, and take the next step in their journey. Their scale is unmatched. Their impact spans industries, borders, and lives.
In 2025, the Million Credential Club welcomed a new member. Ascend Learning joins Skillsoft, the Corporate Finance Institute, Google Skillshop, and McGraw Hill in this exclusive group — each having issued more than 1 million digital credentials to learners worldwide.
Ascend Learning’s scale spans two standout brands: the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), which certifies allied health professionals, and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), a leader in fitness and wellness certification. From clinical care to personal training, Ascend’s credentials equip professionals with trusted proof of their skills — and help explain why they were also one of 2025’s top credential issuers.
In 2025, millions of credentials were issued via our API — triggered the moment a learner completed a course, passed an exam, or hit a milestone. But many customers also relied on Accredible’s integrations to embed credentialing into the systems they already use.
Top Accredible integrations in 2025 (by issuance volume):
- Zapier
- Canvas
- Moodle
- Skilljar
- Salesforce
- Kryterion Webassessor
- LearnDash
- D2L Brightspace
- Zoom
- WordPress
From learning platforms to CRMs, these connections made it easy to issue credentials at scale, directly from the tools that power learning and assessment.
Thank you, and looking ahead to 2026
None of this year’s milestones — or the impact they’ve created for learners, educators, and employers — would be possible without our customers and partners. Your commitment to credentialing with purpose continues to raise the bar and expand what’s possible. Together, you’ve helped millions turn achievements into opportunity.
To our team at Accredible: thank you. From market-first product launches to behind-the-scenes execution, your work helped customers scale, innovate, and deliver real results for millions of learners. In 2025, we shipped more than 60 customer-voted features, launched digital credential transcripts and SMS Engagement, redesigned our learner experience, expanded Spotlight analytics, and added new ways to personalize and grow programs. SVP of Product Rochelle Ramirez recapped the year in her blog post, “2025: The Year the Credential Ecosystem Moved.”
What’s next? Digital badging is only becoming more essential — 81% of employers say digital credentials will become more important in hiring over the next two years. We asked some of the smartest people in the space to share their predictions for what’s ahead in our “Credentials Go Mainstream: 10+ Predictions That Will Reshape 2026” blog post. Take a look and upvote your favorites.
*Accredible digital credential platform data from January 1, 2025, to November 14, 2025.
