McGraw Hill Education's Digital Revenue Soars to 92% in Higher Ed Amid Transformation

New York – McGraw Hill Education is actively redefining the educational landscape through a robust digital transformation strategy, emphasizing personalization, teacher empowerment, and technological innovation. This strategic shift was recently highlighted by David Cortese, the company's Chief Digital Information Officer (CDIO), during an appearance on the NYSE's "Inside the Ice House" podcast. The company's digital revenue in higher education now accounts for an impressive 92% of its business.

Cortese, who joined McGraw Hill in April 2024, elaborated on the company's evolution from a traditional textbook publisher to a digital-first learning solutions provider. He noted, "If you were to look at our business today, you would see that two-thirds of the revenue that we have today comes through digital solutions... and in that higher ed section... 92% of that business is digital revenue-driven." This dramatic shift underscores a broader industry trend accelerated by the pandemic, pushing educational institutions towards online learning.

The transformation focuses on leveraging data from over 26 million digital users to empower educators. McGraw Hill's platforms, such as Connect and the K-12 focused McGraw-Hill Plus, analyze billions of learning interactions to provide teachers with insights into student performance. This data-driven approach facilitates personalized learning, allowing educators to identify struggling students and tailor instruction more effectively.

Innovation extends to artificial intelligence (AI), which McGraw Hill integrates for content creation, automation like auto-grading, and personalized study aids. Cortese cited the "AI Reader" feature, where students can highlight passages and receive simplified explanations or self-quiz, as a key example. "This is just where it's showing up in ways that, in some cases, we just couldn't imagine," he stated, highlighting the rapid advancement of AI's capabilities in education.

McGraw Hill also continues to expand its digital offerings, including the recent acquisition of Essaypop in March 2025, an interactive writing solution designed to enhance personalized learning for K-12 students. Products like "Evergreen" ensure professors have access to the most current content digitally, boasting a 95% acceptance rate for updates. CEO Simon Allen previously emphasized the importance of customer-centric innovation, stating, "The customer always has to be at the center."