Esports in Schools: The Missing Link for Explosive Learning Impact

The esports industry has grown from $957 million in 2019 to approximately $1.6 billion in 2024—a 70% increase in just five years. But here's what's really wild: 39% of interviewees in K-12 districts now say they have esports initiatives, yet most may be missing the massive learning amplification opportunity sitting right in front of them.

Schools are building esports programs at breakneck speed. The Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federation counts about 3,500 high school esports clubs in the United States, and since 2018, more than 8,600 high schools have started video-gaming teams. The competitive infrastructure is there. The student engagement is undeniable. But, I think most programs are leaving serious learning gains on the table.

What if I told you that combining structured game-based learning frameworks with existing esports programs could 10x their educational impact? The data suggests we're on the verge of a learning revolution, but only if we stop thinking about esports and education as separate entities.

By the Numbers: Esports Market Reality in Education

Market Explosion and Educational Adoption

The global esports market generated $1.38 billion in revenue in 2022 and is projected to reach $1.87 billion by 2025. This isn't just entertainment—it's educational infrastructure waiting to be optimized.

The scholastic adoption rates are staggering:

• 1,647 students in grades 3-12 participated in esports at Modesto City Schools in 2024, a 35% increase over the previous year

• NASEF has individual members in 70 nations and clubs in 30 countries, including 80% of high schools in Japan having esports clubs

• Over $16 million in esports scholarships were awarded by U.S. colleges last year

Student Engagement Demographics

The participation numbers reveal an untapped learning goldmine:

• 79% of esports players at Modesto weren't involved in other extracurricular activities

• About 90% of teens play video games, yet traditional educational engagement methods reach far fewer

• 97% of teenagers play video games, presenting massive opportunities to leverage student passion for improved attendance and engagement

  
  

Learning Implications: What the Data Reveals About Educational Impact

Academic Performance and Attendance Gains

The measurable outcomes from current esports programs hint at massive untapped potential:

In Moreno Valley's esports program, district data show students who participated saw improvements in attendance and behavior, with correlations between esports participation and higher scores on English/language arts and math state standardized tests.

At Modesto, between 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years, attendance increased more than 2.7% for junior high esports players, and for students in the high school esports open lab with academic requirements, average GPA increased from 2.80 to 3.04.

But here's the critical insight: these gains happened with basic esports programs that weren't designed around systematic skill development. What happens when you add intentional learning frameworks?

Social-Emotional Learning and Inclusion Impact

Claire LaBeaux, chief advancement officer for NASEF, reports "the social impact is off the charts," noting that students who join esports clubs typically have "fewer problems, better attendance and better grades."

The inclusivity factor is remarkable:

• CDW's National Esports Manager noted that many students participating in esports programs are autistic and "weren't engaged in anything else—they started talking with their teammates and making connections and friendships where they hadn't before"

• Esports reaches students regardless of "skill level, physical abilities, gender identity, or age" with focus on "team building and shared enjoyment"

  
  

Skills Transfer and Real-World Application

The most compelling research suggests current programs only scratch the surface. A meta-analysis of 33 studies showed that digital game-based STEM education contributed to a moderate overall effect size (ES = 0.667) when compared with other instructional methods and that they are a promising pedagogical method.

Birmingham City Schools' district-wide EA Sports program gained attention for "boosting attendance, improving academic performance, and creating clearer pathways to college scholarships" by leveraging esports to engage underrepresented students in STEM subjects.

Competitive Intelligence: Current Industry Best Practices

Leading Implementation Models

Programs like the High School Esports League (HSEL) have provided more than 50,000 students with over $600,000 in scholarships at more than 6,000 schools nationwide. However, most current programs focus primarily on competition rather than systematic skill development.

Investment and Resource Allocation Trends

The funding landscape reveals both opportunities and gaps:

• Computer consoles cost approximately $10,000 each, limiting most schools to 2-3 units without external funding

• Districts can qualify for funding through programs related to Career and Technical Education (CTE) and social-emotional skills

• ESSER funds can be leveraged to enhance technological infrastructure essential for immersive esports experiences

Success Metrics and Measurement Challenges

Current programs measure success through traditional metrics—tournament wins, participation numbers, scholarship awards. But they're missing the learning assessment piece that could demonstrate true educational ROI.

Framework in Action: Testing Game-Based Learning Through Esports

Hypothesis: Structured skill development frameworks can amplify the educational impact of existing esports programs by 10x while maintaining student engagement.

Real-World Application: I tested this approach in an after-school program where I focused on developing one core skill per month, rotating between Fortnite, Rocket League, and League of Legends to demonstrate how different games could develop the same competencies.

Critical Evaluation: The parents reported that students were applying strategies we practiced to solve issues at school, at home, and in traditional sports. Students noted they could recall our gaming strategies in other high-stress situations and found tackling difficult school problems became easier. This suggests significant skill transfer—exactly what current esports programs are advertising. The important piece in this situation is that these students were not a part of an esports program nor were they actually competing.

The Integration Opportunity: While schools build competitive esports infrastructure, they're overlooking the systematic skill development that transforms gaming from entertainment into authentic learning. The games are already there. The student engagement is proven. We just need to add the intentional learning frameworks and open it up to the rest of the students. Outside of traditional esports competitions, these are still valuable learning tools that create excellent skill-development experiences for anyone who plays them. 

I think that only offering esports to those who are interested leaves a significant market untapped in the educational industry.

Action Plan: Leveraging Esports Infrastructure for L&D Impact

Try this: Pilot Program Blueprint - Start with existing equipment that can "run with just a certain level of graphics card". Focus on one transferable skill per month using rotation of popular esports titles and open it up to other student groups who have not been involved in esports yet. Have other collegiate sports teams? Have them come in for a session! This also gives your esports players a chance to facilitate and teach others. This can be a great experience for those who may be interested in coaching in the future.

Try this: Measure Real Learning Outcomes - Digital game-based education shows measurable learning gains when properly structured. Track skill application beyond gaming contexts. If you do get another group to come in, focus intently on developing a single skill and then follow up with the group a week or so later. You may find that it doesn’t take much time for games to have a lasting impact on some learners.

Try this: Address the Funding Challenge - Leverage Title I, II, III, IV, IDEA, and ESSER funds by demonstrating alignment with equity, engagement, and career preparation goals. There are other options that exist to bring games into learning spaces as well. In most situations, spending $1000 on a PS5, controllers, chargers, and games is much more attainable than a $10,000 computer. There are significant benefits to educational institutions having consoles as opposed to (or as well as) gaming stations. Maybe that’s a point for another article…

Try this: Build on Existing Infrastructure - 39% of districts already have esports initiatives. Layer structured learning frameworks onto current programs rather than building from scratch.

Level Up Your Strategy with Data-Driven Insights

The one statistic that changes everything for L&D: 79% of esports participants weren't involved in other extracurricular activities. We're reaching students traditional education methods miss entirely.

Future trend prediction: The data suggests we're moving toward mandatory integration. With 39% of districts already implementing esports and participation growing 35% year-over-year, the question isn't whether to integrate game-based learning with esports—it's how quickly you can do it effectively.

Research commitment: We'll keep tracking these numbers and report back on the correlation between structured learning frameworks and measurable educational outcomes.

Did that traditional teaching strategy flop in practice? Awesome—you just validated the need for experiential learning that meets students where they actually are!

Follow Rift's monthly industry analyses for research-backed insights on the intersection of gaming and authentic skill development.

I just noticed that I didn’t have a single image in this article. Here’s a picture of a really cool esports centre. Shoutout to St. Clair College!

St. Clair College's Nexus Building - https://stclairsaints.ca/nexus

JM