Research on distance learning (DL) has experienced significant growth to date. This study employs bibliometric methods to characterize the literature on DL, considering variables such as authors, journal distribution, publications, keywords, journals, countries, universities, subject areas, and citations. Analytical data were derived from metadata encompassing 4,226 studies in the Scopus database from 2021 to 2024. The collected data were analyzed using the VOS viewer application to determine publication popularity and article impact through citation indices. The analysis concluded that the most effective countries in DL research are the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Russian Federation, and Italy. Based on keyword co-occurrence analysis, terms such as “distance learning,” “COVID-19,” “pandemic,” “education,” and “coronavirus disease 2019” are prominent in the field of DL. It was found that Verykios, V.S., is the most productive researcher, and the Journal of Chemical Education is the most active in publications.