AI Has Changed How Students Search—And Universities Are Paying the Price

Students aren’t just searching differently—they’re searching elsewhere. According to Everspring’s new 2025 AI Search Trends Report, prospective students increasingly turn to AI tools like ChatGPT instead of traditional search engines. When they do use Google, AI-generated answers push universities out of view.

These shifts are collapsing the old model of digital visibility, where top rankings and paid ads once guaranteed traffic. Today, AI sits between students and the information they’re seeking, reshaping how—and whether—academic programs get discovered at all.

Beth Hollenberg, Chief Executive Officer of Everspring, shared, “Search behavior has changed—and universities are disappearing from view. Effective marketing starts and ends with the human experience. Prospects are now using AI to get answers tailored to their specific needs. Universities that don’t respond to these changes will become invisible, while those who adapt have an opportunity to turn AI into a competitive advantage.”

Based on over 450,000 real student search interactions across more than 60 academic programs, the report is the first of its kind to focus exclusively on the impact of generative AI on higher education visibility. The findings point to a new era of search, where AI-generated answers dominate results pages, sideline traditional SEO, and render paid search increasingly unreliable.

Key findings from the report include:

• AI Is Now the First Stop for Search
  Two-thirds of people say they turn to AI tools like ChatGPT before using Google, and nearly half of ChatGPT users are 18–24—more than double Google’s share. For younger audiences, discovery is starting in AI, not search engines.

• To Get Found, Schools Need to Show Up in AI Responses
  Google’s AI-generated Overviews now appear in the majority of question-based searches, pushing organic and paid listings further down the page. For longer or more specific queries, AI answers dominate.

• High Google Rankings Don’t Guarantee Clicks
  When AI Overviews are shown, click-through rates to top-ranked university pages drop by 70–90%. Even the best SEO can’t compete if you don’t appear in the AI summary.

• Paid Search Is More Expensive and Less Reliable
  The average cost per click (CPC) for higher ed terms is up 45% year-over-year. At the same time, click-through rates are falling, especially when AI Overviews are shown. In short, institutions are paying more and getting less from traditional search ads.

Why This Report Matters

Much of the conversation around AI and search has focused on tools. This report focuses on people—specifically how prospective students are changing their habits and what that means for universities’ ability to be found, considered, and chosen.

Michael Bell, Chief Marketing Officer of Everspring, commented, “Higher ed enrollment marketing teams have spent years optimizing for Google, but the rules of discovery have changed. If your programs don’t show up in AI results, your institution effectively disappears. It’s not just a marketing problem; it’s an existential threat.”

The 2025 AI Search Trends Report delivers the first sector-specific analysis of this shift, backed by first-party data from real student interactions and performance trends. For institutions navigating a competitive and fast-moving enrollment environment, it offers an urgent look at where student behavior is headed and what to do next.

The full 2025 Everspring AI Search Trends Report is available at: https://www.everspringpartners.com/2025-ai-higher-ed-search-trends

To learn more about Everspring’s AI Search Solution, visit: https://www.everspringpartners.com/solutions/digital-marketing/ai-search

About Everspring

Everspring is a technology-first strategy and solutions provider to higher education. We identify universities’ greatest points of leverage and apply technology and know-how to solve their urgent challenges, capture their emergent growth opportunities, and help them build a lasting market advantage. Our proprietary platforms, performance-driven campaigns, and hands-on advisory capabilities help institutions grow enrollment, adapt to disruption, and stay visible in an increasingly AI-first world.

Learn more at www.everspringpartners.com.

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