UPCEA Guest Blog: Paula French on AI Search Trends in Higher Education
November 10th, 2025 by
When prospective students begin researching programs, their first stop may no longer be your website…. or even Google.
Many now use generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to ask questions, compare options, and find fast answers. These tools influence what students see, what they trust, and which institutions they choose to explore further.
In her latest guest blog for UPCEA, “AI Search in Higher Education: The Student Search Trends You Can’t Ignore,” Director Paula French breaks down what this shift means for enrollment marketers.
Drawing on insights from the new UPCEA x Search Influence research study, AI Search in Higher Education: How Prospects Search in 2025, Paula shares a data-backed look at how students search today — and what your team can do to improve visibility across every touchpoint.
Top AI Search Trends in Higher Education
The study surveyed 760 adult learners aged 18–60 who are actively exploring educational opportunities. Their responses point to a growing reliance on digital tools that extend far beyond search engines.
- 50% of students use AI tools weekly
- 79% read Google’s AI Overviews
- 56% are more likely to trust institutions cited in those Overviews
- 61% use YouTube like a search engine
- 77% consider university websites to be highly trustworthy
Together, these numbers reflect a major shift in how trust is built and how options are evaluated during the early stages of the enrollment process.
How to Improve Visibility Where It Counts
Paula’s guest blog offers clear, actionable strategies for improving performance in AI and traditional search, including:
- Structuring content with clarity using headings, bullet points, and schema markup
- Including factual, up-to-date program details that AI tools prefer to cite
- Publishing trust-building content like faculty bios, accreditation info, and student outcomes
- Monitoring your presence in AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to see what students are seeing
- Auditing your site’s search performance to make sure you’re showing up where students begin their research
Students are forming impressions earlier in the decision-making process, and they’re doing it in spaces many institutions aren’t actively monitoring. That’s a missed opportunity, and one that’s becoming harder to ignore.
For a closer look at the data (plus tips on how your institution can adapt), read Paula’s full guest post.
See Paula and the Team at MEMS 2025
Attending UPCEA’s 34th Annual MEMS: Marketing, Enrollment Management, and Student Success Conference in Boston this December? Stop by the Search Influence booth to connect with Paula French, Jeanne Lobman, and Will Scott.
Paula will also co-present with Emily West of UPCEA in a featured session titled:
“How to Optimize for AI Search: What Students Trust & What Marketers Must Do” on Wednesday, December 3rd at 3:30 PM.
The discussion will dive deep into student behavior and outline a strategic approach to visibility built around the pillars of AI SEO.
