New Coursera report shows 95% of students and educators are using artificial intelligence on campus, but only a quarter of educators globally are ready to use it effectively

By Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer, Coursera

I’m excited to share Coursera’s first Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education Reportexploring the use of and attitudes toward artificial intelligence among students and educators around the world. The report, which gathered responses from more than 4,200 university faculty, staff and undergraduates in the United States, United Kingdom, India, Saudi Arabia and Mexico, found that nearly all students and educators are now using artificial intelligence to facilitate personalized learning, provide immediate feedback and increase productivity and efficiency.

Our key findings Application of artificial intelligence in higher education The report includes:

1. Today, the use of artificial intelligence is virtually ubiquitous throughout higher education—both among students and educators.
   • Of all faculty, staff and students surveyed by Coursera, more than 95% said they were users of artificial intelligence tools in educational settings.
   • Across all five countries surveyed by Coursera, a majority of respondents said they “always” or “often” use AI tools.
   • Teachers in the United States are among the most committed adopters of AI: 75% of U.S. educators report using AI tools “often” or “always” in their work.
2. Students and faculty alike expressed unanimously positive views about the impact of artificial intelligence on higher education.
   • 81% of students and educators surveyed by Coursera said artificial intelligence is having a positive impact on higher education.
   • Students (83% net positive) were more likely to express positive emotions than educators (77% net positive).
   • Only 9% of respondents (11% of educators and 7% of students) believe that artificial intelligence will have a negative impact on higher education.

3. Students and educators are particularly optimistic about the potential of artificial intelligence to promote personalized learning.
   • When asked what positive impacts they thought AI could bring in educational settings, the most frequently chosen response was “facilitating personalized learning,” chosen by 47% of respondents.
   • Students (49%) are more positive about AI’s ability to personalize learning than teachers (44%), although this was the most frequently chosen benefit among both groups.
   • Teachers and students are also optimistic about AI’s ability to improve productivity and efficiency (40%), provide better support (40%), and support real-time feedback on work (36%)
4. Yet despite generally positive attitudes toward the role of artificial intelligence in higher education, faculty have expressed concerns about regulation, governance, and their own preparation.
   • 52% of educators believe that their country’s higher education system is not ready to deal with artificial intelligence, while only 26% of faculty surveyed globally said that their institution has a formal policy governing the use of artificial intelligence.
   • Only 28% believe their own universities are prepared to regulate student use of artificial intelligence.
   • Personal skills gaps are also a persistent concern for teachers: only 25% believe they and their colleagues have the right skills to use artificial intelligence to their advantage.
5. Students say AI is enhancing their learning abilities rather than replacing traditional learning methods.
   • The most commonly cited use case for AI among students surveyed by Coursera was research (cited by 51% of student respondents)
   • Students also use AI to support writing (49%), conduct exercises or exams (46%), and assist with time management (44%)
   • The majority of student respondents (63%) use artificial intelligence to complete less than half of their tasks.

The findings are supplemented by case studies from Coursera’s more than 210 university partners and more than 770 Coursera campus customers, as well as recommendations for effective AI implementation. These suggestions include:

• Integrating artificial intelligence literacy into teacher professional development
• Equipping educators with practical AI skills
• Develop transparent policies to guide appropriate use in teaching, assessment and research.

By basing decisions on research, promoting human collaboration, and creating structured guidance for faculty and students, universities can build confidence, protect academic standards, and leverage artificial intelligence to enhance learning outcomes.

Caroline Williams, Executive Director of Oxford Said Online, commented: “At Saïd College, Oxford, we see AI as a learning companion, rather than an authority on content or a source of answers. Using evidence-based learning design, we are building an online curriculum for 2026, where AI helps learners understand ideas, think critically and co-create things, like a thought partner.

As a global online learning platform, Coursera offers a range of solutions to help teachers navigate artificial intelligence in the classroom, including academic integrity tools that have been used in more than 1,300 and a suite of courses from leading universities designed to support teacher engagement, including Vanderbilt University’s Generative Education for Educators and Teachers;

To learn more, download the full report here.