ChatGPT is the AI chatbot used most by students in 2026, with 66% of AI-using students worldwide relying on it as their primary tool. That figure comes from a Digital Education Council survey of over 3,800 students across 16 countries. With 92% of all university students now using some form of AI — up from 66% just a year earlier — the adoption curve has been steep. This article breaks down which platforms students prefer, how often they use them, and what they actually do with these tools.
Which AI Chatbot is Used Most by Students: Top Statistics
- 92% of university students used AI tools in 2025, up from 66% in 2024.
- 66% of AI-using students chose ChatGPT as their primary chatbot.
- 59% of U.S. teens aged 13–17 reported using ChatGPT specifically.
- Google Gemini ranked second among teens at 23% usage, followed by Meta AI at 20%.
- 88% of university students used generative AI for assessments in 2025, up from 53% in 2024.
How Many Students Use AI Chatbots in 2026?
AI usage among students went from a minority activity to near-universal in about 18 months. A 2025 study by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) found that 92% of university students use AI tools in their studies. The Digital Education Council reported a slightly lower figure at 85%. Either way, the jump from 66% in 2024 is steep. Among high school students, a College Board survey from May 2025 found that 84% had used generative AI for schoolwork, up from 79% just four months earlier.
| Year | University Student AI Usage | Key Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 27% | Tyton Partners |
| 2024 | 66% | HEPI / Digital Education Council |
| 2025 | 92% | HEPI |
Source: Higher Education Policy Institute, Tyton Partners
A Tyton Partners longitudinal study confirmed the acceleration. In their spring 2025 survey of 1,500 U.S. college students, 65% reported using generative AI chatbots on a weekly basis. Among those students, roughly 54% said they use AI tools at least once per week, with 24% using them daily.
Which AI Chatbot is Used Most by Students? Platform Rankings
ChatGPT holds a dominant position among students. According to the Digital Education Council’s survey of 3,800+ students across 16 countries, 66% use ChatGPT as their primary AI tool. Grammarly and Microsoft Copilot tied for second at 25% each. The College Board’s May 2025 data showed 69% of U.S. high school students specifically chose ChatGPT for homework and assignments.
| AI Chatbot | Student Usage Rate | Primary Use |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | 66% | Research, writing, brainstorming |
| Grammarly | 25% | Writing assistance, grammar |
| Microsoft Copilot | 25% | Research, Office integration |
| Google Gemini | 23% | Search, summarization |
| Meta AI | 20% | Social media, general queries |
Source: Digital Education Council, Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center’s December 2025 survey of 1,458 U.S. teens aged 13–17 offered a closer look at teen preferences. Among teens who use chatbots, 59% said they use ChatGPT — more than double the next two platforms: Google Gemini at 23% and Meta AI at 20%. Character.AI drew 10% of teen users.
How Often Do Students Use AI Chatbots?
Frequency varies by age group and education level. Among U.S. teens, 28% use AI chatbots daily, according to Pew. That breaks down further: 4% use chatbots “almost constantly,” 12% several times per day, and 12% about once a day. Another 18% use chatbots several times per week.
| Frequency | Percentage of U.S. Teens |
|---|---|
| Almost constantly | 4% |
| Several times a day | 12% |
| About once a day | 12% |
| Several times a week | 18% |
| Less often | 18% |
| Do not use chatbots | 36% |
Source: Pew Research Center, December 2025
At the university level, the HEPI data tells a similar story. Among the 92% of students who use AI, 54% do so at least weekly. College students appear to engage in longer sessions than teens — the average ChatGPT session for a student on a school device lasts about 8 minutes, compared to 5 minutes for a general user.
What Do Students Use AI Chatbots For?
Research tops the list. A Digital Education Council study found that 53% of students use AI to search for information, and 51% use it for brainstorming. Summarizing content came in at 38%, followed by generating study materials at 33%. The College Board reported that half of high school students use AI to brainstorm ideas, edit essays, or conduct research.
| Use Case | Student Usage Rate |
|---|---|
| Research and information search | 53% |
| Brainstorming and starting assignments | 51% |
| Summarizing information | 38% |
| Generating study materials | 33% |
| Writing and editing essays | 31% |
| Translating text | 29% |
| Generating code | 28% |
Source: Digital Education Council, College Board
The Tyton Partners survey added a useful nuance: even though students use AI frequently, 84% still said they turn to other people first when they struggle in a course. Only 17% said AI tools were their primary help resource — down 13 points from the year before. Students value AI for speed and convenience, but not as a replacement for human support.
AI Chatbot Usage by Student Demographics
Usage patterns differ across racial, income, and age groups. Pew’s data showed that 68% of Black and Hispanic teens use AI chatbots, compared to 58% of white teens. Older teens (ages 15–17) use chatbots at a rate of 68%, while 57% of 13–14-year-olds do the same.
Income also matters. Teens in households earning $75,000 or more are more likely to use ChatGPT (62% vs. 52% for lower-income households). But Character.AI showed the reverse pattern — 14% usage among lower-income teens versus 7% in higher-income homes. This suggests that free or lower-cost platforms attract students from less affluent backgrounds.
Globally, AI enthusiasm varies by country. A survey reported that 80% of students in China express excitement about AI in education, compared to 35% in the U.S. and 38% in the U.K. In Europe, Spanish students favor ChatGPT the most (54%), while Turkish students preferred Google Lens (37%) over other AI tools.
AI Chatbot Market Share: ChatGPT vs. Competitors
In the broader AI chatbot market, ChatGPT holds roughly 59.7% market share as of late 2025. Microsoft Copilot sits at 14.4%, and Google Gemini at 13.5%. ChatGPT reported 800 million weekly active users by October 2025. Gemini reached 750 million monthly active users by Q4 2025. Anthropic’s Claude has around 19 million users, with the majority coming from enterprise and developer segments.
| Platform | Market Share (Late 2025) | User Base |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | 59.7% | 800M weekly active |
| Microsoft Copilot | 14.4% | 140M daily (Bing) |
| Google Gemini | 13.5% | 750M monthly active |
| Anthropic Claude | ~3.6% | ~19M users |
| Other (DeepSeek, Grok, etc.) | ~8.8% | Varies |
Source: Similarweb, Business of Apps, Pew Research Center
Google’s strategy of embedding Gemini across Android devices and Google Workspace for Education could shift these numbers over time. Google’s AI for Education Accelerator program has expanded to over 200 universities since its August 2025 launch, giving participating students free access to Gemini Advanced. Chromebook Plus models also now ship with Gemini AI built in, which may increase adoption among the 60% of schools that use Chromebooks.
How Schools Are Responding to Student AI Chatbot Use
Institutional policies lag behind student adoption. A UNESCO survey covering 450+ schools and universities found that only 10% had established formal AI guidelines. By spring 2025, just 28% of U.S. institutions had a written AI policy in place, per Tyton Partners. Another 32% said they were still drafting one.
Teacher attitudes remain mixed. Only 6% of K–12 teachers said AI tools bring more benefit than harm, while 25% said the reverse. Roughly 38% of teachers allow students to use ChatGPT, and 10% have caught students using it when not permitted. At the university level, 42% of students in 2025 believed their institution’s staff were well-equipped to work with AI tools — up from 18% in 2024, but still under half.
AI Education Market Growth
The financial side reflects the adoption surge. The AI education market reached $7.57 billion in 2025, up from $5.47 billion in 2024 — a 38.4% year-over-year jump. Projections put it at $112.3 billion by 2034. Google has committed $9 billion over two years for AI and cloud infrastructure, with education programs forming a key part of that investment.
Between 2025 and 2029, the market is expected to grow at 41.4% annually as institutions integrate AI tools into their standard offerings. The growth of browser-based AI tools has made access easier on low-cost devices, which further drives adoption in schools with limited budgets.
FAQ
Which AI chatbot do students use the most?
ChatGPT is the most used AI chatbot among students, with 66% of AI-using students worldwide choosing it as their primary tool, according to the Digital Education Council.
What percentage of students use AI tools in 2026?
92% of university students use AI tools in their studies as of 2025, up from 66% the previous year. Among U.S. high school students, 84% have used generative AI for schoolwork.
How often do students use AI chatbots?
About 54% of university students use AI weekly and 24% use it daily. Among U.S. teens, 28% use chatbots every day, with 4% saying they use them almost constantly.
What is the second most popular AI chatbot among students?
Grammarly and Microsoft Copilot tie at 25% usage each among university students. Among teens, Google Gemini ranks second at 23%, followed by Meta AI at 20%.
What do students mainly use AI chatbots for?
The top uses are researching information (53%), brainstorming ideas (51%), summarizing content (38%), and generating study materials (33%), based on Digital Education Council data.
