New Coursera report shows half of U.S. higher education institutions are unprepared to manage AI
- 78% of U.S. students and educators say AI is having a positive impact on higher education
- 50% believe the U.S. higher education system is unprepared to manage AI
AI adoption is widespread among U.S. university students and educators, yet half believe higher education is not fully prepared to manage its impact, according to a new survey released today by Coursera (NYSE: COUR), a leading global online learning platform.
The AI in Higher Education Report, published by Coursera, based on responses from more than 4,200 university students and educators across the United States, United Kingdom, India, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia, found that nearly all students and educators use AI to facilitate personalized training, provide real-time feedback, and increase productivity and efficiency.
“AI is delivering real benefits on campus, yet many institutions are still working to keep pace,” said Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer at Coursera. “With only a small share of U.S. universities reporting a formal AI policy, there’s a clear need for stronger governance, faculty training, and thoughtful implementation. When we build confidence alongside capability, we can ensure AI truly expands opportunity for every learner.”
AI adoption on U.S. campuses shows that:
- 78% of educators and students feel positive about AI’s impact on higher education, compared to 81% globally
- 14% say it is having a negative impact, slightly higher than the 9% average across countries surveyed
- 7% of students report not using AI at all, compared to 3% globally
- 20% of educators report that their university has a formal AI policy in place
- Half believe the higher education system is unprepared to handle AI
Globally, survey findings from Coursera show:
- 70% believe AI will improve exam performance and the overall quality of higher education
- 63% of students say they use AI for less than half of their academic tasks, and only 5% use AI for more than 80% of their work
- 80% of students say AI has positively supported their learning experience
Academic Integrity and Governance
Concerns remain around academic integrity and degree credibility. Across markets, 65% believe unregulated AI could undermine degree credibility, and 37% worry it will increase plagiarism. Students report heightened concern about cheating, with 40% viewing AI-related cheating as a significant threat.
Confidence among educators also appears limited. Only 27% of educators say they feel confident identifying AI-generated content, and just 25% believe they and their peers have the skills needed to use AI effectively.
The report also highlights governance and literacy gaps identified by Coursera. Globally, 56% of students and educators believe their higher education system is unprepared to manage AI. Just 28% of educators say AI literacy has been incorporated into the curriculum. Additionally, 24% of students surveyed admit to submitting AI-generated work without disclosure.
Additional Global Findings
- 95% of students and educators report using AI tools in their academic work
- 37% worry AI may reduce human interaction and erode interpersonal skills
- 53% of university students in India say AI positively impacts their studies
- 91% of students and educators in Saudi Arabia report a positive overall impact
- 69% of Mexican students say AI has improved their grades
As AI becomes embedded in higher education, institutions should prioritize faculty upskilling and clear governance, consistently and transparently communicated, to ensure responsible and effective adoption. Other report recommendations include:
- Integrating AI literacy into professional development
- Equipping educators with practical AI skills
- Establishing transparent policies that guide appropriate use in teaching, assessment, and research
By grounding decisions in research, fostering human collaboration, and creating structured guidance for both faculty and students, universities can build confidence, protect academic standards, and harness AI to strengthen learning outcomes.
As a global online learning platform, Coursera offers a range of solutions to empower faculty as they navigate AI in the classroom, including Academic Integrity tools that have promoted robust learning across over 13 million course completions; and a range of courses from leading universities designed to support faculty engagement, including Generative AI for Educators & Teachers from Vanderbilt University and AI in Education: Leveraging ChatGPT for Teaching from The Wharton School, in collaboration with OpenAI. These initiatives further reinforce Coursera’s commitment to helping institutions responsibly integrate AI into teaching and learning.
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