AI in higher education: how universities are adopting it

A dated snapshot of campus AI deals, what students and staff report, how assessment is changing, new programs and what is still open.

Updated November 1, 2026. We plan to refresh this page monthly. This is research-based, not our own testing or fieldwork: we read the sources linked below. It covers mostly US universities plus one UK survey, so it is a sample, not a count of all schools. Items marked "Reported" come from one or a few outlets, are statements by the people quoted, or are allegations, and we have not confirmed them. We do not rank schools or tools.

Where things stand

Whole-campus access is becoming common at large schools

The University of Texas at Austin announced in June 2026 that all students and employees get ChatGPT Edu and Claude for Education at no charge to them. Stanford lists Claude for Education, ChatGPT Edu and Google Gemini Enterprise for its community. The California State University system, about 470,000 students, renewed its ChatGPT Edu contract. [The Daily Texan, Stanford University IT, NPR via WFAE]

Schools are not always sticking with one vendor

Stanford and Texas both offer more than one vendor. Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences plans to add Claude and end ChatGPT Edu, while its Gemini access is not changing, and a Harvard spokesperson said the faculty will keep evaluating platforms rather than commit to one long-term. [Stanford University IT, The Harvard Crimson, The Daily Texan]

Assessment is shifting toward live formats

The Associated Press describes professors at Cornell, Penn, NYU and UC San Diego adding oral defenses, in-person assessment, presentations and cold-calling because written work may not show what a student understands. AP gives no count, and describes a "small but growing number" of universities. [AP via WTOP]

AI degrees and tracks keep launching

RIT starts a Bachelor of Science in artificial intelligence in fall 2026 (122 credit hours, two paid co-op blocks) plus a six-course AI minor open to all majors. Towson adds AI tracks to its computer science bachelor's and master's in fall 2026. UNC Charlotte, Syracuse and Bowie State have also announced AI degrees; we read only their announcements, not the full programs. [RIT, Towson University, UNC Charlotte, Syracuse University, Fox 5 DC]

Campus deals, as reported

Newest first. Dates are when the news was reported.

Oct. 29, 2026Reported

What Texas is paying for ChatGPT and Claude

The Daily Texan, a student paper, obtained the University of Texas at Austin contracts through an open records request. They show about $4.2 million combined over two-year terms. The OpenAI agreement is about $1.1 million a year for 75,000 users and 24.5 million credits, starting May 6. Anthropic's is $2 million over two years for 70,000 users, starting April 30, plus a separate $73,000 one-year add-on for premium Claude access for faculty, staff and departments. Higher usage tiers for ChatGPT are paid by departments. A UT official told the paper that about 18,000 people had created accounts for both tools since June. The Texan's own comparison found UT pays less per ChatGPT Edu user than other schools with public data, but says it is not comprehensive. Anthropic did not respond to the paper. [The Daily Texan]

Oct. 2026Reported

Stanford: three vendors and a deadline

Stanford IT says faculty, students, postdocs and staff can use Claude for Education, ChatGPT Edu and Google Gemini Enterprise; the first two need a request form and Gemini turns on with university sign-in. Personal Claude accounts tied to a stanford.edu email must be moved to a Stanford account by Dec. 31, 2026, and stop working Jan. 1, 2027. Standard accounts are free to active members and premium ones carry a fee. For data rules, the page points to a separate approved-services matrix. [Stanford University IT]

May 25, 2026Reported

California State University renews with OpenAI, amid objections

NPR reported that CSU signed a $17 million no-bid contract with OpenAI in 2025 and renewed it at $13 million a year for three years. A faculty member co-wrote a petition against renewing, citing environmental impact, copyrighted training data and academic shortcuts, and critics questioned the spending during budget cuts. CSU's chief information officer said the petition does not reflect overall sentiment and that the university's AI advisory committee unanimously recommended renewal, and officials say AI literacy is part of career readiness and the contract gives students access regardless of income. [NPR via WFAE]

Apr. 28, 2026Reported

Harvard FAS plans to swap ChatGPT Edu for Claude

The Harvard Crimson reported that the Faculty of Arts and Sciences will add Claude and end ChatGPT Edu access, citing financial considerations and low student uptake; an FAS adviser said undergraduate use was far less than anticipated and partly blamed students' fears of being accused of cheating. No rollout date was confirmed, no dollar figures were given, and access is likely to be granted course by course at faculty request. Gemini access, available through an existing Harvard agreement, is unchanged. [The Harvard Crimson]

What students and staff report

UK students (HEPI, March 2026)

Of 1,054 full-time undergraduates surveyed, 95% use AI in some form and 94% use generative AI to support assessed work. Fewer than half say their teaching staff give them enough support. [HEPI and Kortext]

California State University (fall 2025)

A survey of more than 94,000 students, faculty and staff on 22 campuses, designed by San Diego State, found more than half of students use AI regularly. About 84% of students had used ChatGPT, and roughly a quarter had used the CSU-provided version. About 65% of students were skeptical that AI benefits education overall, and 64% said it affected their own learning positively versus 35% negatively. [NPR via WFAE, EDUCAUSE 2026 session on the 94]

Higher-education staff (EDUCAUSE, fall 2025)

Of 1,960 higher-education professionals, 94% used AI tools for work in the previous six months and 56% used tools their institution did not provide. Only 54% knew of AI policies or guidelines at their institution. The report says 92% of institutions have AI strategies and 54% have created policies or guidelines. [The EduLedger on the EDUCAUSE staff survey]

These surveys use different samples and questions, so their numbers should not be compared directly.

Open questions

Does use match the licenses?

Harvard FAS cited low undergraduate uptake, and Texas had about 18,000 accounts created since June against licenses for 75,000 and 70,000 users. Account creation is not the same as regular use, and we have no usage data beyond these statements. [The Harvard Crimson, The Daily Texan]

How much should one vendor contract cost?

Prices reported so far vary widely in structure: per-user licenses, credits, usage tiers, no-bid and negotiated terms. The Texan says its own cost comparison is not comprehensive, and CSU critics question the spending during budget cuts. [The Daily Texan, NPR via WFAE]

Where does student and staff data go?

Campus plans usually promise that conversations are not used to train models, but the reports we read quote the vendor, not an independent check. Stanford points to a separate matrix for which data may go into which tool. More than half of surveyed staff use tools their school did not provide, so some data is already outside campus agreements. [The Daily Texan, Stanford University IT, The EduLedger on the EDUCAUSE staff survey]

What counts as learning when AI can do the assignment?

Some professors are returning to oral and in-person assessment. HEPI found students use AI heavily for assessed work while fewer than half feel supported by staff, and CSU found students are split on whether it helps their own learning. [AP via WTOP, HEPI and Kortext, NPR via WFAE]

Will campuses stay with one vendor?

The reports show both patterns: one-vendor system deals (CSU) and several vendors side by side (Stanford, Texas), with Harvard FAS switching one for another. We cannot say which pattern will dominate. [NPR via WFAE, Stanford University IT, The Harvard Crimson]

If you are planning AI for a school

Our own checklist, drawn from the reports above. It is not legal or procurement advice.

Check who is eligible, and whether students under 18 or non-degree learners are covered.
Ask which data may be entered, whether the vendor trains on it, and what is kept, and get it in writing in the contract.
Compare price per user with how many people actually use the tool, and check usage after the first term.
Plan for leaving: what happens to personal accounts, saved chats and projects if you switch vendors, as Stanford's migration deadline shows.
Write course-level rules students can follow, and rethink assessments where AI can do the whole task.
Offer training for staff and students, since fewer than half of UK students in the HEPI survey felt supported by teaching staff.

Sources

We read the pages above directly or through the outlet named. If a source is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will fix it.