Graduate-Degree Seekers: Faster, Demand Provable Outcomes, Leverage AI to Search

New Research from Spark451, a Jenzabar Company, Reveals Graduate Program Institutions Must Articulate Career-Relevant Outcomes and Promote AI-Readable Information to Attract and Enroll Learners

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jenzabar today announced the findings of the annual 2026 Graduate School Intenders Survey conducted by Spark451, a Jenzabar Company, revealing that prospective graduate students are career driven, moving faster, expecting more flexibility, and demanding clearer proof of value than in previous years. Specifically, today’s graduate intenders are actively in “decision mode,” with nearly 78% of respondents planning to enroll within 12 months, and they are using social media and AI tools as more integral research channels.

The 2026 Graduate School Intenders Survey was conducted in late 2025 and consists of responses from more than 1,300 individuals who are actively considering or are already pursuing graduate education.

Graduate Students Are ROI-Focused, Career-Driven Learners

The graduate education path has a new meaning today. The survey revealed that most respondents are either working outside of their preferred industry (40%) or already working in their preferred industry (30%), suggesting that graduate programs are seen as strategic tools for career advancement, not just academic pursuits.

When ranking decision factors during the graduate program search process, respondents focused largely on value.

• Career-based resources and outcomes (1), receiving constructive feedback beyond a grade (2), and hands-on opportunities like internships (3) were named the most important factors, only slightly edging out networking opportunities (5).
• Cost of attendance (6) and institutional reputation (8) were ranked lower than career-oriented factors.
• Flexibility to maintain employment (4) was also important, indicating that graduate learners are pursuing career advancement while already in the workplace.

“The 2026 survey reveals a new type of graduate student: An individual who knows what they want and is unwilling to compromise. Given that 32% of learners aim to enroll within a year and 65% of students will apply to multiple schools, graduate institutions must differentiate themselves and show value right out of the gate,” said Mike McGetrick, Vice President of Spark451. “Institutions must rely on more than their reputations; they must be agile, be able to demonstrate real, tangible return on investment, and use technology to increase visibility to prospective learners.”

AI and Social Media Are Powerful Visibility Tools

The way prospective students discover graduate programs has changed dramatically; search is now happening everywhere.

• Instagram (57%), TikTok (56%), and YouTube (55%) were cited as the most influential digital channels, even more so than Google (49%).
• This is a noticeable difference from the previous year’s survey, which revealed that Google was the most influential digital channel, outperforming all social channels, including Instagram, LinkedIn, Reddit, YouTube, and Facebook.

Meanwhile, AI platforms were identified as a mainstream part of the graduate search journey.

• Roughly 76% of respondents said they used at least one AI tool to research graduate programs in this year’s survey.
• This represents a sharp uptick from the previous year’s survey, which found that only 38% said they used AI for search (more than 60% said they did not use AI for search at all in the 2025 survey).
• ChatGPT (56%), Google AI tools (35%), and Microsoft Copilot (18%) were the top responses when asked which AI tools were used during the research process.

“The rise of AI in the graduate search process is the most dramatic shift we've seen this year. The 2026 survey reveals that early-stage evaluation is increasingly happening through AI-generated summaries, with ChatGPT leading the way. This isn't just a theoretical trend. One of our own graduate program clients just saw a 200% increase in applicants whose origin source was ChatGPT,” said McGetrick. “Institutions that fail to structure their program pages with clear FAQs, cost transparencies, and outcomes for AI to read will simply miss out on this rapidly growing segment of digital-first applicants.”

Resources

• To access the 2026 Graduate School Intenders Survey, visit https://jenzabar.com/resource/industry-insight-spark451-2026-graduate-school-intenders-survey
• For more information about Jenzabar, visit https://jenzabar.com/
• For more information on Spark451, a Jenzabar Company, visit https://jenzabar.com/service/spark451-enrollment-marketing-services

About Jenzabar

Jenzabar, Inc. is a leading provider of technology solutions for higher education, delivering integrated ERP, SIS, and point solutions to over 1,400 campuses worldwide. Jenzabar empowers institutions to improve operational efficiency, foster student success, and meet the demands of today’s students. For more information, visit www.jenzabar.com.

About Spark451

Spark451, a Jenzabar Company, is a higher education enrollment strategy, technology, and marketing firm that combines creativity with powerful technology to achieve measurable results. With a mission to help colleges and students fuel their future, the firm integrates a multitude of communication channels and platforms for effective enrollment marketing, student search, creative services, and digital media. Since 2011, Spark451 has worked with over 200 colleges and universities nationwide.