US. Higher Ed AI Adoption Index

Every month, Starbridge processes millions of public documents—board meeting minutes, strategic plans, RFPs, and contracts—to help businesses identify their best-fit public sector customers.

Executive Summary

Colleges and universities are no longer asking if they should adopt AI. They’re already building infrastructure around it.

Starbridge analyzed thousands of public signals—strategic plans, board minutes, procurement data, and research initiatives—to pinpoint which institutions are actively investing in AI.

The result is the first national index ranking higher ed institutions by their AI activity, offering a roadmap for solution providers, partners, and policymakers tracking adoption across campuses.

Top Trends

• 75% of institutions mentioned AI in their 2024–2025 planning documents. Strategic alignment is already underway across most of higher ed.
• 61% of institutions purchased at least one AI-related tool in the past two years. From Gemini to Zoom AI Companion, software adoption is happening at scale.
• West Coast institutions dominate the top 5. Four of the top five AI leaders are located in California or Nevada.

What You'll Learn

• Which institutions are leading AI adoption, and how they’re doing it
• Why sentiment around AI is shifting from cautious to committed
• Where vendors can expect early interest vs. active purchasing