Key points:
Student use of AI for homework increased in 2025, even as more students are worried the technology may be harming their ability to think critically, according to a new RAND report.
Between May and December 2025, the percentage of middle school, high school, and college students using AI for homework rose from 48 percent to 62 percent, based on nationally representative survey data from RAND’s American Youth Panel. The increase was driven largely by middle and high school students, as use among college students remained relatively steady.
“Students are clearly embracing AI as a learning tool, but they’re also conflicted about what it means for their own learning,” said Heather Schwartz, vice president of RAND’s Education, Employment and Infrastructure division. “They’re using AI to look up answers, get explanations, brainstorm and revise writing, but at the same time, more of them now believe it’s eroding students’ critical-thinking skills.”
According to the survey, 67 percent of students said using AI for schoolwork harmed critical thinking, up from 54 percent earlier in the year. Concern was even higher among students who do not use AI, with 78 percent saying it harmed critical thinking, compared with 60 percent among AI users.
Beyond homework, 71 percent of students reported using at least one type of AI tool for school-related activities. Chatbots were by far the most commonly tool used (60%), followed by writing helpers such as Grammarly or Quill (21 percent) and general homework help platforms like Chegg, Brainly or Course Hero (15 percent). Among specific tools, ChatGPT was the most widely used (53 percent), though use of Google Gemini (28 percent) more than doubled between May and December.
Students most often reported using AI to get better explanations of assignments (38 percent), brainstorm ideas (35 percent), look up facts (33 percent) and draft or revise writing (33 percent). The survey found that older students were more likely than younger students to use AI for these purposes, with the exception of fact-checking.
Except for getting direct answers to homework–which 45 percent of students believe to be cheating–most students did not consider many common uses of AI to be cheating. Nearly 80 percent said that using AI to understand an assignment was not cheating, while 72 percent and 67 percent said the same about brainstorming ideas and looking up facts, respectively.
The survey also found many schools lack clear rules about AI use. Only about one-third of students said their school had a schoolwide policy, and many, especially college students, said rules varied by teacher. Similarly, older students were more likely to believe their teachers checked homework for AI use and to worry about being accused of using AI to cheat.
Male and female students were equally likely to use AI, but female students expressed greater concern about its effects. According to the survey, 75 percent of female students said AI harmed critical thinking skills, compared with 59 percent of male students, and they were more likely to worry about cheating.
“These findings suggest schools need to be explicit about when and how AI can be used,” Schwartz said. “Students are already using these tools. The question is whether schools can help them use AI in ways that deepen, rather than erode, their critical thinking.”
Supported by Gates Foundation, the survey was conducted in December 2025 and included responses from more than 1,000 students ages 12 to 29 enrolled in school during the 2025–26 academic year. It is part of RAND’s American Youth Panel, a subset of the American Life Panel.
Melissa Kay Diliberti also contributed to the report.
The RAND Education, Employment, and Infrastructure division aims to improve educational opportunity, economic prosperity, and civic life for all. Its analysis offers solutions to strengthen instructional quality in schools, improve the affordability and effectiveness of college and career training, modernize infrastructure, and improve the U.S. justice system.
This press release originally appeared online.
