Sixty-four percent of US teens now use AI chatbots, and 54% have used one for schoolwork, based on Pew Research Center’s February 2026 survey. ChatGPT is the most-used tool among them. This report pulls together verified 2025 and 2026 figures on ChatGPT use in US classrooms, broken down by grade level across students, teachers, and college campuses.
ChatGPT in US Classrooms – TL;DR
- 54% of US teens have used AI chatbots for schoolwork; 64% use them at all (Pew, February 2026).
- High school AI homework use rose from 49% to 63% between May and December 2025 (RAND).
- Middle school use climbed from 30% to 46% over the same seven months (RAND).
- 69% of high school teachers used generative AI in 2024-25, against 42% of elementary teachers (RAND).
- ChatGPT leads college AI tools at 64.77% past-month use, ahead of Copilot and Gemini (Primary Research Group, 2025).
ChatGPT use in US classrooms rises with grade level on both sides of the desk. Adoption is heaviest in high school and college and lighter in elementary and middle grades. Growth through 2025 did not slow, and school policy still trails what students already do.
ChatGPT Adoption in US Classrooms by Grade Level
Student AI use climbs with grade. By December 2025, 46% of middle schoolers and 63% of high schoolers reported using AI for homework, up from 30% and 49% in May, based on RAND’s American Youth Panel. College students use AI the most, though their rate held steady across the year.
Pew’s 2024 data, measured for ChatGPT specifically, showed the same slope: 20% in 7th and 8th grade, rising to 31% by 12th. These tools are landing in a system where US schools rank sixth in reading but 26th in math on the latest PISA cycle.
ChatGPT for Schoolwork by Grade, Pew 2024
| Grade band | Students using ChatGPT for schoolwork |
|---|---|
| 7th–8th grade | 20% |
| 9th–10th grade | 26% |
| 11th–12th grade | 31% |
Source: Pew Research Center
AI Homework Use by Grade, May vs December 2025
How Fast Is ChatGPT Use Growing in US Classrooms?
Teen use of ChatGPT for schoolwork doubled from 13% in 2023 to 26% in 2024, per Pew. By fall 2025 Pew widened the question to all AI chatbots and found 54% had used them for schoolwork, including 10% who now do all or most of their work that way.
The jump was sharpest in lower-income households, where ChatGPT awareness rose 26 points in a single year. Demographic splits run alongside the grade story, and gender gaps in academic outcomes shape who reaches for these tools first.
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teens using ChatGPT for schoolwork | 13% | 26% | — |
| Teens using any AI chatbot for schoolwork | — | — | 54% |
| Teens using AI chatbots at all | — | — | 64% |
Source: Pew Research Center
Teens Using AI for Schoolwork, 2023–2025
ChatGPT in US Classrooms: Teacher Adoption by Grade Band
Teacher use tracks the same curve. In 2024-25, 69% of high school teachers used generative AI, against 64% in middle school, 42% in elementary, and 30% in pre-K, per RAND. K-12 teacher use of gen AI doubled from 25% to 53% in a single year.
English language arts and science teachers were about twice as likely to use AI as math or general elementary teachers. Half of teachers reported at least one AI training session in 2025, up from 29% in early 2024.
| Teacher group | AI use in 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| Pre-K teachers | 30% |
| Elementary school teachers | 42% |
| Middle school teachers | 64% |
| High school teachers | 69% |
Source: RAND Corporation
Teacher AI Use by Grade Band, 2024-25
What Do Students Use ChatGPT For in the Classroom?
Students draw a firm line between acceptable and off-limits uses. 54% of teens say using ChatGPT to research topics is fine; only 18% say the same for writing essays, per Pew. Among teens using chatbots for schoolwork, research and math help are the two most common tasks, each cited by about four in ten.
| Task | Acceptable | Not acceptable |
|---|---|---|
| Researching new topics | 54% | 9% |
| Solving math problems | 29% | 28% |
| Writing essays | 18% | 42% |
Source: Pew Research Center
Teen Views on Acceptable ChatGPT Use
ChatGPT in US College Classrooms
College adoption runs ahead of K-12. ChatGPT leads AI tools at 64.77% past-month use among US college students, ahead of Microsoft Copilot at 15.46% and Google Gemini at 13.60%, per Primary Research Group. Chegg’s 2025 survey put worldwide undergraduate GenAI use at 80%.
Three in four students want AI training, but only one in four universities offers it, per OpenAI. Cost is one barrier OpenAI flags most, and the rising price of a US degree already sits behind $1.77 trillion in student debt. For the wider frame, degree attainment across the OECD tracks the population these figures describe.
| AI tool | Past-month use among US college students |
|---|---|
| ChatGPT | 64.77% |
| Microsoft Copilot | 15.46% |
| Google Gemini | 13.60% |
Source: Primary Research Group, 2025
ChatGPT enters a fast-moving education software market and sits alongside a wider set of online learning platforms now standard on most campuses.
FAQ
What percentage of US students use ChatGPT for schoolwork?
About 54% of US teens have used AI chatbots like ChatGPT for schoolwork, per Pew’s fall 2025 survey. Among students from middle school up, 62% used AI for homework by December 2025, per RAND.
Which grade level uses ChatGPT the most?
High school and college students. By December 2025, 63% of high schoolers used AI for homework, against 46% of middle schoolers, per RAND. College use is highest overall but held steady through 2025.
How many teachers use ChatGPT or AI?
60% of K-12 public school teachers used AI in 2024-25, per Gallup. Use rises by grade: 69% of high school teachers, 64% middle, 42% elementary, and 30% pre-K, per RAND.
Is using ChatGPT for schoolwork considered cheating?
It depends on the task. 54% of teens say using ChatGPT to research topics is acceptable, but only 18% approve of writing essays with it, per Pew. Just one in three students report a schoolwide AI rule.
What do college students use ChatGPT for?
ChatGPT leads college AI tools at 64.77% past-month use, ahead of Copilot and Gemini. Students mainly use it to look up answers, get explanations, brainstorm, and revise writing, per RAND and Primary Research Group.
