The AI Search Readiness Scorecard for Higher Ed

AI search is changing how students find institutions, compare programs, and decide where to take the next step. With 50% of prospective students now using AI tools to search for colleges, AI search optimization is becoming a growing part of brand, recruitment, and enrollment strategy.

But knowing AI search visibility matters is not the same as knowing whether your institution is ready to measure and improve it. Many marketing and enrollment leaders still lack a consistent way to assess where they stand, which gaps matter most, and where to focus first.

EAB’s AI Search Readiness Scorecard for Higher Ed helps leaders assess readiness across six key areas: AI visibility, brand sentiment, authority and citations, AI content readiness, competitive positioning, and SEO performance. Use the scorecard as an AI search readiness audit to identify gaps in how AI search performance is measured, understood, and optimized, then prioritize the improvements most likely to strengthen student discovery and enrollment action.

The paper also includes a shared conversation guide to help marketing, enrollment, and web teams interpret results, clarify ownership, and agree on next steps.