Brandwave

How popular isUCAS in search?

In August 2026, there were an estimated 1.5M branded searches for UCAS worldwide which is up 23% over the last 11 months. UCAS holds 44.3% estimated Share of Search among university application platforms worldwide and is ranked 2nd of 5 competitors for search popularity. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of Search, August 2026
  1. Common App54.1%
  2. UCAS44.3%
  3. ApplyBoard0.8%
  4. Studyportals0.8%
  5. Coalition—
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Which university application platforms compete with UCAS?

UCAS against university application platforms worldwide, by month

Share of Search by month for Common App, UCAS. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthCommon AppUCASApplyBoardStudyportalsCoalition
Oct 202576.2%22.7%0.62%0.5%—
Nov 202554.2%44.4%0.8%0.66%—
Dec 202549.2%49.2%0.89%0.73%—
Jan 202644%54.1%0.98%0.98%—
Feb 202643.6%53.3%1.8%1.4%—
Mar 202638.7%57.9%1.9%1.6%—
Apr 202638.4%57.4%2.3%1.9%—
May 202638.4%57.4%2.3%1.9%—
Jun 202633.9%62%2%2%—
Jul 202643.1%52.7%2.1%2.1%—
Aug 202654.1%44.3%0.8%0.8%—
Sep 2026—————

  1. 1.Common App

    54.1%

    Moved from 2nd to 1st. 1.8M estimated branded searches, +232.7% vs prior month. Share +11 points.

  2. 2.UCAS

    44.3%

    Moved from 1st to 2nd. 1.5M estimated branded searches, +122.9% vs prior month. Share -8.4 points.

  3. 3.ApplyBoard

    0.8%

    Held 3rd. 27.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -1.3 points.

  4. 4.Studyportals

    0.8%

    Held 4th. 27.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -1.3 points.

  5. —.Coalition

    —

    Not measured this month. — estimated branded searches, — vs prior month. Share —.

Compare search popularity between UCAS and its closest rivals

How has branded search demand for UCAS changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for UCAS worldwide rose from 1.2M to 1.5M.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, UCAS’s estimated Share of Search among university application platforms worldwide increased from 22.7% to 44.3%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, UCAS’s estimated Share of Search among university application platforms worldwide peaked at 62% in June 2026 and was lowest at 22.7% in October 2025.

How did search popularity change for university application platforms worldwide in August 2026?

  1. In August 2026, Common App overtook UCAS to take the highest estimated Share of Search among university application platforms worldwide, at 54.1%.

  2. In August 2026, UCAS lost estimated Share of Search among university application platforms worldwide, from 52.7% to 44.3%.

  3. In August 2026, ApplyBoard lost estimated Share of Search among university application platforms worldwide, from 2.1% to 0.8%.

  4. In August 2026, Studyportals lost estimated Share of Search among university application platforms worldwide, from 2.1% to 0.8%.

How is UCAS measured?

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using UCAS’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

1 branded search term

  • ucas

Do you work for UCAS? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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