University application platforms:Which brands are most popular in search?
In August 2026, Common App was the most searched among university application platforms worldwide, with an estimated 1.8M branded searches and 54.1% estimated Share of Search within this set. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
Common App54.1%UCAS44.3%
ApplyBoard0.8%
Studyportals0.8%
Coalition—
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Share of SearchLeaderboard
Compare the platforms students apply to universities through. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for Common App, UCAS. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Common App | UCAS | ApplyBoard | Studyportals | Coalition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 76.2% | 22.7% | 0.62% | 0.5% | — |
| Nov 2025 | 54.2% | 44.4% | 0.8% | 0.66% | — |
| Dec 2025 | 49.2% | 49.2% | 0.89% | 0.73% | — |
| Jan 2026 | 44% | 54.1% | 0.98% | 0.98% | — |
| Feb 2026 | 43.6% | 53.3% | 1.8% | 1.4% | — |
| Mar 2026 | 38.7% | 57.9% | 1.9% | 1.6% | — |
| Apr 2026 | 38.4% | 57.4% | 2.3% | 1.9% | — |
| May 2026 | 38.4% | 57.4% | 2.3% | 1.9% | — |
| Jun 2026 | 33.9% | 62% | 2% | 2% | — |
| Jul 2026 | 43.1% | 52.7% | 2.1% | 2.1% | — |
| Aug 2026 | 54.1% | 44.3% | 0.8% | 0.8% | — |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — |
This month’s ranking, August 2026
| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, moved from 2nd to 1st | 54.1% | 1.8M | +232.7% | +11 pointsmoved from 2nd to 1st | |
| 2, moved from 1st to 2nd | 44.3% | 1.5M | +122.9% | -8.4 pointsmoved from 1st to 2nd | |
| 3, held 3rd | 0.8% | 27.1K | 0% | -1.3 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 0.8% | 27.1K | 0% | -1.3 points | |
| —, not measured this month | — | — | — | — |
54.1%
Moved from 2nd to 1st. 1.8M estimated branded searches, +232.7% vs prior month. Share +11 points.
2.
44.3%
Moved from 1st to 2nd. 1.5M estimated branded searches, +122.9% vs prior month. Share -8.4 points.
0.8%
Held 3rd. 27.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -1.3 points.
0.8%
Held 4th. 27.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -1.3 points.
—
Not measured this month. — estimated branded searches, — vs prior month. Share —.
Compare search popularity between leading brands
Which brand is most popular in search among university application platforms worldwide?
4 brands
In August 2026, Common App was the most searched among university application platforms worldwide, with an estimated 1.8M branded searches and 54.1% estimated Share of Search within this set. UCAS is in 2nd place, 9.8 percentage points behind at 44.3% Share of Search.
| Brand | Share of Search | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common App | 76.2% → 54.1% | 76.2%Oct 2025 | 33.9%Jun 2026 | 1st |
| UCAS | 22.7% → 44.3% | 62%Jun 2026 | 22.7%Oct 2025 | 2nd |
| ApplyBoard | 0.62% → 0.8% | 2.3%Apr 2026 | 0.62%Oct 2025 | 3rd |
| Studyportals | 0.5% → 0.8% | 2.1%Jul 2026 | 0.5%Oct 2025 | 4th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Common App’s estimated Share of Search among university application platforms worldwide decreased from 76.2% to 54.1%.
- 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, Common App’s estimated Share of Search among university application platforms worldwide peaked at 76.2% in October 2025 and was lowest at 33.9% in June 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, ApplyBoard’s estimated Share of Search among university application platforms worldwide peaked at 2.3% in April 2026 and was lowest at 0.62% in October 2025.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Studyportals’ estimated Share of Search among university application platforms worldwide peaked at 2.1% in July 2026 and was lowest at 0.5% in October 2025.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, ApplyBoard, Studyportals and Coalition held steady: their estimated Share of Search among university application platforms worldwide each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.
How did search popularity change for university application platforms worldwide in August 2026?
4 changes
In August 2026, Common App overtook UCAS to take the highest estimated Share of Search among university application platforms worldwide, at 54.1%.
In August 2026, UCAS lost estimated Share of Search among university application platforms worldwide, from 52.7% to 44.3%.
In August 2026, ApplyBoard lost estimated Share of Search among university application platforms worldwide, from 2.1% to 0.8%.
In August 2026, Studyportals lost estimated Share of Search among university application platforms worldwide, from 2.1% to 0.8%.
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