---
title: "Common App vs UCAS: Which is more popular by branded search?"
description: "Which is more popular in search, Common App or UCAS? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the University application platforms set worldwide. 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."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/common-app-vs-ucas"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Common App vs UCAS: Which is more popular by branded search?

Which is more popular in search, Common App or UCAS? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the University application platforms set worldwide. 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.

## Key facts

- **Compared**: Common App and UCAS
- **Competitive set**: University application platforms
- **Market**: Global
- **Month measured**: Aug 2026
- **Common App Share of Search**: 54.1%
- **UCAS Share of Search**: 44.3%

## Which is more popular in search, Common App or UCAS?

- In August 2026, Common App had more branded searches than UCAS among university application platforms worldwide. Common App was estimated to have 1.8M branded searches compared to UCAS’s 1.5M, and held a 54.1% Share of Search versus UCAS’s 44.3%.
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 11 months ending August 2026: UCAS took it in January 2026, Common App took it in August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Common App’s estimated Share of Search among university application platforms worldwide moved from 76.2% to 54.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.1M to 1.8M.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, UCAS’s estimated Share of Search among university application platforms worldwide moved from 22.7% to 44.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.2M to 1.5M.

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

- 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%.

## Month by month

| Month | Common App estimated searches | Common App Share of Search | Common App rank | UCAS estimated searches | UCAS Share of Search | UCAS rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | 4.1M | 76.2% | 1 | 1.2M | 22.7% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | 1.8M | 54.2% | 1 | 1.5M | 44.4% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | 1.5M | 49.2% | 1 | 1.5M | 49.2% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | 1.2M | 44% | 2 | 1.5M | 54.1% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | 673K | 43.6% | 2 | 823K | 53.3% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | 550K | 38.7% | 2 | 823K | 57.9% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | 450K | 38.4% | 2 | 673K | 57.4% | 1 |
| May 2026 | 450K | 38.4% | 2 | 673K | 57.4% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | 450K | 33.9% | 2 | 823K | 62% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | 550K | 43.1% | 2 | 673K | 52.7% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | 1.8M | 54.1% | 1 | 1.5M | 44.3% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — |

## How each brand is measured

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Common App’s and UCAS’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

- **Common App**: Measured on the search term “common app”.
- **UCAS**: Measured on the search term “ucas”.

- [Common App profile](/demand/global-en/brands/common-app)
- [UCAS profile](/demand/global-en/brands/ucas)
- [All university application platforms worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/university-application-platforms): The set both shares are measured inside, 5 brands.

## Methodology

- [How is branded search demand measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which is more popular in search, Common App or UCAS?

In August 2026, Common App had more branded searches than UCAS among university application platforms worldwide. Common App was estimated to have 1.8M branded searches compared to UCAS’s 1.5M, and held a 54.1% Share of Search versus UCAS’s 44.3%.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Common App vs UCAS: Which is more popular by branded search?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/common-app-vs-ucas

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/common-app-vs-ucas. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.