Brandwave

How popular isKaplan?

In September 2026, people searched for Kaplan by name about 23,700 times in the United States, a 13.2% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 0.74% of all United States USMLE prep course searches, placing Kaplan seventh out of seven brands. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about USMLE prep courses, Kaplan appeared in one of the five answers.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Kaplan is the seventh most searched of 7 competitors and not listed in any AI answer.

  1. AMBOSSShare of searches 60.5%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  2. Boards and BeyondShare of searches 22.2%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  3. PathomaShare of searches 6.6%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  4. SketchyShare of searches 3.6%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  5. KaplanShare of searches 0.74%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –

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Top USMLE prep courses in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Kaplan was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. UWorld1st
  2. Pathoma2nd
  3. Sketchy3rd
  4. AMBOSS4th
  5. Boards and Beyond5th
  6. Lecturio–
  7. Kaplan–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • UWorld4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • AMBOSS3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Pathoma2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Sketchy2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Boards and Beyond1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Kaplan1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Lecturio0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about USMLE prep courses

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 28, 2026.

Which USMLE prep courses compete with Kaplan?

Kaplan against USMLE prep courses in the United States, by month

Share of searches by month for AMBOSS, Boards and Beyond, Pathoma, Sketchy, UWorld, Lecturio, Kaplan. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthAMBOSSBoards and BeyondPathomaSketchyUWorldLecturioKaplan
Oct 202557.3%21%7.7%4.2%4.9%4.2%0.7%
Nov 202553.4%23.9%8.7%3.9%5.3%3.9%0.92%
Dec 202555.9%20.4%9.1%4.1%6.4%3.3%0.73%
Jan 202655.2%20.3%9%4%6.6%4%0.89%
Feb 202659%17.7%7.9%3.5%7.7%3.5%0.67%
Mar 202655.3%20.3%7.4%3.3%10.6%2.6%0.51%
Apr 202656.4%20.7%7.5%2.7%9.4%2.7%0.61%
May 202658.3%17.4%7.8%2.8%10.3%2.8%0.63%
Jun 202660.4%18.1%6.6%2.9%8.7%2.9%0.43%
Jul 202659.4%17.8%6.5%2.9%10.7%2.3%0.45%
Aug 202658.8%21.5%7.9%3.5%5.5%2.3%0.45%
Sep 202660.5%22.2%6.6%3.6%3.4%2.9%0.74%

  1. 1.AMBOSS

    60.5%

    Held 1st. 60.5K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share +1.7 points.

  2. 2.Boards and Beyond

    22.2%

    Held 2nd. 22.2K estimated branded searches, -18.1% vs prior month. Share +0.7 points.

  3. 3.Pathoma

    6.6%

    Held 3rd. 6.6K estimated branded searches, -33.3% vs prior month. Share -1.3 points.

  4. 4.Sketchy

    3.6%

    Moved from 5th to 4th. 3.6K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  5. 5.UWorld

    3.4%

    Moved from 4th to 5th. 3.4K estimated branded searches, -51.6% vs prior month. Share -2.2 points.

  6. 6.Lecturio

    2.9%

    Held 6th. 2.9K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.

  7. 7.Kaplan

    0.74%

    Held 7th. 740 estimated branded searches, +32.1% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.

Compare popularity between Kaplan and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Kaplan

42 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Kaplan changed in the United States over the last 12 months?

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Kaplan in the United States fell from 27.3K to 23.7K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kaplan’s share of searches among USMLE prep courses in the United States held steady, from 0.7% to 0.74%.

How did search popularity change for United States USMLE prep courses in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, AMBOSS gained share of searches among USMLE prep courses in the United States, from 58.8% to 60.5%.

  2. In September 2026, Boards and Beyond gained share of searches among USMLE prep courses in the United States, from 21.5% to 22.2%.

  3. In September 2026, Lecturio gained share of searches among USMLE prep courses in the United States, from 2.3% to 2.9%.

  4. In September 2026, UWorld lost share of searches among USMLE prep courses in the United States, from 5.5% to 3.4%.

  5. In September 2026, Pathoma lost share of searches among USMLE prep courses in the United States, from 7.9% to 6.6%.

  6. In September 2026, Sketchy rose from 5th to 4th among USMLE prep courses in the United States.

How are Kaplan’s branded searches counted?

10 search terms

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

  • kaplan bar review
  • kaplan insurance license
  • kaplan lsat
  • kaplan mcat
  • kaplan nclex
  • kaplan real estate
  • kaplan series 65
  • kaplan series 7
  • kaplan step 1
  • kaplan usmle

Do you work for Kaplan? 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

Where does Kaplan compete?

Kaplan is ranked in eight competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
LSAT prep courses5th of 71%Show ranking
Real estate license schools6th of 95.6%Show ranking
Insurance license courses5th of 51.2%Show ranking
NCLEX prep courses8th of 91.8%Show ranking
USMLE prep courses7th of 70.74%Shown above
MCAT prep courses3rd of 514.9%Show ranking
Bar exam prep courses5th of 91.1%Show ranking
Securities exam prep2nd of 520.5%Show ranking
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