Kaplan vs UWorld:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, UWorld had more branded searches than Kaplan among NCLEX prep courses in the United States. UWorld had about 9,900 branded searches, while Kaplan had 1,900. UWorld made up 9.4% of all NCLEX prep course searches we track, and Kaplan accounted for 1.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about NCLEX prep courses, UWorld appeared in all five answers and Kaplan in three. UWorld was mentioned before Kaplan in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
UWorld, about 5 searches for every 1 for Kaplan
Who does AI mention more?
UWorld, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
UWorld, named ahead of Kaplan in 4 of 5 answers
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Top NCLEX prep courses in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, UWorld appeared in all five answers. Kaplan was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. UWorld was listed before Kaplan in four out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Archer Review5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- UWorld5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Kaplan3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Simple Nursing2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Hurst Review2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
ATI1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Level Up RN0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
NURSING.com0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
NurseAchieve0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about NCLEX prep courses
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best NCLEX prep course?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which NCLEX question bank should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“How should I study for the NCLEX in a month?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“nclex prep”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“nclex review course”
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.
Share of searches by month for UWorld, Kaplan. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Simple Nursing | Archer Review | Level Up RN | UWorld | Hurst Review | NURSING.com | NurseAchieve | Kaplan | ATI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 49.2% | 21.9% | 9.8% | 6.6% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 2% | 1.5% | 0.26% |
| Nov 2025 | 47.1% | 23.5% | 9.4% | 7.7% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 35.3% | 29.9% | 8.6% | 10.6% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 2% | 1.7% | 0.42% |
| Jan 2026 | 35.3% | 29.9% | 8.6% | 10.5% | 7.1% | 5.7% | 0.87% | 1.7% | 0.42% |
| Feb 2026 | 50.8% | 20.7% | 10.2% | 6.8% | 3.7% | 4.5% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 0.33% |
| Mar 2026 | 46.4% | 23.1% | 9.3% | 7.6% | 4.1% | 6.2% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.37% |
| Apr 2026 | 45% | 22.5% | 9% | 9% | 4.9% | 6% | 1.5% | 1.7% | 0.35% |
| May 2026 | 33.7% | 32.6% | 6.7% | 12.3% | 6.7% | 4.5% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 0.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 32.7% | 33.9% | 6.5% | 11.9% | 6.5% | 4.3% | 0.87% | 2.9% | 0.39% |
| Jul 2026 | 38.8% | 29% | 7.7% | 11.6% | 5.2% | 4.2% | 0.84% | 2.2% | 0.46% |
| Aug 2026 | 37.3% | 27.8% | 11.2% | 11.2% | 5% | 4.1% | 0.99% | 2.1% | 0.36% |
| Sep 2026 | 46.8% | 23.3% | 9.4% | 9.4% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 2.3% | 1.8% | 0.3% |
How has the Kaplan and UWorld comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- UWorld was ahead of Kaplan in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kaplan’s share of searches among NCLEX prep courses in the United States moved from 1.5% to 1.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.9K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, UWorld’s share of searches among NCLEX prep courses in the United States moved from 6.6% to 9.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.1K to 9.9K.
How did search popularity change for United States NCLEX prep courses in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, NurseAchieve overtook Kaplan to rank 7th among NCLEX prep courses in the United States, with 2.3% of the searches.
In September 2026, UWorld lost share of searches among NCLEX prep courses in the United States, from 11.2% to 9.4%.
Kaplan’s share of searches among NCLEX prep courses in the United States has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 2.9% to 1.8% in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Kaplan’s and UWorld’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.
Other head-to-heads among NCLEX prep courses
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