A new higher education report says AI use for enrollment and student success is accelerating, with most enrollment leaders already experimenting or operationalizing predictive and prescriptive analytics. The report points to heightened scrutiny on costs and outcomes, FAFSA timing pressures, and demographic shifts as drivers for more targeted interventions. According to the report’s survey results, 65% of enrollment leaders in 2025 reported actively using emerging technologies such as AI, up from 40% in 2024. Institutions also reported increased readiness investments, including staff upskilling for AI-driven work, even as many campuses do not yet see themselves as leaders. The report highlights the practical use of scenario modeling to test financial aid strategies and identify at-risk students, including an example of Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) improving coordination of outreach and interventions after working with Othot. Overall, the coverage underscores that AI deployment is moving from experimentation into operational decision support—where data integrity, integrated systems, and staff readiness determine whether analytics translate into measurable enrollment and persistence outcomes.