AI's Top Source for College Questions Is a Finance Regulator: consumerfinance.gov at 13.1%

    The most-cited website in AI answers to college questions is not a college or a rankings site but the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's consumerfinance.gov, in 13.1% of sourced answers. Federal student aid sites and lenders fill most of the top ten, and the answers draw on 998 different websites, more than any other industry.

    All answers by rank
    1
    13.1%
    2
    11.8%
    3
    6.9%
    4
    6.1%
    5
    6.1%
    6
    5.8%
    7
    3.9%
    8
    3.7%
    9
    3.7%
    10
    3.6%
    11
    2.6%
    12
    2.6%
    13
    2.6%
    14
    2.5%
    15
    2.3%

    Source: Suff Digital analysis of 1,600 AI answers to 400 college questions · ChatGPT and Gemini, September 2026

    ChatGPT
    Answers with no source
    1.1%
    Share of sourced answers citing it
    17.3%

    Source: Suff Digital analysis of 1,600 AI answers to 400 college questions · ChatGPT and Gemini, September 2026

    Share of sourced answers by industry
    Legal
    14.7%
    Health
    32.3%
    Money
    13.8%
    Real estate
    27.2%
    Home improvement
    11.8%
    Travel
    13.2%
    Cars
    6.7%
    Software
    24.3%
    College
    13.1%
    Fitness
    41.5%
    Pets
    18.4%
    Recipes
    37.5%

    Source: Suff Digital analysis of 1,600 AI answers to 400 college questions · ChatGPT and Gemini, September 2026

    Source: AI's Top Source for College Questions Is a Finance Regulator: consumerfinance.gov at 13.1% - Suff Digital