Artificial Intelligence (AI) In Higher Education: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

This study establishes a comprehensive, centralized reference for educators and researchers investigating Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education. The three objectives were to evaluate the evolution and dissemination of AI in higher education research, to determine key areas of AI in higher education research and to identify the major players of AI in higher education research. A bibliometric approach was used to analyze 800 publications retrieved from the Scopus database in February 2026, with VOSviewer software employed for data visualization. The analysis revealed that while scholarly interest began around 2018, publications surged from 2023 onwards, peaking in 2025. Despite this upward trend, collaboration patterns suggest the field is still in its early stages of development, as evidenced by the volume of indexed literature. Consequently, this study provides a foundation for future research and facilitates the development of meta-analyses and structured literature reviews.