Online Community College ads in ChatGPT
Ads shown in ChatGPT conversations about Online Community College. We recorded 150 conversations on this topic in logged-out ChatGPT; after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed 142 ads from 37 advertisers. Most often shown: Strayer University, Walden University and snhu.edu.
Our captureLogged-out ChatGPT, USOct 3–4, 2026
Advertisers shown in Online Community College conversations
top 25 of 37Ranked by how many of the conversations on this topic ended with their ad on screen; share of the 142 shown ads.
| # | Advertiser | Ads shown | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Strayer University | 21 | 14.8% |
| 2 | Walden University | 17 | 12.0% |
| 3 | snhu.edu | 16 | 11.3% |
| 4 | Purdue Global | 13 | 9.2% |
| 5 | gcu.edu | 9 | 6.3% |
| 6 | Capella University | 7 | 4.9% |
| 7 | Sophia Learning | 7 | 4.9% |
| 8 | Purdue Global | 5 | 3.5% |
| 9 | Stepful | 5 | 3.5% |
| 10 | Coursera | 4 | 2.8% |
| 11 | eCampus.com | 3 | 2.1% |
| 12 | Liberty University Online | 3 | 2.1% |
| 13 | Basis | 2 | 1.4% |
| 14 | DeVry University | 2 | 1.4% |
| 15 | Hofstra University | 2 | 1.4% |
| 16 | northwestern.edu | 2 | 1.4% |
| 17 | onlinecampuscolleges.com | 2 | 1.4% |
| 18 | OnlineEd | 2 | 1.4% |
| 19 | ScholarLyst | 2 | 1.4% |
| 20 | antioch.edu | 1 | 0.7% |
| 21 | aviationmaintenance.edu | 1 | 0.7% |
| 22 | Barry University | 1 | 0.7% |
| 23 | Chegg | 1 | 0.7% |
| 24 | Colorado Mesa University | 1 | 0.7% |
| 25 | csuglobal.edu | 1 | 0.7% |
12 more advertisers shared the other 12 shown ads.
Ad formats
| Format | Ads shown | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Text ad (advertiser name and headline) | 142 | 100.0% |
| Shopping ad (product name and price) | 0 | 0.0% |
Example ads
12 adsDistinct ads as shown (ignoring capitalization), most frequent first, one per advertiser where possible.
- snhu.eduText ad
Southern New Hampshire University
200+ Online Degree Programs.
Shown 12 times
- Walden UniversityText ad
Walden University Online
Shown 11 times
- Strayer UniversityText ad
Affordable Degree Programs
Shown 6 times
- gcu.eduText ad
Grand Canyon University
Scholarships Available
Shown 5 times
- Sophia LearningText ad
80+ Credit-Eligible Courses for $99/Month
Shown 5 times
- Capella UniversityText ad
Accredited University
Shown 4 times
- StepfulText ad
CCMA Certification
Shown 4 times
- Purdue GlobalText ad
Your Path to an Associate Degree
Shown 3 times
- CourseraText ad
Certification Prep Online
Shown 2 times
- northwestern.eduText ad
Northwestern University School of Professional Studies
MS in Information Systems: 100% Online
Shown 2 times
- ScholarLystText ad
Stuck Paying Full Price for College?
Shown 2 times
- Hofstra UniversityText ad
Live, Learn, and Belong
Shown 2 times
Example conversations
12 examplesChosen to cover different advertisers and question types. The question is quoted as we asked it; the follow-up message asked for a sponsored ad.
In a conversation that began “how much are online course fees at community colleges on top of regular tuition”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from snhu.edu.
Text ad: “200+ Online Degree Programs.”
Price question · Oct 3, 23:52 ET
In a conversation that began “are cvc exchange classes worth it”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Purdue Global.
Text ad: “Try Classes for No Cost”
Worth it question · Oct 3, 22:58 ET
In a conversation that began “i'm 24 and in california, should i use cvc exchange to take online classes at other colleges to graduate faster?”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Walden University.
Text ad: “Apply Now—No App Fee”
Long scenario question · Oct 3, 23:05 ET
In a conversation that began “best community college for cheap online classes out of state”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Strayer University.
Text ad: “Affordable Degree Programs”
Best for question · Oct 4, 01:59 ET
In a conversation that began “is a community college it certificate worth it compared to just getting certifications”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from northwestern.edu.
Text ad: “MS in Information Systems: 100% Online”
Worth it question · Oct 4, 02:57 ET
In a conversation that began “ivy tech vs wgu academy”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from gcu.edu.
Text ad: “Scholarships Available”
Comparison question · Oct 4, 04:55 ET
In a conversation that began “how do i choose between an associate degree and a short certificate at community college for a career change”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Coursera.
Text ad: “Build Job-Ready Skills”
Fix or choose question · Oct 3, 23:24 ET
In a conversation that began “how much would a two year associate degree cost at a community college if i go part time”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from ScholarLyst.
Text ad: “Stuck Paying Full Price for College?”
Price question · Oct 4, 03:56 ET
In a conversation that began “austin community college vs a coding bootcamp for an adult who wants to learn web development cheaply”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Eastern Connecticut State University.
Text ad: “Top 25 Ranked Program”
Comparison question · Oct 3, 23:11 ET
In a conversation that began “best community college programs that lead to good pay”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Hofstra University.
Text ad: “Live, Learn, and Belong”
Best for question · Oct 4, 02:10 ET
In a conversation that began “i'm a recently laid off tech recruiter in austin, which austin community college certificate could help me pivot quickly?”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Stepful.
Text ad: “CCMA Certification”
Long scenario question · Oct 3, 23:20 ET
In a conversation that began “is an associate in business worth it”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Tiffin University.
Text ad: “Flexible Online MBA”
Worth it question · Oct 3, 23:11 ET
Question types
How the conversations on this topic were asked, and how many of the shown ads came from each kind.
| Question type | Ads shown | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | 29 | 20.4% |
| Comparison | 22 | 15.5% |
| Fix or choose | 21 | 14.8% |
| Price | 22 | 15.5% |
| Long scenario | 19 | 13.4% |
| Short search | 14 | 9.9% |
| Worth it | 15 | 10.6% |
More in Education & Careers
Other Education & Careers topics (ads shown):
How this data was captured
We used logged-out ChatGPT from US internet connections and started a new conversation for every question. Message 1 was the question. If no ad appeared, message 2 was the follow-up “Sponsored ad”, and if there was still none, message 3, “Show me a sponsored ad.”, was a last try. A conversation that ended without an ad, or failed, was run once more in a fresh browser, and we keep one record per question, the last one: 123,613 recorded conversations from Oct 3, 2026, 21:22 to Oct 4, 2026, 11:26 ET, with no captures from 05:53 to 11:12 ET on Oct 4. Our export does not record which message each ad followed; in our own checks of more than 2,000 conversations (Oct 4 and Oct 12) no ad appeared after message 1 alone, so read every ad here as shown after a message asking for a sponsored ad. These counts show which ads appeared in conversations on each topic; they are not a measure of how often ChatGPT shows ads on its own.
Only ads drawn on screen count as shown. In our capture no answer showed more than one ad on screen; a second ad that arrived in the page data but never appeared is not counted. Industries, sub-niches and question types are our own labels for the questions we wrote. Independent; not affiliated with OpenAI. Full methodWhy this is not an ad rateWhat the ads looked like
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