New research shows how creativity with AI improves academic outcomes
- Feb 9
- 3 min read
Today’s colleges and universities are being asked to do far more than just award degrees. Rising tuition costs, shrinking enrollment and retention, and a rapidly changing job market are forcing institutions to rethink what academic success looks like today.
Increasingly, campuses are finding that creativity and AI-powered tools can play a meaningful role in meeting those challenges. Adobe Creative Campuses are already putting this approach into practice, and the data shows the Creative Campus approach is working.
What the data reveals
Adobe partnered with Edelman to study the impact of creativity and artificial intelligence on students' academic performance, career readiness, and campus engagement. The “Academic Outcomes with Creativity and AI in Higher Education Report” studied more than 3,000 students and early-in-career alumni from around the world.
The data demonstrates that access to creative and AI-powered tools such as Adobe Express, Adobe Firefly, and Adobe Creative Cloud improves academic performance and engagement across disciplines. Creativity, AI, and self-expression are at the heart of that impact.
Creative tools strengthen academic understanding and skills confidence
Students using Adobe tools reported greater creative expression, improved confidence, deeper understanding, and improved ability to communicate ideas. The result? Higher grades and stronger academic performance.
“I don’t consider myself an artist. But once I started using the tool, I realized I could come up with and try out really cool designs on my own. It gave me confidence that if I ever needed to pitch ideas to someone or make a presentation, I could do it.”
— Amanda Mirshak, US sociology major
At Adobe Creative Campuses, the gains are even stronger. A higher proportion of Creative Campus students, compared to students at non-Creative Campuses, said that Adobe tools improved the quality of their projects, helped them communicate ideas more clearly and boosted their academic performance.
From class projects to career-ready skills
At Auburn University, an Adobe Creative Campus, Adobe Express is built directly into introductory courses to help students start developing strong communication skills from day one.
Faculty members replace traditional essay assignments with visually compelling stories by having students use infographics in their presentations. Students sharpen their analytical thinking while gaining early experience with digital storytelling tools.
"These skills can map to any student’s career goals, no matter their primary field of study. Students gain a deeper understanding of what they’re learning in the classroom while elevating their communications and gaining the digital skills required for any career.”
— Dr. Makeela Wells, Auburn University assistant professor of sociology
Creative tools improve communication skills
Students across majors, from engineering and business to the social sciences, said that using Adobe Express and Adobe Creative Cloud helped strengthen their communication skills, making it easier to clearly share ideas in assignments and presentations.
Collaborative projects also benefit. Students describe forming stronger connections with peers from different disciplines as they share knowledge and perspectives through creative work.
“[The groups working together are] more than just fashion students. It may be business students who join as well, and I feel like we foster a bond over sharing knowledge in different ways. I can learn from a business student, and they can learn from me in terms of [creative] software, like Adobe, for creating flyers and things that we may post on social media.”
— Mahogany, US fashion major
Real tools, real understanding
Why are these tools making such a difference? Students reported that using Adobe tools didn’t just help them perform better; it made their coursework more meaningful. That deeper connection leads to higher motivation and better outcomes.
“I definitely feel a difference in motivation and how deep into projects I get when it’s really creative. It’s a lot more exciting and easy to lose yourself in.”
— Katharyn, US strategic communications and journalism major
Amplifying student achievement at scale
Innovative teaching practices are reshaping how students engage with complex material. This new research demonstrates that institutions that prioritize creativity and AI skill-building are seeing stronger academic outcomes, greater student confidence, and shrinking equity gaps while also empowering faculty innovation.
As AI and digital media continue to reshape how students learn and communicate, cultivating creativity, critical thinking, and self-expression is no longer optional; it’s essential for student success.
READ THE FULL RESEARCH REPORT
Explore the complete findings on how creativity and AI skills accelerate student hiring, strengthen career confidence, and transform outcomes on campuses worldwide.
LEARN MORE ABOUT BECOMING AN ADOBE CREATIVE CAMPUS
See how universities across disciplines are scaling creativity, digital fluency, and AI readiness to give every student the skills and confidence to thrive in the future of work.
