Essay Writing Trends in 2025: AI Tools, Student Habits, and Market Growth

Essays remain one of the most common assignments in schools and universities worldwide. Despite predictions that AI would replace them, the concept of the essay is thriving in 2025. Students continue to use essays to demonstrate critical thinking, research ability, and communication skills.

This article presents findings from EssayPro’s Academic Writing Trends 2025 Study (n = 2,850 students across North America, Europe, and Asia). The research analyzed essay demand, the role of AI, the growth of support services, and student attitudes toward ethics. 

Data are based on survey responses, usage statistics, and expert interviews. Percentages represent survey outcomes or reported market performance.

Why Essay Writing Still Matters in 2025

In an age dominated by chatbots and instant content generators, one may ask why essays are still central. The answer lies in what they test. Essays require synthesis of information, argumentation, and a unique voice.

According to EssayPro’s research, 78% of professors in 2025 rated essays as “very effective” in evaluating higher-order thinking, compared to only 41% for multiple-choice tests.

Table 1 – EssayPro 2025: Teacher Preferences for Student Evaluation

Explanation: Essays remain the top tool because they combine research, writing, and personal reasoning. This confirms their relevance despite digital alternatives.

Essay Help Services and AI Integration

The market for essay support is evolving. Students are not choosing between AI tools and professional help – they are combining them. AI drafts outlines, checks grammar, and generates references, while services add depth, structure, and human insight.

EssayPro’s survey found that 67% of students had used professional essay writing services online at least once in the past year, and 59% had tested AI tools. Interestingly, 44% used both in tandem.

• AI tools are valued for brainstorming and quick edits.
  
• Essay platforms are valued for deep subject expertise and originality.
  
• Hybrid use produces higher satisfaction rates than either alone.

Figure 1 – Student Use of Essay Support (2023-2025):

A stacked bar chart showing AI-only use falling from 46% in 2023 to 28% in 2025, service-only use holding steady at around 30%, and combined AI + service use rising from 24% in 2023 to 44% in 2025. This visual demonstrates the shift toward blended support.

This trend also reflects growth in the essay writing service in statistics, where market data show a clear overlap between human and AI demand.

Types of Essays Most in Demand

Students are writing more essays than ever, but demand varies by type. EssayPro’s study tracked essay orders across disciplines.

Table 2 – EssayPro 2025: Most Requested Essay Types

Students across fields need argumentative essays, research essays, and reflective essays. Each essay type reflects a different learning goal, from persuasion to self-reflection. For example, an essay in nursing might test empathy and professional awareness, while a philosophy essay tests reasoning.

Essay Tools vs Human Writers

A major finding of the 2025 study is that students still trust human writers more than AI when it comes to accuracy and depth.

• 61% of students who first tried AI-only drafts later sought human review.
  
• 72% said they felt more confident submitting work edited by a professional.
  

Figure 2 – Student Confidence Levels by Support Type:

A line graph showing confidence scores (0-100 scale). AI-only averages 58, service-only averages 71, and combined AI + service averages 84. The line trend emphasizes the rising confidence with hybrid support.

This supports the broader point that while AI is efficient, human expertise remains critical among other statistics in essay writing.

Statistics: Essay Writing Market Growth

The academic writing market is expanding rapidly. EssayPro’s global data estimated the market at $1.8 billion in 2024, with growth projected to reach $2.3 billion by 2026.

• Growth is strongest in North America (13% CAGR).
  
• International student demand is a major driver.
  
• AI has expanded awareness of writing services rather than replacing them.
  

This growth highlights the continued importance of combining AI with human insight, especially in higher education.

Ethical Concerns Around Essay Writing Tools

The rise of AI and online services has sparked debates about ethics. EssayPro’s ethics survey showed that 42% of students were unsure where the line was between support and dishonesty.

Educators now stress that these tools should be used responsibly:

• AI for grammar, style, and brainstorming
  
• Services for structure, feedback, and examples
  
• Students themselves for final drafting and critical thinking
  

Clear guidelines are needed, and universities are beginning to publish policies clarifying how students can ethically use both AI and services without violating academic standards.

Frequently Asked Questions About AI Writing Trends

Are AI essay writers reliable?

AI essay writers are helpful for quick drafts, summaries, and grammar checks. They save time when students need to generate ideas or polish sentence structure. However, they often lack depth, critical reasoning, and context awareness. 

According to EssayPro’s 2025 research, 61% of students who started with AI-only drafts felt the essays sounded generic or repetitive. That’s why most students combine AI with human editing or professional guidance, reporting much higher confidence in the final result. 

AI is reliable as a tool, but it works best as part of a hybrid process with human expertise.

How many students use essay help services?

Essay support is no longer niche. According to EssayPro’s 2025 survey, 67% of students used essay help services at least once in the past year. 

The number is even higher among international students, where nearly 74% reported relying on services for language support and formatting help. Many students use these platforms for brainstorming, editing, or getting feedback on structure. 

What’s the most common essay type in 2025?

Argumentative essays remain the most requested, making up 32% of all essay orders worldwide. Professors prefer them because they reveal how well a student can build and defend a position. 

In practice, students write argumentative essays in political science, philosophy, sociology, and even STEM courses where issues like ethics in technology are debated. Narrative and reflective essays are still popular in creative fields, but the argumentative format dominates because it blends research, logic, and persuasion. 

Conclusion

In 2025, essay writing is not disappearing – it is adapting. EssayPro’s research confirms that students now rely on a hybrid model where AI assists with drafting and grammar while human experts ensure depth, structure, and originality. This balance keeps essays relevant in higher education and beyond.

The findings highlight three important takeaways:

1. For students – Use AI responsibly for support tasks but pair it with expert feedback to achieve stronger results. Treat services as partners in learning rather than shortcuts.
   
2. For educators – Establish clear guidelines on acceptable use of AI and essay platforms. Encourage students to use these tools transparently while maintaining academic integrity.
   
3. For the market – Expect continued growth. The essay writing sector is projected to reach over $2.3 billion by 2026, with hybrid use becoming the norm. Companies that combine technology with human expertise will lead the industry.

For now, the message is clear – essays continue to matter, and those who embrace both innovation and integrity will benefit most.

Resources

• Verified Market Reports. Academic Writing Service Market Size & Forecast to 2026. https://www.verifiedmarketreports.com/product/academic-writing-service-market/

EssayPro Research Team. Essay Writing Trends Among Students 2025. Internal survey and market study.

WiseGuy Reports. Essay Writing Service Market Overview & Forecast to 2035. https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/essay-writing-service-market