[2604.04741] Artificial Intelligence and Cost Reduction in Public Higher Education: A Scoping Review of Emerging Evidence

Computer Science > Computers and Society arXiv:2604.04741 (cs) [Submitted on 6 Apr 2026] Title:Artificial Intelligence and Cost Reduction in Public Higher Education: A Scoping Review of Emerging Evidence Authors:Diamanto Tzanoulinou, Loukas Triantafyllopoulos, George Vorvilas, Evgenia Paxinou, Nikolaos Karousos, Thomas Dasaklis, Athanassios Mihiotis, Manolis Koutouzis, Dimitris Kalles, Vassilios S. Verykios View a PDF of the paper titled Artificial Intelligence and Cost Reduction in Public Higher Education: A Scoping Review of Emerging Evidence, by Diamanto Tzanoulinou and 9 other authors View PDF Abstract:Public higher education systems face increasing financial pressures from expanding student populations, rising operational costs, and persistent demands for equitable access. Artificial Intelligence (AI), including generative tools such as ChatGPT, learning analytics, intelligent tutoring systems, and predictive models, has been proposed as a means of enhancing efficiency and reducing costs. This study conducts a scoping review of the literature on AI applications in public higher education, based on systematic searches in Scopus and IEEE Xplore that identified 241 records, of which 21 empirical studies met predefined eligibility criteria and were thematically analyzed. The findings show that AI enables cost savings by automating administrative tasks, optimizing resource allocation, supporting personalized learning at scale, and applying predictive analytics to improve s...