Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly used in higher education to support students’ career planning and decision-making processes. In Chinese private colleges, where access to traditional career counseling resources is often limited, AI-driven career planning tools have become important digital support systems for students. However, existing studies have mainly focused on technology adoption and user acceptance, while limited attention has been given to whether AI-driven systems improve students’ career decision-making outcomes. Therefore, this study aims to identify the effects of AI-driven career planning tools on students’ career decision-making outcomes and discuss the implications of AI-supported career planning systems in Chinese private colleges. This study employed a quantitative cross-sectional survey design using a structured questionnaire consisting of four sections and 27 items measured using a five-point Likert scale. A total of 350 valid responses were obtained from undergraduate students in five private colleges in Shaanxi Province, China, using stratified random sampling. Guided by Decision-Making Theory and technology-enhanced learning perspectives, online and printed questionnaires were distributed to respondents, and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS 29.0, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The findings indicate that AI-driven career planning tools significantly improve students’ career clarity, decision confidence, and decision-making efficiency. The results further suggest that AI-supported systems help students make more structured and effective career-related decisions. This study contributes to the growing literature on artificial intelligence in higher education by shifting the focus from technology adoption toward career decision-making outcomes. Future studies are recommended to examine additional psychological, ethical, and contextual variables influencing AI-supported career decision-making across different higher education environments and cultural settings.
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