In 2023, ChatGPT emerged as a transformative force in education, igniting widespread interest across academia. This paper rigorously investigates ChatGPT's impact on higher education using a mixed-methods approach, comparing its (ChatGPT) performance with real students' work in undergraduate assignments. Key findings reveal ChatGPT consistently outperformed students, achieving the top mark in 8 of 10 classes, indicating its potential within higher education. Instructors accurately identified 50% of AI-generated assessments; however, with new AI tools from TurnItIn, this jumped to a detection rate of 92%. Ethical concerns arose, with 65% of surveyed undergraduates admitting ChatGPT use to complete academic work. This research significantly contributes to the discourse on educational technology, shedding light on the implications of AI integration in academia.