Rules

Advertising claims for schools and universities

Education marketing is advertising, and in many countries the same rules apply as for any other product.

The UK

In the UK, advertising is covered by the CAP Code, which is enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Advertisers must be able to back up objective claims with evidence. The ASA has ruled against universities and schools over claims about rankings, student satisfaction and results.

Claims that need care

• "Best", "top" or "leading": an objective claim needs evidence, and the basis of comparison should be clear.
• Rankings: name the ranking, its year and what it measures.
• Exam results: say which year, which pupils and how the figure was calculated.
• Graduate jobs and salaries: state the source and the time period.

Elsewhere

Other countries have their own rules, and in many places consumer protection law applies to schools and universities. Check with your local regulator.

A simple test

Before publishing a claim, ask if you could show the evidence to a sceptical parent. If not, rewrite it.