There is a significant disconnect between how academics and the public view the role and reputation of universities. When asked about the most important attributes of a top university, academics prioritized deep academic expertise while the public emphasized career outcomes like access to top jobs. Additionally, the public expects universities to demonstrate real-world impact beyond academic excellence in order to be highly reputable. Universities must communicate how they provide opportunities for students through career preparation, access, and societal impact if they want to improve their reputation with the public.

1. A Roadmap for Higher Education Leaders

2. Welcome
Walking across the campus of a great university on the first day of classes recently reminded me why higher education continues to
be one of our nation’s top exports. The mood was palpable – so many minds ready to get started, so little cynicism. People of the
world were walking across the quad.
Anyone that spends time on campuses – and pays attention to what good schools do well - witnesses perhaps one of best things this
nation has to offer: higher education.
Yet on the same week of my visit, national headlines spoke of equally palpable worries about higher education: student debt,
unemployment, lack of access, and questions of the “return on investment” of a college degree. The public is in a crisis of confidence
about higher education, with very real people voicing very real concerns.
There is a significant and growing disconnect in America – between those that spend their lives dedicated to higher education and
those that pay for and “consume” it.
Edelman launched a study to further understand this disconnect, and the results are surprising. The divide now extends to the very
assumptions about what higher education is for, and the gap in expectations is impacting university reputations in the public.
This study is meant to shed some light on that gap, and perhaps provide a roadmap for university leaders on new ways to bridge and
build to new paths of conversation about the role of higher education in society.
Julia Weede
Executive Vice President
Education Practice Lead
Edelman

3. Methodology
Timing
The online survey took place between October 19-22, 2015.
Objective
To understand how the U.S. public evaluates the reputations of higher education institutions, and how
these reputational drivers vary across socio-economic and generational groups.
The research investigates both the stated and the derived importance of a series of reputational attributes by first
asking for stated opinion, and then comparing that opinion against the attributes of a set of actual universities to
determine their derived importance. (Also see slide #21)
Audiences
• General Population -- a sample of 2,001 U.S. general public were interviewed and selected to be representative
against U.S. Census data by region, age (16-64), gender and ethnicity. A result of 50% is +/- 2.2% at 95%
confidence level.
• Informed Public – U.S. citizens aged 25-63, working and degree educated, on upper quartile income who engage
frequently with top-tier media and have an interest in public policy.
• Academics – a secondary sample of 100 academics from four-year higher education institutions. A result of 50%
is +/-9.8% at 95% confidence level.
3

4. THE GOOD NEWS:
It is less about what universities offer.
It is more about how they communicate
what they offer.
4
THE ISSUE:
The public and academics are
deeply disconnected on the role of
universities and therefore what
drives reputation. Overlooking the
public’s point of view puts
institutions at risk.

5. Key Insights
There is a
fraying belief
in the state of
higher
education in
the U.S.
There is a
disconnect
between
academics and
the public in
the role of
universities.
Academic
excellence is
not enough.
The public
expects more.
You must
demonstrate
real-world
impact, both
personal and
societal,
to change your
reputation.
Academics’
media
preferences
diverge greatly
from the public’s
and should not
be the sole
driver of
external
university PR
strategy.
1 2 3 4 5
5

6. INSIGHT: ONE
There is a fraying belief in the state of
U.S. higher education.
6

7. Right
direction
49%
Wrong
track
51%
Right
direction
41%Wrong
track
59%
Source: Edelman 2015 University Reputations and the Public
Q21: Do you feel that the higher education system in the US is heading in the right direction or off on the wrong track?
Percent who feel the higher education system in the U.S. is headed in the right direction vs. off on the wrong track:
THE STATE OF U.S. HIGHER EDUCATION:
6 in 10 outside of academia say higher education is on the wrong
track. Even 1 in 2 academics agree.
Academics
General
Population
7

8. We asked:
Which of the following statements
do you agree with most?
1) The traditional role of the
university is critical to society
2) Society demands the
traditional role of the university
needs to evolve
OR

9. 59%
39% 39% 39%
35%
40% 41%
Academics General
Population
Informed Public Generation Z
(16 - 24)
Generation Y
(25 - 39)
Generation X
(40 - 49)
Boomers
(50 - 64)
Percent who agree the traditional role of the university is critical to society (vs. wanting to see it evolve):
Source: Edelman 2015 University Reputations and the Public
Q26: Which of the following statements do you agree with most? 1) The traditional role of the university is critical to society; 2) Society demands the traditional role of the university needs to evolve
As opposed to nearly 6 in
10 academics who agree
THEY RESPONDED:
Only 4 in 10 public citizens say
the university’s traditional role is critical to society.
9
20-point
disconnect

10. 41%
61% 61% 61%
65%
60% 59%
Academics General
Population
Informed Public Generation Z
(16 - 24)
Generation Y
(25 - 39)
Generation X
(40 - 49)
Boomers
(50 - 64)
Percent who agree that society demands the traditional role of the university needs to evolve
(vs. the traditional role is critical):
20-point
disconnect
Source: Edelman 2015 University Reputations and the Public
Q26: Which of the following statements do you agree with most? 1) The traditional role of the university is critical to society; 2) Society demands the traditional role of the university needs to evolve
THEY RESPONDED:
Inversely, 6 in 10 say that the role of the university must evolve.
10

11. Much of higher education’s focus on reputation
is among peers and inside academia.
Overlooking the public’s point of view can
put your institution at risk. Enrollment, tuition
and tax-payer funding are at stake.
TAKEAWAY:

12. INSIGHT: TWO
There is a significant disconnect between
academics and the public in the role of
universities.
12

13. We asked:
Which of the following statements
do you agree with most?
1) It is more important that
universities focus on providing
a well-rounded education and
student experience
2) It is more important that
universities focus on providing
students with tools and
resources they need to succeed
in a specific career
OR

14. THEY RESPONDED:
Academics want to provide a well-rounded education…
Percent who feel it is more important that universities focus on providing a well-rounded education and student experience (e.g.
strong academics, moral/social development, exposure to new ideas, personalized attention):
Source: Edelman 2015 University Reputations and the Public
Q25: Which of the following statements do you agree with most? 1) It is more important that universities focus on providing a well-rounded education and student experience (e.g., strong academics, moral / social development,
exposure to new ideas, personalized attention 2) It is more important that universities focus on providing students with tools and resources they need to succeed in a specific career (e.g. career-specific classes, internships, career
services, networking opportunities)
71%
44%
47%
43% 45% 46% 44%
Academics General
Population
Informed Public Generation Z Generation Y Generation X Boomers
27-point
disconnect
14

15. THEY RESPONDED:
… while the public wants tools and resources for a successful career.
Percent who feel it is more important that universities focus on providing students with tools and resources they need to succeed in
a specific career (e.g. career-specific classes, internships, career services, networking opportunities):
Source: Edelman 2015 University Reputations and the Public
Q25: Which of the following statements do you agree with most? 1) It is more important that universities focus on providing a well-rounded education and student experience (e.g., strong academics, moral / social development,
exposure to new ideas, personalized attention 2) It is more important that universities focus on providing students with tools and resources they need to succeed in a specific career (e.g. career-specific classes, internships, career
services, networking opportunities)
29%
56% 53%
57%
55% 54% 56%
Academics General
Population
Informed Public Generation Z Generation Y Generation X Boomers
27-point
disconnect
15

16. WHEN ASKED ABOUT CRITICAL CHALLENGES FACING HIGHER EDUCATION:
Academics worry about quality—the public worries about jobs.
Source: Edelman 2015 University Reputations and the Public
Q29 Looking at the list below, which of the following do you feel are the most critical challenges facing universities in the US today, aside from costs? Please select up to 3 choices.
Support for
creative/analytical thinking
Faculty too focused on
research (vs. teaching)
Lack of graduate’s prep for
globalized world
Academics
High graduate
unemployment
Low income post-graduation
Inadequate career services
General Public
High graduate
unemployment
Inadequate career services
Low income post-graduation
Informed Public
16
TOP 3 CONCERNS BESIDE COST

17. 9%
55%
33%
29%
16%
19%
33%
6%
19%
10%
4%
17%
22%
17%
56%
41%
37%
21%
9%
16% 15%
7%
Teaching
Percent who selected one or more in each category as a top 3 critical challenge facing U.S. universities today:
(33)
Training Programmatic OfferingsAccess
+27 +25 +18
CRITICAL CHALLENGES FACING HIGHER EDUCATION:
Academics and the public disagree on what’s most important.
Neither worry most about programmatic offerings.
Too
competitive/
inaccessible
[Not enough]
creative/
analytical
thinking
Faculty too
focused on
research vs
teaching
Unemploy-
ment after
graduation
Low income
post-
graduation
Inadequate
career services
Lack of global
experience
Low variety of
programs
Too few STEM
programs
Low
graduation
rates
Lack of post-
graduation
networking
Academics General Population
Source: Edelman 2015 University Reputations and the Public
Q29. Looking at the list below, which of the following do you feel are the most critical challenges facing universities in the US today, aside from costs? 17
High importance
to academics
High importance
to the public

18. 55%
33%
29%
16%
19%
22%
17%
56%
41%
37%
[Not enough]
creative/
analytical
thinking
Faculty too
focused on
research vs
teaching
Unemployment
after graduation
Low income
post-
graduation
Inadequate
career services
Teaching
Source: Edelman 2015 University Reputations and the Public
Q29. Looking at the list below, which of the following do you feel are the most critical challenges facing universities in the US today, aside from costs?
(33)
Training
Academics know an excellent education
leads to preparation for the job market.
The two are intrinsically linked,
but this link is not obvious to the public.
THE GOOD NEWS:
It is less about what universities do.
It is more about how they communicate what they do.
Academics General Population
This truth is not self evident
18
High importance
to academics
High importance
to the public

19. Connect the career dots.. A great education has
always created career paths but the public doesn’t
currently believe the connection is real. This
disconnect is as much about communications as it is
about university offerings.
TAKEAWAY:

20. INSIGHT: THREE
20
In order to gain a top-notch university
reputation, academic excellence is not
enough: the public expects more.

21. We surveyed 24 attributes of university reputation, asking survey respondents which attributes they think are important
to be considered a top university. We grouped these attributes into 6 categories for analysis:
Teaching Training Impact Offering Prestige Access
• Quality faculty
• Deep
exploration/study
• Resources
• Research
• Recognition
• Job opportunities
• Success post-grad
• Access to mentors
• Student success
• Achieve personal
goals
• Real-world
approach
• Solve long-term
challenges
• Research works
in real world
• Top firms recruiting
• Alumni network
• Cultural activities
• Athletics
• Diversity
• High-caliber
students
• Ranking lists
• Financial support
METHODOLOGY:
What are the Attributes that Drive Reputation in Higher Education?
21

22. Academics:
Deep field expertise
General Population:
Top jobs
Source: Edelman 2015 University Reputations and the Public
Q31.Thinking about different qualities of a university, please indicate how important it would be for a university to deliver on each statement in order to be considered a top university.
STATED IMPORTANCE:
When asked the most important 3 attributes of a top university,
academics and the public disagreed on the most important one.
22
Provides students with access to top job
opportunities
Has faculty who provide personalized attention and are
invested in the success of their students
Provides sufficient financial support for
students making the university accessible to students
of all socioeconomic backgrounds
Encourages a deep exploration of a field of
study to develop expert theorists and practitioners
Provides sufficient financial support for
students making the university accessible to students
of all socioeconomic backgrounds
Has faculty who provide personalized attention and are
invested in the success of their students
1
2
3
1
2
3

23. STATED IMPORTANCE:
The public says that academic excellence matters—but they value access,
impact and training even more right now.
72%
62%
51%
60%
46%
31%
71%
68% 68%
63%
53%
50%
75% 74% 74%
69%
62%
56%
Access Impact Training Teaching Prestige Offering
Percent who agree it’s important for a university to deliver on each cluster of attributes to be considered a top university, in rank order by
General Population:
Source: Edelman 2015 University Reputations and the Public
Q31.Thinking about different qualities of a university, please indicate how important it would be for a university to deliver on each statement in order to be considered a top university.
+17 +23 +7 +16 +19 +25+6 +12
Academics General Population Informed Public
23
Academic excellence matters to the public,
but is not the top attribute on their list.
Financial support is the top
stated attribute for everyone.

24. It’s not just about you, it’s also about them.:
The public expects universities to be excellent at
what you do. They are looking to you to use that
excellence to provide opportunity beyond the
academic walls.
TAKEAWAY:

25. INSIGHT: FOUR
You must demonstrate real-world
impact, both personal and societal,
to change your reputation.
25

26. Source: Edelman 2015 University Reputations and the Public
Q38: Thinking about what you now know about <INSERT UNIVERSITY> and what you knew before, how well does each of the following statements describe <INSERT UNIVERSITY> If you are not familiar with <INSERT
UNIVERSITY, please use your best judgment. Please use a scale of 1 – 10, where 1 means “Does not describe at all” and 10 means “Describes completely.”
Reputation Drivers:
Comparing What They Say Vs. What They Think
26
1. We then asked respondents to select from a randomized list
of top universities and asked what attributes described that
university. From these results, we graphed the attributes
according to how strongly respondents believed each one
drives the reputation of the schools they consider top
universities.
2. This analysis provides insight on the drivers of top university
reputations.

27. StatedImportanceofAttributes
Not a Driver: These features
are not rated and do not have a strong
impact on reputation for top or
leading universities
Expected: Benefits that are
required for universities to be
considered leaders, but do not drive
reputation. The “must haves,” but not
“only haves”
Drivers: These attributes are compelling
AND they drive reputation. They should
be “headlined” from a communications
standpoint
Opportunities: These benefits sound
less compelling, but have a strong impact
on a university’s reputation. These are the
benefits that should be demonstrated vs.
headlined, and are often “hidden gems”
Source: Edelman 2015 University Reputations and the Public
Q38: Thinking about what you now know about <INSERT UNIVERSITY> and what you knew before, how well does each of the following statements describe <INSERT UNIVERSITY> If you are not familiar with <INSERT
UNIVERSITY, please use your best judgment. Please use a scale of 1 – 10, where 1 means “Does not describe at all” and 10 means “Describes completely.”
Derived Impact on University Reputation
Actual attributes of the top-rated universities (derived)
Attributespeoplesayare
important(stated)
Quadrants are set at the means for each axis: .034 on x, 62% on y axis
27
TOP DRIVERS OF UNIVERSITY REPUTATION:
How to Read the Stated vs. Derived Chart

28. Teaching
• Has high quality faculty and professors who are renowned in their field
• Provides resources and relationships that allow students and faculty to achieve breakthroughs in their research
and areas of study
Training
• Prepares students to be leaders post-graduation
• Provides students with access to top job opportunities
Impact on Real World
• Is future-focused and solves long-term challenges facing the world
• Focuses research and innovation on creating things that are actually introduced to the market and work in the real
world
• Promotes an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving that is relevant to how challenges are solved in the real
world
Prestige
• Enrolls a high caliber class of motivated and high performing students
Drivers
TOP DRIVERS OF UNIVERSITY REPUTATION:
Not Just Prestige and Academic Excellence:
5 of 8 Top Drivers are Training and Impact
28
These attributes fell in the top right-hand quadrant and are considered to be the drivers of university reputation.

29. TOP DRIVERS OF UNIVERSITY REPUTATION:
Teaching attributes — those most valued by academics —
fall along the midline for the public.
Teaching
• Has high quality faculty and professors who are renowned in their field
• Provides the resources faculty and students need to make advancements and breakthroughs in their
field, including grants, funds
and equipment
• Encourages a deep exploration of a field of study to develop students and faculty that are expert
theorist and practitioners
• Allows students and faculty to customize their academic experience, including working across
disciplines, to meet their individual goals
• Provides resources and relationships that allow students and faculty to achieve breakthroughs in
their research and areas of study
• Provides a global platform for faculty and researchers to gain recognition for their work
• Offers opportunities to collaborate and work on projects with businesses and companies located
near the University

30. TOP DRIVERS OF UNIVERSITY REPUTATION:
Real-world impact & training dominate the top quadrants
for reputation drivers in the public.
Training
• Provides students with access to top job opportunities
• Prepares students to be leaders post-graduation
• Supports entrepreneurial initiatives of students and faculty by providing funding and access to
mentors, venture capitalists and industry leaders
Impact on Real World
• Has faculty who provide personalized attention and are invested in the success of their students
• Promotes a balanced teaching approach of academic scholarship and practical innovation in order to solve real world
challenges
• Instills students with the courage and confidence to achieve their personal goals
• Promotes an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving that is relevant to how challenges are solved in the real
world
• Is future-focused and solves long-term challenges facing the world
• Focuses research and innovation on creating things that are actually introduced to the market and work in the real world

31. Balanced teaching
approach
Interdisciplinary real-
world approach
Research/innovations introduced in the real…
Faculty provide personalized
attention/invested in success of students
Instills students with
courage/confidence to
achieve personal goals
Not a Driver Opportunities
DriversExpected
Source: Edelman 2015 University Reputations and the Public
Q38: Thinking about what you now know about <INSERT UNIVERSITY> and what you knew before, how well does each of the following statements describe <INSERT UNIVERSITY> If you are not familiar with <INSERT
UNIVERSITY, please use your best judgment. Please use a scale of 1 – 10, where 1 means “Does not describe at all” and 10 means “Describes completely.”
Faculty provide personalized
attention/invested in success of
students
Instills students
with courage /
confidence to
achieve personal
goals
Balanced teaching
approach
Future-focused/solves long-term
challenges
Research/innovations introduced in
the real world
TOP DRIVERS OF UNIVERSITY REPUTATION:
Real-world impact must have both personal & societal benefits.
Personal impact is
required/table stakes
31
Interdisciplinary real-
world approach
Impact
Diverse range of students
Societal impact is a
key reputation driver

32. It is critical to connect academic excellence to
real-world impact—both personal and societal.
This means finding ways to “live” your brand in
authentic and credible ways with external
audiences.
TAKEAWAY:

33. INSIGHT: FIVE
Academics’ media preferences diverge
greatly from the public’s and should not
be the sole driver of external university
PR strategy.
33

34. MEDIA PREFERENCES:
The public listens to universities. They also rely on many sources
for information about higher education.
Percent who use the following sources of information when researching or reading about higher education,
ranked in order of importance for the General Population:
Source: Edelman 2015 University Reputations and the Public
Q41. When researching or reading about higher education, which of the following sources of information would you use?
Direct Engagement External Engagement
34
56%
43%
62%
35%
42%
10%
28%
60%
10%
26%
21%
13%
48% 47%
53%
46%
35%
27% 26% 25%
23%
21% 20%
5%
52%
46%
55%
47%
44%
28% 25%
32%
27%
29%
36%
9%
Visiting the
campus
University
brochures
Online
search
Friends and
family
Online news Social
networks
A teacher A colleague TV Newspapers Magazines Official
rankings
sites
Academics General Population Informed Public
Academics go to their
peers for information.

35. 52 52
54
50
36 37
39
22
26
20
14
44 44
52
47
38
33
23
26
23
21 21
46 45
56
45
33
21 22 22
20
17
21
51
46
53
43
33
18
22
26
23
25 24
Visiting the
campus
University
brochures
Online
Search
Friends and
family
Online news Social
Networks
A teacher A colleague TV Newspapers Magazines
Source: Edelman 2015 University Reputations and the Public
Q41. When researching or reading about higher education, which of the following sources of information would you use?
MEDIA PREFERENCES:
Social networks are becoming important sources for higher
education information, especially for younger audiences.
Percent who will use the following sources of information when researching or reading about higher education:
Percent %
Generation Z Generation Y Generation X BoomersDirect Engagement External Engagement
35

36. MEDIA PREFERENCES:
The public may listen to universities, but they collect their
news and information from different sources than academics.
Percent who regularly use the following media sources for news and information:
78%
73% 72%
69%
51% 49%
24% 22%
17%
11% 10%
6%
1%
55%
74%
43%
52%
42%
26%
11%
49%
24%
14%
10%
5% 3%
Online news TV Newspapers Search
Engines
Radio or
Radio News
Magazines Government
websites
Social
Networks
Content
Sharing Sites
Blogs Corporate
Comms
Corporate or
Product
Advertising
None of the
above
Academics General Population
Source: Edelman 2015 University Reputations and the Public
Q40. Which of the following media sources do you use regularly for news and information?
The public can more likely be found
on social networks, content sharing
sites, and blogs for their news and
information.

37. MEDIA PREFERENCES:
External audiences—especially younger audiences—are using
social networks far more than academics are.
Percent who regularly use social networks for news and information:
22%
49%
53%
62% 60%
39%
34%
Academics General
Population
Informed Public Generation Z
(16 - 24)
Generation Y
(25 - 39)
Generation X
(40 - 49)
Boomers
(50 - 64)
40-point
disconnect
from
academics
Source: Edelman 2015 University Reputations and the Public
Q40. Which of the following media sources do you use regularly for news and information?
+38+27 +31 +17 +17
37

38. MEDIA PREFERENCES:
External audiences use a variety of social networks—many of
which academics do not use.
67%
29%
10% 13%
53%
17%
2%
18%
78%
36% 34% 32% 29% 27%
11% 10%
79%
44%
36%
25%
53%
32%
22%
8%
Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest LinkedIn Google+ WhatsApp None
Percent who participate in the following online social networks, ranked in order of importance for the General Population:
Academics General Population Informed Public
Source: Edelman 2015 University Reputations and the Public
Q39. Which of the following online social networks do you participate in?
+7
38
Almost 1 in 5 academics are
not using any social networks

39. The places where the public discusses higher
education are online, diverse and changing rapidly.
You need to be where they are to inform their
opinion about your reputation..
TAKEAWAY:

40. ACTION ITEMS
A new roadmap for building
reputation in higher education
40

41. The New Roadmap for Building and Managing
Reputations in Higher Education
1. Much of higher education’s focus on reputation is among peers and inside academia. Overlooking the public’s
point of view can put your institution at risk. Enrollment, tuition and tax-payer funding are all at stake.
2. Connect the career dots. A great education has always created career paths but the public doesn’t currently
believe the connection is real. This disconnect is as much about communications as offerings.
3. It’s not just about you, it’s also about them. The public expects universities to be excellent at what they do.
They are looking to you to use that excellence to provide opportunity beyond the academic walls.
4. It is critical to connect academic excellence to real-world impact—both personal and societal. This means
finding ways to “live” your brand in authentic and credible ways with external audiences.
5. The places where the public is discussing higher education are online, diverse and changing rapidly. You need
to be where they are to inform their opinion about your reputation.
1
2
3
4
5
41

42. For more information, please contact:
Julia Weede
Executive Vice President, Edelman
Education Sector Lead
julia.weede@edelman.com
(317) 664-5360
42
Contact

43. THANK YOU