Raising Your College's Profile

How to create the reputation you want

Reputations in higher education are notoriously difficult to change, and colleges face significant headwinds as a sector: Institutions across the country are dealing with the perception that higher education is not worth it, teaches useless things, and indoctrinates students in radical ideas. 

But across the country, at institutions of varying size and reach, college marketers and leaders are innovating in how they reach their audience. And national organizations and university systems are working to improve the public’s perception of higher education.

This issue brief examines how three colleges transformed their profiles: two universities that have raised their rankings significantly in the past few decades, and a community college that has developed a reputation as a destination in its region.

The issue brief will empower leaders to understand the tools they have to shape their college's narrative and to understand the broader landscape of higher education's sectorwide reputation.

In this issue brief, readers will:

• Explore how three colleges reimagined and invigorated their relationships with their audiences.
• Understand higher education’s reputational challenges, and learn about the national organizations that are trying to market the sector as a whole.
• Discover how key relationships with local employers and lawmakers can make the difference for regional institutions.
• Learn how experts suggest communicating about diversity work on campus effectively.

Date: May 2025
Pages: 44
Digital file size:  15.2 MB

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