Universities 'bend the facts' in student prospectuses

Universities are misleading students by exaggerating their achievements in undergraduate prospectuses, according to research, writes Graeme Paton for The Telegraph. Some institutions attempt to “bend the facts to breaking point” to appeal to applicants, one academic admitted.

The study, published in the International Journal for Educational Integrity, found an example of a university that boasted of having ‘excellent’ teaching – but not that the rating had been made 20 years ago. Another said that it had an academic department that was among the top 10 in the country – but failed to admit that only 14 such departments exist nationally.

Commenting on the study Paul Temple, reader in higher education management at the University of London’s Institute of Education, said that some of the mistakes highlighted “verge on the pedantic”, but added: “Universities do sometimes bend the facts to breaking point, and that should stop."
Full report on The Telegraph site