Across the globe, business schools and universities are locked in fierce competition for the best and brightest students. From MBA programmes to executive education courses, institutions are not only tasked with delivering world-class education - they also need to consistently attract new waves of applicants who are informed, selective, and often overwhelmed by choice.
With digital advertising and social media marketing now the norm, business schools need a more nuanced, authentic powerful approach to stand out: PR. Utilising PR can help those business schools who are looking to enhance their reputation, expand international reach and, ultimately, grow their applicant pool.
Strategic PR is about more than securing headlines. It’s about shaping perception, telling compelling stories, and generating the kind of third-party credibility that today’s students trust. A well-executed PR strategy can build prestige, drive curiosity, and make your programmes feel aspirational and relevant - even before a prospect clicks “Apply”.
So, how exactly can PR fuel student application growth? Here are five key strategies that can make a measurable impact.
Jump to a strategy:
1. Craft and Share Powerful Student and Alumni Stories
2. Position Faculty as Thought Leaders in the Media
3. Leverage Rankings and Accreditations Wisely
4. Engage with Global and Local Media
5. Activate Trust through Media Mentions
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Craft and Share Powerful Student and Alumni Stories
Prospective students are looking for more than just rankings and curriculum — they want to envision their future. Storytelling through PR allows schools to spotlight the people behind the programmes: students who overcame challenges, alumni who now lead global companies, or career-switchers who found their purpose.
Tip: Pitch these stories to reputable media outlets, share them in op-eds, and repurpose them across your digital channels. Make sure they’re diverse, authentic, and aligned with your school’s mission - relatability is what builds emotional connection.
Example: This interview in Entrepreneur with an alumnus from Imperial College Business School all about how their programme helped them to launch a business.
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Position Faculty as Thought Leaders in the Media
Faculty are a school’s intellectual backbone, and positioning them as subject-matter experts elevates your institution’s academic authority. When professors are quoted in the Financial Times, featured on podcasts, or interviewed on broadcast media, it reinforces the idea that your school is shaping the conversations that matter.
Tip: Build a media-friendly faculty directory, prep your professors with media training, and proactively pitch their expertise to journalists covering trending topics in business, tech, economics, and beyond.
Example: This opinion piece in Newsweek from Gordon Sayre, a professor at emlyon business school, looking at his research into tipping culture.
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Leverage Rankings and Accreditations Wisely
PR can help you make the most of good news. Whether you’ve just entered a new global ranking or earned a coveted accreditation (like EQUIS, AMBA, or AACSB), media coverage can amplify that milestone and signal quality to potential students who are comparison shopping.
Tip: Go beyond a basic press release — develop a campaign around the story. Include student testimonials, quotes from leadership, and insights into what the ranking/accreditation actually means for the student experience.
Example: This quote from the Dean of Porto Business School, Jose Esteves, featured in a wider piece on rankings by Times Higher Education. This was pitched to the outlet ahead of time, knowing they would write a piece on the embargoed rankings release.
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Engage with Global and Local Media — Not Just Education Outlets
Potential students - especially international ones - aren’t just reading education media. By tapping into broader business, finance, lifestyle, and regional publications, you meet applicants where they are and bring your school into more dynamic conversations.
Tip: Tailor PR outreach based on programme focus. For instance, a sustainability-focused MBA could be pitched to environmental outlets, while a tech-centric business programme might land well with innovation or start-up media. The same can be done to international markets – utilise student success stories from those countries you’re targeting.
Example: This piece for India newspaper, Free Press Journal, highlighting an alumnus from Asia School of Business’ journey from India to Malaysia to study at business school.
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Activate Trust through Media Mentions
In an era of scepticism toward advertising, earned media is incredibly powerful. When potential applicants see your school featured in independent media — especially outlets they already trust — it lends authenticity and authority.
Tip: Highlight earned media strategically. Add “as seen in” sections to your website, feature press quotes in your marketing materials, and even include links in your admissions outreach emails. These small trust signals add up.
Example: ESMT Berlin’s newsroom section of their website is a good example of where you can showcase all your news stories you featured in.
The business of attracting students is no longer just about being the best — it’s about being known, respected, and relatable. Public relations, when done well, gives business schools the ability to tell their story on their own terms while leveraging the credibility of outside, authoritative voices. It bridges the gap between academic excellence and emotional resonance - between institutional prestige and human connection.
In short: PR doesn’t just increase visibility. It increases belief - belief that your school is the right choice. And in the world of student recruitment, belief is everything.
Author: Peter RemonPeter achieves prominence for clients across a breadth and depth of significant publications, from trade specific media like International Finance Magazine and QS TopMBA, to national and international goliaths such as Handelsblatt, Le Monde, US News and World Report, and the Financial Times. He also writes under his own name for key publications such as HRZone, Medium and Data Driven Investor.
