The commodification of higher education: Beyond the goal of a degree

Applying for college seems to be one of the most stressful times of a young adult’s life. Whether an individual is from China or the United States, academics seem to be an incredibly important factor in a young individual’s life. Students ranging from the wealthiest to the most economically disadvantaged families aspire to be accepted into the college of their dreams. In the United States, every year, organizations such as Princeton Review and US News, publishes rankings of the best colleges across the country. Companies such as the Princeton Review and US News began to utilize market segmentation where they were able to identify the mass group of students involved in education and specifically began to target students and families going into higher education where they were able to start promoting the “best” institutions. While these rankings were and still are meant to help students decide which college is best for them, some argue that these rankings highlight the hardest to get into and the most expensive institutions (Wong). Not only does this put pressure on applicants to receive an acceptance letter to the college of their dreams, but it also forces colleges to compete and outperform their counterparts, other institutions.

The ranking order has become more respected and prevalent to applicants and their parents to ensure they go to a reputable and prestigious institution. It is here where one can see the emergence of higher education becoming a commodity. Commodification explains the process of how a good, service, concept, or person that is not typically seen as valuable in the marketplace, is transformed into a commodity where it is used as a marketing technique and valued for its promotion (Vincent Mosco, The Political Economy of Communication, p. 12, Lecture 4a). Parents and applicants hold the belief that students must go to a prestigious or well-known institution in order to be successful. As seen in the college admissions scandal, education ultimately changed the way people perceive themselves, others, and their behaviors—and to a great extent, define success and failure. The parents’ successful careers and social connections in entertainment, finance, real estate, or design were not sufficient, from their point of view, to ensure their children’s success in the scandal. Just a college degree wouldn’t suffice. The parents in the scandal desired educational credentials from particular elite institutions to legitimize their children’s abilities and worthiness of success (Bodovski 43). Parents are willing to pay and go to any measure to have their children receive the right credentials in order to be successful and to have a worthy college experience. Parents in the college admission scandal highlighted the fact that higher education is an item that can be bought, and certain institutions hold more market value than others, when ultimately if one completes their classes successfully at ANY institution, they will receive their degree. Higher education is no longer seen as an opportunity, it is seen as a buyable experience and gateway into a successful future.

The price of higher education has dramatically increased over the past twenty years. According to data conducted by U.S News, in-state, out of state, and private colleges tuition have each increased (opens in new window) over 100% since 2002. This is a direct result of the high demand for the most popular schools in the country. Students become interested in the rankings and may believe that they belong in the most academically pristine institution. However, not all students just merely base their decision on which is the best school academically, decisions go beyond academics. Higher education institutions have begun to promote themselves beyond earning a degree. Recently, marketing has been seen predominantly online. Online and digital marketing have become increasingly apparent in general over the years due to the rise of media. Since the 1990’s many have noticed there has been a “virtual revolution” in youth marketing. The increase in online forms of media have contributed to this, especially TV and platforms such as YouTube. Because of this uptick in media presence and curiosity, companies have greatly increased their advertising budgets and marketing efforts (Wasko). One example of media promotion is colleges promoting themselves in TV commercials showcasing their “student life” and may even give our materialistic items (Wong).

The University of Alabama’s intense marketing efforts and advertising budgets are shown through their main message, “where legends are made”. This is a specific example of how higher education has become commodified beyond the use of solely academic appeal. The commodification of higher education is demonstrated in The University of Alabama: Where Legends Are Made (2021) commercial (opens in new window). The University of Alabama markets the ‘college experience’, something that has become increasingly important to applicants when searching for schools. Higher education was once seen as an opportunity to gain a formal degree and qualification, students now look at colleges for reasons beyond that. Students seek to gain the “total student experience” (Poon 89).

In the commercial, the slogan “where legends are made” is the main focal point. By portraying a series of students hard at work, the University demonstrates how legends are made at specifically the University of Alabama. Through the marketing technique of glorifying the University of Alabama’s ability to make its students legends, the institution is showcasing that their process that is offered at the University of Alabama can make you successful while also offering you a wholesome and exciting college experience. They are portraying the fact that applicants have the ability to be a part of a community that is full of other ‘legends' or those becoming one by investing in the University. It is also common that the word “legend” is used when referring to someone with a reputable status, especially in sports. Alabama hints when using the phrase “where legends are made” that they can give you a reputable and high status with their institution. They are commodifying the college experience through the jargon included in their main slogan because it is selling the experience of becoming a ‘legend’ and successful. They want the applicants watching to be intrigued with the fact that if they attend and pay to go to the University of Alabama, they can be a legend.

The use of the slogan “where legends are made” extends beyond commercials. The slogan is the institution’s main marketing technique. It is seen around their campus on lamp posts, on the header of their website, and used in hashtags on social media. The University of Alabama has an entire website page (opens in new window) explaining their “legend” process in both academics and on the field. The University’s extreme efforts to sell the college experience is portrayed through the reiteration of their slogan “where legends are made” on all platforms of media and marketing techniques. Through this, we see numerous budget and marketing efforts to truly reiterate that it is worth attending and investing in the college experience at the University of Alabama.

Going beyond the University’s main message, one can see product placement of the University of Alabama’s athletics in the 2021 “Where legends are made” commercial. Product Placement refers to the embedded marketing in which the promotion of a branded good or services is integrated into another media text. (Lecture Video 4 - Commodification of Youth Culture). The ad is supposedly marketing The University of Alabama experience but within this, there are hints of promotion specifically directed towards the successful sports teams. The ad consists of roughly twenty-three different scenes in a thirty second time span of students participating in different aspects of the University of Alabama. The activities range from showcasing athletes to students leisurely sitting around a campfire. What is apparent in this commercial is the advocacy and promotion for the University of Alabama’s sports teams. Out of the roughly twenty-three different shots portrayed in the commercial, nine of those shots showcase the institution’s athletes' hard work and successes. Specifically, they showcase the luxurious moments of winning a national championship in football and softball. It provides applicants the excitement of looking forward to attending sold out football games every Saturday with arguably the best college football team in the country. Athletics have become incredibly apparent and appealing to applicants for their college experience. Chad Mcevoy from Illinois State University examines in a study (opens in new window), the relationship between NCAA Division I-A intercollegiate athletics team performance and undergraduate admissions applications. The results found that there is a significant positive relationship between college football success and applications for undergraduate enrollment at NCAA Division I-A universities (Mcevoy). It is clear that a large majority of students in the U.S are drawn to an exciting sports atmosphere. The University of Alabama targets this positive relationship by showcasing and selling their student-athlete’s successes and the excitement of being a part of a national championship. They heavily utilize their success in sports as a selling point that students have the ability to purchase and be a part of.

Academic References

(note: that all non-academic sources are linked in-text)

• Bodovski K. Parenting, Social Class, and the College Admissions Scandal. Contexts. 2020;19(3):40-45. doi:10.1177/1536504220950400

• McEvoy, Chad. “THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DRAMATIC CHANGES IN TEAMPERFORMANCE AND UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS APPLICATIONS .” Psu.edu, http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.468.6296&rep=rep1&type=pdf. Accessed 6 Oct. 2021.

• Poon, Teresa Shuk‐ching P. “The Commodification of Higher Education: Implications for Academic Work and Employment.” International Journal of Employment Studies, 1 Apr. 2006, pp. 81–104., https://web-a-ebscohost-com.unh.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=508aafb8-7e03-4b17-9cb7-454cdc2905ac%40sessionmgr4007. Accessed 6 Oct. 2021.

• Wasko, Janet. “The Commodification of Youth Culture.” The International Handbook of Children, Media and Culture, pp. 460–474., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781848608436.n28.

• Wong, Alia. “What Happens When Colleges Are Treated like Commodities?” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 15 Dec. 2017, https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/03/the-commodification-of-higher-education/475947/.