Subject fit comes first
67% of students prioritise subject content when choosing a course, but students often struggle to judge it using current course information.
Course is king: How language shapes student choice
Students face more choice than ever – and course descriptions sit at the centre of how they compare options.
Drawing on results from over 1,100 applicants, the Course is king research explores how course information is interpreted, which words and phrases encourage next steps, and where meaning can become unclear.
For example, only 41% of respondents understood the word 'interdisciplinary', while 62% understood 'credits' and 68% understood 'industry-trusted tools'. The research also found that phrases such as 'professionally accredited' can sound appealing, while not always being clearly understood.
The research brings together three strands of insight:
- How students decide which courses are right for them, and what information they prioritise when comparing options.
- How well students understand common terms and phrases used in course descriptions.
- Which types of language increase appeal and intent - and which reduce trust or clarity.
The research tested real course language with prospective students to understand not just what they notice, but how they interpret it.
Clarity builds confidence
Clear, specific course descriptions are rated useful. Students respond best to clear detail, tangible examples and evidence they can trust.
Language changes perception
The same subject, written differently, shifted high quality from 36% to 79% and future intent from 27% to 59%.
Generic messaging weakens differentiation
Repeated, broad claims make courses feel interchangeable, reducing confidence at the point of comparison.
What can you take from this?
The research isn’t about simplifying complex subjects or content. It’s about recognising how students read and compare courses – quickly, comparatively, and with limited context.
Clear explanations, tangible examples, and differentiated detail help students move from interest to confidence. They make it easier for applicants to understand the value of a course, compare their options, and feel that higher education is a world they can see themselves in.
Explore the research
Access the latest Course is king outputs to dive deeper into the findings and recommendations.
Course is king: Understanding key terms
How well do students really understand the language used in course descriptions?
This report explores how common higher education terms are interpreted by applicants – including words and phrases such as 'interdisciplinary', 'credits', 'industry-trusted tools' and 'professionally accredited'. It highlights where meaning is clear, where it breaks down, and why understanding can’t be assumed.
Course is king: Language that lands
What makes one course description more appealing than another?
This report explores how different styles of course language affect student perception. Using real course descriptions, it shows how clarity and specificity influence appeal and confidence when students compare similar options.
It also highlights why broad claims and similar-sounding descriptions can make it harder for students to identify what makes one course different from another.
Course is king: What employability signals to students
Employability matters, but not every employability message carries the same weight.
This report explores how students understand employability, which course signals feel credible, and why externally validated and tangible examples carry more weight than broad claims when they are clearly explained.
From vague to valuable: What students really think about course descriptions and what to do about it
What do students really mean when they say ‘course content’ drives their decisions?
In this blog, Penny Eccles explores UCAS research, uncovering where course descriptions fall short and what HE marketers can do to improve them.
Course is King: How language shapes student choice
How do students interpret course information and which types of language help or hinder their understanding.
Watch back the webinar with Jo Richards, Senior Insights Lead at UCAS, and Penny Eccles, CEO & Founder at Marketing Partnership, as they dive deeper into our Course is King findings and discussed practical ways to strengthen your course content.
Methodology
- Content analysis of over 2,500 undergraduate business management courses (for 2026 entry).
- LinkedIn discussion with HE marketing professionals to uncover the terms we use as a sector where student understanding is unclear.
- Survey with 1,129 UK domiciled respondents from UCAS student panel (79% applicants, 5% potential applicants, 16% undergraduate students) 16 - 19 January 2026:
- Tested student understanding of key terms using direct questioning and asking students to explain those terms.
- Blind tested five real course descriptions in business management (text display, removed logos and university identifiers), measuring understanding, appeal, quality and intent.
- Asked students to click on the phrases and words that appealed and didn’t appeal, through heatmapping the course descriptions.
Interested in applying these insights to your own course content?
UCAS can help you understand how students interpret course language, what builds confidence, and where your content could work harder at key decision points
Get in touch with your UCAS Customer Success Manager or email us at educationservices@ucas.ac.uk to explore how this research can support your planning, course content review or student recruitment activity.