The reputation of higher education institutions in Finland is strong – but there are differences in the impact of reputation between universities and universities of applied sciences

The reputation of higher education institutions in Finland is strong. However, there are differences between universities and universities of applied sciences not only in the structure of their reputations but also in how those reputations should be managed. This is revealed Reputation&Trust of higher education institutions conducted by T-Media, which for the first time also asked the general public for their views on universities of applied sciences.

Reputation&Trust 2020 Reputation&Trust of Higher Education Institutions shows that, on average, universities have a slightly higher reputation than universities of applied sciences. When viewed broadly, more distinct differences can be found in the structure of the reputations of universities and universities of applied sciences.

Universities are seen as acting more responsibly toward the environment and society than vocational schools. In addition, respondents consider university services, such as research and education, to offer better value for money.

Universities of applied sciences, on the other hand, are considered to be more innovative, more progressive, and more adaptable in their operations, as well as better employers.

Universities and universities of applied sciences also differ in how their reputation influences the support they receive from stakeholders. In the case of universities, the ability to innovate and consideration of environmental and social responsibility correlate strongly with the support shown by the general public. At universities of applied sciences, on the other hand, listening to and understanding stakeholders, as well as capable, clear-cut leadership, have a greater impact.

According to the research findings, what universities and universities of applied sciences have in common is that they consider the relationship between the education provided and the funds allocated to it to be crucial to their ability to operate.

The reputation of universities has improved since last year

The reputation of universities among the general public has improved since last year. This is reflected both in generally more positive attitudes toward the university system and in the reputation scores of individual universities.

The reputation score for universities this year is 3.62, compared to 3.50 in 2019. The largest improvement in reputation points for any single university was as much as 0.24 points.

“It is gratifying to see how significantly the universities’ reputations have improved. Eight out of the nine universities surveyed have enhanced their reputations over the past year. It’s also great that this progress has been steady across all dimensions of reputation, and that the universities’ reputations aren’t hanging by a single thread,” says Hanna-Mari Aula, Senior Analyst at T-Media.

“Since reputation is people’s interpretation of an organization within a specific framework, two factors can influence its development. An improvement in reputation naturally indicates that the organization has been doing the right things. In addition, changes in the operating environment are reflected in people’s perceptions. This year’s results may show how the COVID-19 crisis has affected the value system through which Finns view universities.”

LUT University is the most reputable

The institutions that saw the biggest boost in their reputation since last year were the University of Helsinki, the University of Eastern Finland, and LUT University, which now had the best reputation among the organizations surveyed.

Liisa Kuvaja, Director of Branding and Communications at LUT University, notes that in order to build its reputation, an organization must set goals for itself and define intermediate objectives.

“It’s hard to clear a bar if there isn’t one. We also need to measure whether our goals are being met. Without research data, we wouldn’t know what our reputation is or whether we actually have stakeholder support,” says Kuvaja.

“We now have a clear understanding of where we are and where we’re headed. Reinforcing this understanding is what it’s all about. While we can’t directly influence the building of our reputation, we can, through our own work, influence the factors that underpin it. In this work, knowledge is key,” says Kuvaja.

Data for the Reputation&Trust Survey of Higher Education Institutions was collected via an online questionnaire between March 26 and April 16, 2020.

Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences were evaluated using T-Media’s Reputation&Trust, in which the reputation score (on a scale of 1–5) awarded to an institution is calculated as the average of eight different categories: corporate governance, finance, leadership, innovation, interaction, products & services, workplace, and responsibility.

A total of 2,917 Finns participated in the study.

The study’s target group consisted of Finns aged 15–65 nationwide (excluding the Åland Islands). The sample was weighted to be representative of the population by gender, age, and region of residence.