‘Best-Kept Secret’ is Higher Ed’s Favorite Excuse

Higher ed folks love the phrase: we are a best-kept secret. It’s almost a rite of passage: get your .edu email, learn how to navigate Banner, and start referring to your institution as “one of the best-kept secrets in higher education.”

But let’s not pretend this is some mystery. Universities don’t end up being “best-kept secrets” by accident. It usually means one (or more) of the following has been happening for a while:

1. They Haven’t Invested in Marketing

Marketing often sits in higher ed budgets somewhere between “luxury” and “afterthought.” And when belts tighten, it’s one of the first things cut, right after the second issue of the alumni magazine and before the ice sculpture at graduation. But without meaningful investment (and no, one person with Canva Pro does not count), even the best programs in the world can fade into obscurity.

2. They Invested in the Wrong Things

A few signs in the airport and a billboard on I-85 do not a strategy make. Plenty of institutions have spent money, but without clarity, consistency, or connection to actual institutional goals. Branding without buy-in. Campaigns without KPIs. It’s like throwing glitter in the air and hoping it lands in the shape of your logo.

3. They Confuse Internal Pride with External Awareness

Faculty and staff love their campuses, and that’s great. But loving your institution doesn’t mean the outside world knows or cares. Insularity can breed overconfidence. Just because the engineering program is “a hidden gem” doesn’t mean Google knows it exists. Pride is not a substitute for storytelling.

4. They Underestimate the Power of Brand

Many institutions still think “brand” is just a logo and a color palette, and they treat it like a style guide instead of a strategy. But brand is your reputation in motion. It’s the cumulative impact of every message, every touchpoint, every lived experience. If that experience is confusing, inconsistent or forgettable… well, that’s how secrets are kept.

Calling yourself a “best-kept secret” might sound humble and endearing, but it’s just a polite way of saying “we haven’t prioritized marketing and we hope no one notices.”

But secrets can be revealed. It starts with leadership that values marketing as a driver of strategy (not just a service desk), a team with the tools and talent to tell compelling stories, and the courage to invest in your institution’s future visibility.

Check out the latest episode of Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO where I tackle this topic with Anne Peters, CMO at the University of Texas - San Antonio.