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UK Education & Training Universities - PPC Market Share Analysis April 2025

Leveraging Adthena’s Whole Market View, this analysis explores recent trends in Google Ads for the UK Universities category from the last month. Our Data Analyst, Ask Arlo provides commentary on key findings.

Market Exposure

Share of Clicks for top 10 UK Education & Training Universities brands

Here are the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Clicks for the last month.

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Share of Clicks - Last month
Domain Share of clicks
ucl.ac.uk 18.3
open.ac.uk 12.92
arden.ac.uk 5.94
uea.ac.uk 4.55
law.ac.uk 3.59
qmul.ac.uk 3.08
getsmarter.com 2.85
insead.edu 2.74
gre.ac.uk 2.65
ntu.ac.uk 2.46
others 40.92

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UCL leads with 18.3% click share, followed by Open University at 12.92%. Others dominate with 40.92%, highlighting diverse competition.

Market Exposure

Share of Spend for the top 10 UK Education & Training Universities brands

Curious about your market position? Here you can see the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Spend for the last month. 

See more data
Share of Spend - Last Month
Date open.ac.uk law.ac.uk arden.ac.uk aston.ac.uk learndirect.com gre.ac.uk icslearn.co.uk qmul.ac.uk ucl.ac.uk getsmarter.com
2025/04/01 26.41% 3.73% 7.41% 1.2% 3.01% 2.57% 1.71% 1.46% 1.1% 4.55%
2025/04/02 22.93% 2.26% 5.47% 0.77% 2.65% 2.25% 1.5% 1.31% 13.98% 2.13%
2025/04/03 15.63% 2.58% 4.57% 1.07% 1.77% 1.95% 2.07% 1.02% 30.31% 4.49%
2025/04/04 19% 8.47% 4.92% 1.96% 3.28% 2.35% 3.57% 1.08% 0.07% 6.09%
2025/04/05 22.67% 4.87% 4.67% 1.23% 2.56% 1.32% 3.16% 1.23% 13.18% 5.94%
2025/04/06 15.62% 5.12% 3.46% 1.48% 2.06% 1.36% 2.36% 3.53% 21.95% 3.4%
2025/04/07 17.54% 5.73% 4.27% 1.86% 1.39% 3.27% 3.06% 1.83% 0% 8.56%
2025/04/08 13.73% 4.25% 4.07% 1.9% 2.77% 3.63% 2.19% 4.32% 14.27% 2.12%
2025/04/09 18.7% 3.08% 3.94% 1.31% 2% 2.17% 1.8% 2.07% 15.97% 5.71%
2025/04/10 13.51% 6.74% 3.17% 1.84% 2.77% 2.69% 3.02% 3.5% 16.31% 5.96%
2025/04/11 8.65% 3.76% 2.95% 3.04% 2.91% 2.6% 2.12% 3.94% 32.1% 3.94%
2025/04/12 12.64% 7.23% 6.19% 1.95% 1.78% 3.49% 2.46% 2.56% 6.74% 7.89%
2025/04/13 24.93% 3.73% 7.42% 1.49% 1.65% 2.71% 2.36% 4.45% 1.49% 5.59%
2025/04/14 18.85% 8.04% 8.03% 1.58% 1.02% 4.33% 2.46% 2.1% 0.68% 5.76%
2025/04/15 13.87% 8.2% 9.09% 2.74% 3.23% 1.62% 1.49% 1.34% 3.95% 1.88%
2025/04/16 19.52% 5.94% 7.97% 1.29% 2.4% 2.36% 1.88% 1.88% 15.08% 3.68%
2025/04/17 28.68% 3.82% 7.97% 1.51% 3.26% 1.98% 2.28% 4.55% 0.49% 1.73%
2025/04/18 29.87% 3.55% 11.64% 1.21% 3.27% 2.24% 1.2% 2.37% 0.64% 4.3%
2025/04/19 15.81% 3.01% 6.98% 1.04% 0.4% 6.37% 2.32% 2.23% 1.37% 3.63%
2025/04/20 16.93% 5.13% 6.43% 1.68% 0.09% 7.54% 1.54% 2.61% 1.46% 3.29%
2025/04/21 22.8% 1.68% 8.61% 1.3% 1.73% 4.09% 1.54% 3.32% 0.97% 2.83%
2025/04/22 11.27% 4.94% 10.34% 1.86% 2.07% 3.92% 2.62% 1.81% 13.92% 1.71%
2025/04/23 19.42% 2.84% 7.42% 1.57% 2.97% 4.24% 2.56% 3.77% 1.32% 10.48%
2025/04/24 17.69% 4.52% 4.44% 1.68% 2% 4.08% 2.41% 1.5% 10.77% 2.58%
2025/04/25 10.77% 6.44% 8.02% 4.7% 2.77% 2.7% 1.38% 1.2% 11.65% 3.43%
2025/04/26 10.81% 8.58% 8.07% 6.06% 1.12% 4.54% 2.36% 2.73% 0.23% 2.71%
2025/04/27 0.62% 6.85% 5.75% 4.21% 1.16% 4.73% 1.89% 2.66% 0.58% 10.03%
2025/04/28 14.64% 3.25% 6.87% 1.23% 1.54% 4.33% 1.56% 2.62% 8.99% 4.69%
2025/04/29 20.07% 5.28% 12% 5.42% 1.34% 3.87% 1.41% 0.89% 0.43% 4.87%
2025/04/30 19.69% 9.24% 9.22% 3.47% 2.72% 1.78% 1.57% 1.01% 0.39% 0.05%

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

April saw dynamic shifts in PPC spend share. Open.ac.uk led with fluctuating dominance, peaking mid-month. Ucl.ac.uk experienced erratic highs and lows, while arden.ac.uk steadily climbed. The month concluded with open.ac.uk maintaining a strong lead.

Market Exposure

Competitor Count for UK Education & Training Universities

Ever wondered how many competitors you’re up against in your industry? Well look no further, here we can see the number of advertisers bidding over the last month. 

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Competitor Count - Last month
Date Competitor Count
2025/04/01 128
2025/04/02 140
2025/04/03 142
2025/04/04 148
2025/04/05 139
2025/04/06 140
2025/04/07 140
2025/04/08 147
2025/04/09 155
2025/04/10 144
2025/04/11 139
2025/04/12 139
2025/04/13 140
2025/04/14 135
2025/04/15 138
2025/04/16 134
2025/04/17 158
2025/04/18 139
2025/04/19 141
2025/04/20 135
2025/04/21 149
2025/04/22 156
2025/04/23 147
2025/04/24 141
2025/04/25 149
2025/04/26 144
2025/04/27 139
2025/04/28 143
2025/04/29 135
2025/04/30 143

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

April saw a dynamic shift in distinct advertisers, starting at 128 and peaking at 158 mid-month. The month concluded with a stable 143, reflecting a competitive landscape.

Campaign Efficiency

Market Loss & Market Gains for UK Education & Training Universities

Here we’re looking at the Top 10 biggest industry movers by market share gains and losses for the last 30 days.

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Market Loss & Market Gains - Last month
Name Market Trend
arden.ac.uk 3.49%
open.ac.uk 2.83%
cardiffmet.ac.uk 1.98%
bcu.ac.uk 1.69%
gre.ac.uk 1.31%
keele.ac.uk -0.36%
sussex.ac.uk -0.76%
qmul.ac.uk -1.6%
uea.ac.uk -2.28%
ucl.ac.uk -21.47%

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

Arden.ac.uk surged with a 3.49% click share increase, while ucl.ac.uk plummeted by 21.47%. Open.ac.uk and cardiffmet.ac.uk also saw gains, contrasting with declines for uea.ac.uk and qmul.ac.uk.

Campaign Efficiency

UK Education & Training Universities Share of Impressions

Take a look at the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Impressions over the last month.

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Date open.ac.uk arden.ac.uk law.ac.uk globalbanking.ac.uk aston.ac.uk learndirect.com gre.ac.uk qmul.ac.uk ucl.ac.uk getsmarter.com
2025/04/01 19.37% 9.67% 2.56% 7.68% 0.98% 2.61% 2.14% 0.7% 0.76% 7.1%
2025/04/02 17.48% 7.86% 2.38% 1.03% 0.69% 2.46% 2.07% 0.93% 7.69% 3.45%
2025/04/03 14.75% 6.74% 3.14% 1.06% 1% 1.8% 2.1% 0.64% 18.32% 8.04%
2025/04/04 12.47% 5.63% 7.83% 1.28% 1.79% 2.57% 2.4% 0.59% 0.05% 9.85%
2025/04/05 18.47% 5.2% 4.4% 3.68% 1.11% 2.21% 1.48% 0.88% 7.83% 10.58%
2025/04/06 12.14% 4.58% 8.02% 0.32% 1.56% 2.27% 1.41% 3.36% 14.3% 6.52%
2025/04/07 12.02% 5.39% 5.34% 1.14% 1.67% 1.18% 4.35% 1.81% 0% 14.78%
2025/04/08 10.08% 4.84% 3.7% 4.03% 1.92% 2.7% 2.69% 3.58% 8.31% 3.63%
2025/04/09 13.85% 6.01% 2.63% 3.08% 1.35% 1.91% 2.13% 1.97% 8.69% 9.18%
2025/04/10 10.76% 3.58% 8.7% 0.8% 1.85% 2.24% 2.6% 2.85% 9.9% 10.83%
2025/04/11 8.3% 3.61% 3.42% 1.63% 3.6% 3.02% 3.09% 3.37% 20.61% 7.5%
2025/04/12 9.74% 5.69% 6.32% 2.16% 1.6% 1.41% 3.31% 2.35% 11.75% 12.03%
2025/04/13 17.08% 9.77% 3.21% 0.62% 1.27% 1.8% 2.67% 3.27% 0.94% 9.58%
2025/04/14 17.57% 9.66% 5.1% 1.06% 1.47% 0.71% 4.14% 2.13% 0.42% 9.81%
2025/04/15 10.32% 10.42% 8.83% 4.44% 2.57% 2.75% 1.48% 0.94% 8.72% 3.14%
2025/04/16 16.08% 10.16% 6.49% 4.52% 1.19% 2.54% 2.43% 1.71% 9.55% 6.89%
2025/04/17 19.8% 9.08% 3.1% 5.97% 1.93% 2.9% 1.58% 3.23% 0.35% 2.77%
2025/04/18 21.81% 11.21% 2.83% 6.84% 1.15% 2.81% 1.88% 1.79% 0.6% 6.24%
2025/04/19 12.8% 8.55% 2.76% 6.97% 1.05% 0.34% 5.7% 1.87% 0.87% 6.08%
2025/04/20 13.34% 7.9% 4.11% 3.2% 1.55% 0.07% 9.55% 1.72% 0.85% 6.59%
2025/04/21 17.83% 11.59% 1.88% 7.3% 1.17% 1.62% 3.88% 2.52% 0.65% 4.65%
2025/04/22 9.54% 14.78% 3.88% 0.33% 1.88% 1.99% 3.09% 1.41% 7.93% 2.81%
2025/04/23 16.99% 9.2% 2.17% 0.14% 1.33% 2.74% 3.31% 2.41% 0.9% 12.55%
2025/04/24 14.2% 5.73% 4.56% 3.01% 1.63% 2.28% 3.9% 1.37% 6.68% 4.77%
2025/04/25 13.04% 10.4% 6.64% 0.45% 4.68% 3.06% 2.68% 0.93% 7.18% 4.83%
2025/04/26 11.21% 10.87% 8.72% 0.68% 5.66% 1.24% 4.13% 1.49% 0.12% 3.65%
2025/04/27 0.51% 7.7% 7.54% 0.28% 4.26% 1.29% 4.63% 2.05% 0.47% 12.31%
2025/04/28 11.66% 8.33% 3.42% 0.21% 1.1% 1.68% 3.95% 1.34% 5.52% 7.21%
2025/04/29 18.42% 14.95% 5.78% 0.47% 4.86% 0.86% 3.31% 0.76% 0.25% 7.42%
2025/04/30 17.07% 11.45% 9.67% 5% 3.14% 2.85% 1.56% 0.87% 0.49% 0.04%

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April’s PPC landscape saw open.ac.uk’s impression share fluctuate, peaking mid-month. Arden.ac.uk showed steady growth, while law.ac.uk and globalbanking.ac.uk had sporadic spikes. UCL’s share was inconsistent, ending low. Overall, open.ac.uk led, with dynamic shifts across competitors.

Campaign Efficiency

Google Text Ad Copy Insights & Creative Trends for UK Education & Training Universities

Ever wondered how your rivals’ ads are doing? Here we can see the top-performing ads in the industry over the last month.

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  1. 1
    London School of Economics https://www.getsmarter.com

    LSE Courses — Enjoy a Personalized Online Learning Experience Created to Support You at Every Step. Validate...

  2. 2
    Study Business Psychology - BSc Degree in Psychology https://www.globalbanking.ac.uk

    Study BSC (Hons) Applied Business Psychology with Foundation Year awarded by Bath Spa Uni.

  3. 3
    Accounting & Finance Courses https://www.law.ac.uk › study › 2025

    The University of Law — Open More Doors With Our Wide Range Of Career-Focused Courses. Enquire Today To Learn More.

  4. 4
    No Entry Requirements https://www.open.ac.uk › psychology › courses

    Study At Your Own Pace — Transform Your Future With A Psychology Degree From Europe's Largest University Provider. Your Dream Psychology Career Starts Here. Open Up...

  5. 5
    Sandwell College - Apply Now for September 2025 https://www.sandwell.ac.uk

    Enjoy free travel, amazing support & a career-focused education. Apply now for Sept 2025.

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In the competitive landscape of online education, top-performing PPC ads reveal compelling narratives. GetSmarter.com highlights personalized learning with LSE, while GlobalBanking.ac.uk offers a unique BSc in Business Psychology. Law.ac.uk emphasizes career-focused courses, Open.ac.uk promotes flexible learning, and Sandwell.ac.uk entices with free travel and support.

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