Universities challenged on top 1% advert

Universities in the UK are being challenged over marketing claims to students that they are in the "top 1%" of the world's universities.

The University of Reading is going to have to take down such a claim after a complaint to the advertising watchdog.
University rankings are increasingly influential for recruitment, particularly for overseas students.
In the new World University Rankings, the top three are US universities - MIT, Stanford and Harvard.
Cambridge is the highest ranked UK university, with three other UK universities in the top 10 of this global league table.

Advertising to students

But the Advertising Standards Authority has been examining a complaint about how university rankings are used in marketing.
A description of the University of Reading as being in the top 1% worldwide had been challenged by a complainant, who said such a figure could not be substantiated and could be misleading.
The advertising watchdog says that this has been "informally resolved", with the university agreeing that it will remove the claim, without going ahead with a formal investigation or ruling.