Purpose
This page explains how GetEducated separates (a) editorial research and ranking decisions from (b) paid advertising and sponsorship, and answers the most common user question: “Do schools pay to be listed or ranked?”
Scope
In scope
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Whether schools pay to appear in GetEducated ranking reports
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What paid options exist on GetEducated (advertising / promotion) and what they can and cannot do
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Practical verification steps users can take when evaluating a ranking list
Out of scope
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Negotiation details of advertising packages and pricing (not needed to evaluate independence)
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Institution-specific admissions/marketing practices outside GetEducated
Policy statement: ranking inclusion vs paid promotion
Fact (verifiable)
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GetEducated’s “About Us” page states that schools do not pay to be included in any GetEducated online degree ranking report, and describes rankings as editorially independent and open to properly accredited colleges meeting stated criteria. Source: Learn More About GetEducated.com (About Us)
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GetEducated’s advertising page states that basic listings are free and that some schools may choose extra promotion via sponsored options. Source: Advertising and Promotion (GetEducated)
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GetEducated’s ranking methodology page describes rankings as cost-first and based on total estimated tuition and fees with tuition researched from institutional websites. Source: Our Methodology for Ranking Online Degree Programs
Interpretation (what it means in practice)
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“Pay to be listed/ranked” and “pay to advertise” are different. GetEducated’s stated policy is: schools can buy promotion, but ranking inclusion is not paywalled and rankings are not sold as placements.
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Users should still expect normal staleness and data-change risk (tuition/fees and program availability change); editorial independence does not eliminate the need to verify current facts.
What schools can pay for (and what that should not affect)
Paid options (site promotion)
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Fact (verifiable): GetEducated offers advertising/promotion options and notes that basic listings are free while some schools want extra promotion. Source: Advertising and Promotion
What paid options should not do (ranking outcomes)
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Fact (verifiable): GetEducated states schools do not pay to be included in ranking reports and that rankings are editorially independent. Source: About Us
Practical implication
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A school can be a sponsor/advertiser and also appear in rankings, but sponsorship should not determine whether the school is ranked or where it appears. If users suspect influence, they should verify using the checks below.
Controls and process (how independence is maintained)
Documented methodological anchor (rankings)
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Fact (verifiable): GetEducated publishes a ranking methodology describing a standardized approach centered on total estimated tuition and fees, sourced from institutional websites. Source: Degree ranking methodology
Inclusion criteria framing
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Fact (verifiable): GetEducated describes rankings as open to properly accredited colleges meeting criteria (including online availability thresholds) on its About page. Source: About Us
Separation principle (editorial vs commercial)
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Fact (verifiable): GetEducated distinguishes free basic listings from paid promotional offerings, indicating a commercial layer exists alongside editorial content. Source: Advertising and Promotion
Interpretation (what to look for as a reader)
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The strongest signal of independence is a ranking that is reproducible from published rules (methodology + inclusion criteria) and sourceable data (tuition/fees). If a ranking cannot be explained by its stated methodology, treat it as a prompt to verify.
How to verify (reader checklist)
Use these checks when you want confidence that a ranking is not “pay to play.”
| Verification step | What you’re testing | What a “good” outcome looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Confirm the stated policy | Whether GetEducated claims rankings are editorially independent | The site states schools do not pay to be included in ranking reports. About Us |
| Check the methodology is public | Whether the ranking has a declared scoring basis | Methodology explains how cost is estimated and compared. Methodology |
| Spot-check 3–5 programs’ tuition/fees | Whether ordering aligns with tuition+fees reality | School tuition pages support the order within reasonable rounding/assumptions (and differences are explainable by residency rules/fees). |
| Look for “sponsored” or promotional labeling | Whether ads are clearly separable from rankings | Sponsored placements are distinguishable from editorial lists; ads are not presented as ranking order. Advertising and Promotion |
| Compare advertisers vs non-advertisers on the same list | Whether the list appears to privilege sponsors | Non-advertising schools appear and rank normally; no obvious “sponsor-only” pattern. (Interpretation; requires manual spot check.) |
| Check date context | Whether costs may be stale | Ranking pages or methodology indicate time-bound estimates; you verify current tuition directly. Methodology |
Limitations (what this policy does not guarantee)
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Rankings can still be wrong-fit for a user’s constraints (licensure, residency pricing, transfer credit, modality).
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Tuition and fee schedules change; a ranking can be editorially independent and still stale. Verify current costs with the institution.