AtlasEducation & Community
Sector overview

Education & Community

7 industries · 54 businesses scored · Rank 5 of 11

64.5
Composite avg
+0.8
vs national avg (63.7)
#5
of 11 sectors
Low
Dataset confidence · ±19.7 pts
Low confidence· 54 businesses

Education and Community ranks second nationally at 65.2, driven almost entirely by Brand and Positioning at 68.9, the highest BP score of any sector. This makes sense. Universities, schools, charities and government bodies have had decades to build brand equity. The challenge is that brand strength is masking operational gaps elsewhere.

Acquisition Performance at 62.3 is below the national average, which points to a structural problem across the sector: these organisations are good at being known but not always good at converting that awareness into action. Not-for-profits and government bodies in particular rely on organic reach and referrals rather than paid acquisition infrastructure.

The standout vertical is Funeral Services and Memorial at 70.4, the highest composite in the sector. It scores well because the businesses in this space have been forced to modernise. Families expect online arrangements, transparent pricing and digital pre-planning. The sector's bottom, Private Education and Training (RTOs) at 60.7, reflects an industry still selling courses the way it did in 2015.

Key insight

Brand and Positioning at 68.9 is the highest of any sector, yet Acquisition Performance trails the national average. Education and Community organisations are well known but underinvesting in the systems that turn awareness into enrolments, donations and engagement.

Score profile
DMAPCERLBPDT
Education & Community

Dimension breakdown

Low confidence±19.7 pts
DM
65.9
Digital Maturity-0.1 vs national
AP
61.5
Acquisition Performance-1.4 vs national
CE
62.6
Conversion Efficiency-0.6 vs national
RL
64.7
Retention & Loyalty+2.3 vs national
BP
67.7
Brand & Positioning+3.6 vs national
DT
58
Data & Tracking+0.3 vs national

Education & Community leads on Brand & Positioning (67.7, +3.6 vs national) and has the most room to move in Acquisition Performance (61.5, -1.4 vs national).

Industries in Education & Community

Dimension breakdown by industry

Each row is one industry. Each bar shows its score on that dimension. The dashed line marks the sector average.

Strong (70+)Average (50–69)Weak (<50)Sector avg

Does bigger mean better?

Average score by industry and company scale

Enterprise
67.82 businesses
Large
67.122 businesses
Medium
6319 businesses
Small Business
52.511 businesses
IndustryEnterpriseLargeMediumSmall Business
Funeral Services & Memorial
Government & Public Sector Marketing
76.5
4 businesses
69.3
3 businesses
49.8
4 businesses
EdTech & Online Learning Platforms
Not-for-Profit & Charities
71.7
2 businesses
66.2
4 businesses
57.2
2 businesses
Independent & Private Schools
67.9
3 businesses
63.5
4 businesses
55.7
3 businesses
Childcare & Early Education
65.8
3 businesses
59.8
3 businesses
Private Education & Training (RTOs)
74.6
1 biz
68.6
3 businesses
57.5
4 businesses
48.4
2 businesses

Inside each industry

Every scored business, grouped by industry. Taller bars mean higher scores.

Government & Public Sector Marketing
11 businesses · avg 67.1
ASX avgTourism Australia: 78.8
Not-for-Profit & Charities
8 businesses · avg 66.4
ASX avgWorld Vision Australia: 71.8
Independent & Private Schools
10 businesses · avg 62.5
ASX avgScotch College Melbourne: 68.2
Childcare & Early Education
6 businesses · avg 60.8
ASX avgGoodstart Early Learning: 69
Private Education & Training (RTOs)
10 businesses · avg 57.3
ASX avgIDP Education: 74.6

See where you stand

Enter your website and we'll scan it. We set starting points based on what we observe. Adjust the sliders if you know better.

DM
50
Analytics, tracking, tech stack
AP
50
Traffic sources, SEO, ads, content
CE
50
Site speed, UX, CTAs, landing pages
RL
50
Email, loyalty, repeat customers
BP
50
Positioning, search volume, differentiation
DT
50
Attribution, testing, automation

What to watch in education and community

EdTech at 69.5 is pulling away from traditional education providers. Online learning platforms invest in conversion infrastructure, retention loops and data tracking in ways that schools and RTOs do not. The gap will widen as prospective students expect consumer-grade digital experiences.

Not-for-profits at 65.3 are stronger than most people assume. Charity marketing in Australia has professionalised rapidly, with sophisticated email nurture, peer-to-peer fundraising platforms and data-driven donor segmentation becoming standard at the top end.

Intelligence

What the numbers reveal

Based on 54 scored businesses across 7 industries. Updated as new audits complete.

S

15.3-point gap between Enterprise and Small Business

Enterprise businesses average 67.8. Small Business averages 52.5. Scale creates a 15.3-point advantage in this sector, driven by dedicated marketing teams and infrastructure investment.

Based on our dataset
DIM

Brand & Positioning (67.7) is the sector's edge. Data & Tracking (58) is the drag.

A 9.7-point spread between the strongest and weakest dimensions. Brand & Positioning is 3.5 points above the national average.

Based on search trendsBased on our dataset
VS

0.8 points above the national average of 63.7

Education & Community ranks 5 of 11 sectors. The gap is closeable. These are not structurally weak businesses. They are businesses that have not prioritised digital marketing.

Based on search trendsBased on our dataset
GEO

NSW dominates with 24 of 54 businesses

44% of scored businesses in this sector are headquartered in NSW, averaging 62.3. VIC (20), QLD (5), ACT (3) follow.

Based on search trends
#1

Tourism Australia leads the sector at 78.8

14.3 points above the sector average. Scores 11.7 points above its own industry (Government & Public Sector Marketing). Large scale, based in NSW.

Based on search trends
Q

54 businesses scored across 7 industries

Every score uses the same 6-dimension model with up to 150+ data points per business. 5 have multi-source verified data. Evidence depth ratings show the data behind each score.

Based on our dataset
6 of 24 insights
Common questions

What people ask about this sector

Top performers in Education & Community

Highest-scoring businesses across all education & community industries

1
Tourism Australia
Government & Public Sector Marketing · LargeLeading
78.8
NSW · National
2
Service NSW
Government & Public Sector Marketing · LargeLeading
78
NSW · State
3
Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
Government & Public Sector Marketing · LargeLeading
76.4
ACT · National
4
IDP Education
Private Education & Training (RTOs) · EnterpriseLeading
74.6
VIC · National
5
Australia Post
Government & Public Sector Marketing · MediumCompetitive
72.7
VIC · National
6
Services Australia
Government & Public Sector Marketing · LargeLeading
72.7
ACT · National
7
World Vision Australia
Not-for-Profit & Charities · LargeLeading
71.8
VIC · National
8
Cancer Council Australia
Not-for-Profit & Charities · LargeLeading
71.5
NSW · National
9
Open Colleges (Seek)
Private Education & Training (RTOs) · LargeLeading
71.3
NSW · National
10
Red Cross Australia
Not-for-Profit & Charities · MediumLeading
71.1
VIC · National

Sector rankings

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