ABSTRACT
International comparisons are helpful when considering the structure and organisation surrounding access to higher education in the United Kingdom. In Finland higher education is strongly concentrated in the university sector, which is totally governed by the state. The concept of university education in post war Britain has changed dramatically. This has been brought about as a consequence of policy initiatives that have served to radically alter both the structure and governance of the academy. Marketing is now a major part of the organisational strategy of any university. Institutions operate within a much greater competitive context and face an uncertain future in which they need to become 'more market responsive'. An education market presupposes that the consumer possess the requisite cultural codes and competencies to enable them to engage folly with the choice process. However research into marketing both health and education has found considerable differences in the levels of information and awareness among different socio economic groups.
