Last Updated on October 23, 2026
Open Study College scores highest of the ten UK training providers compared, at 6.6 out of 10 on the Whito leaderboard.
Opinion and analysis. Whito read every brand below by hand on 22 October 2026, using publicly visible activity only, against fixed anchors and ten UK searches. Each channel is scored 0 to 10, set out under How we scored, so a score describes what we could see on the day, not the quality of the teaching. Brands cannot pay to appear or to change a score. Where a figure is not published, we say so.
Training providers sell to people deciding whether to spend months of evenings on a course. On this board the leaders make that decision easy: a price on the page, an online enrolment and a reason to leave an email. Open Study College scores 6.6, with learndirect and Learning People level on 6.4.
Every one of the ten ran Google ads, and nine also ran Meta ads, so paid barely separates them. Search barely does either: across 10 UK searches only Pitman Training appeared, once. Publishers, universities and directories took the rest.
Firebrand Training and The Knowledge Academy score lowest, level on 4.9. Firebrand ran no Meta ads. The Knowledge Academy has 52,303 Trustpilot reviews at 4.5 but replies to none of the latest 20, shows no price on its homepage and captures no email beyond enquiry forms.
The leaderboard
| Rank | Brand | Social | Website | SEO | Paid | Reviews | Brand | Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open Study College | 6 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 6.6 |
| 2 | learndirect | 6 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 6.4 |
| 2 | Learning People | 6 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 6.4 |
| 4 | BPP | 6 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 6.1 |
| 5 | Kaplan | 6 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 6.0 |
| 6 | The Open University | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 5.7 |
| 7 | Pitman Training | 6 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 5.1 |
| 7 | QA | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 5.1 |
| 9 | Firebrand Training | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 4.9 |
| 9 | The Knowledge Academy | 6 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 4.9 |
Average is the simple mean of the seven channel scores, rounded to one decimal place. Brands on the same average share a rank and are listed A to Z. All ten brands read 22 October 2026. Meta Ad Library counts were read on 23 October 2026, after the library was unavailable on 22 October.
Company verdicts
Open Study College, 6.6
Open Study College scores 6.6, the highest of the ten, with paid at 10 for about 200 Google ads and 22 Meta ads. Email scores 5, the best here, for a subscribe offer and a prospectus download. Its website scores 10 for online enrolment with offers on the homepage. Reviews score 8 from 4.5 on 7,786 Trustpilot reviews, with replies to 15 of the latest 20. Social scores 6 for six platforms. openstudycollege.com appeared in none of 10 UK searches.
learndirect, 6.4
learndirect scores 6.4, level with Learning People, with paid at 10 for about 400 Google ads and at least 152 Meta ads, the most here. Its website scores 10 for online enrolment with prices from £1.99 a month. Reviews score 8 from 4.5 on 32,758 Trustpilot reviews, with replies to 7 of the latest 20. Social scores 6 for six platforms and email 4 for a subscribe offer and registration. learndirect.com appeared in none of 10 UK searches.
Learning People, 6.4
Learning People scores 6.4, level with learndirect, with paid at 10 for about 500 Google ads and at least 49 Meta ads. Its website scores 10 for online enrolment, with courses from £149 on the homepage. Reviews score 8 from 4.5 on 4,894 Trustpilot reviews, with replies to 17 of the latest 20. Brand scores 4 for its line about being the UK’s largest provider of online tech, IT and project management courses.
BPP, 6.1
BPP scores 6.1, with paid at 10 for about 300 Google ads and at least 47 Meta ads. Its website scores 10 for online registration with a basket. Reviews score 7 from 4.0 on 1,125 Trustpilot reviews, with replies to all of the latest 20. Brand scores 4 for the line ‘The Professional Performance Business’. bpp.com appeared in none of 10 UK searches and no advice library was confirmed.
Kaplan, 6.0
Kaplan scores 6.0, with paid at 10 for about 200 Google ads and at least 34 Meta ads from its Kaplan UK page. Its website scores 10 for online registration with a basket. Social scores 6 for six platforms. Reviews score 6 from 3.5 on 3,434 Trustpilot reviews, though it replies to 19 of the latest 20. SEO scores 2: kaplan.co.uk appeared in none of 10 UK searches.
The Open University, 5.7
The Open University scores 5.7. Reviews score 7 from 4.2 on 1,373 Trustpilot reviews, with replies to 15 of the latest 20. Paid scores 10 with about 600 Google ads and 47 Meta ads from its main page. Its homepage shows a course finder, fees and funding pages and open day sign-up, with no prices. Its OpenLearn library earns an SEO point, but open.ac.uk appeared in none of 10 UK searches.
Pitman Training, 5.1
Pitman Training scores 5.1, level with QA, with paid at 8 for about 300 Google ads and 3 Meta ads from a Pitman Training centre page. SEO scores 5, the best here: its Leeds centre page was the only page from any of the ten brands to appear in the 10 UK searches. Reviews score 5 from 3.8 on 130 Trustpilot reviews, with replies to 19 of the latest 20. Its homepage shows no prices.
QA, 5.1
QA scores 5.1, level with Pitman Training, with paid at 8 for about 300 Google ads and at least 3 Meta ads. Social scores 6 for six platforms. Reviews score 5 from 4.5 on 482 Trustpilot reviews, with no replies on the latest 20. Its website is aimed at teams, with no prices or checkout on the homepage.
Firebrand Training, 4.9
Firebrand Training scores 4.9, level lowest with The Knowledge Academy. Paid stays at 6: about 600 Google ads but no Meta ads found. Reviews score 7 from 4.4 on 2,499 Trustpilot reviews, with replies to 17 of the latest 20. Brand scores 4 for the line ‘Your Fastest Way to Certification, Guaranteed.’ Its homepage shows no prices, and email scores 2 for a subscribe offer.
The Knowledge Academy, 4.9
The Knowledge Academy scores 4.9, level lowest with Firebrand Training. It has the largest review base here, 52,303 Trustpilot reviews at 4.5, but replies to none of the latest 20, so reviews score 7. Paid scores 8 with about 800 Google ads, the most here, and 6 Meta ads. Its homepage shows no prices, and email scores 0, with enquiry forms only.
What the channels show
Price and enrolment online lead
Five of the ten let a learner enrol or buy online and score 10 for website; learndirect, Learning People and Open Study College show a price or offer on the homepage. The five that route learners to enquiries or a course finder score 6.
Review volume is high, replies split the board
The Knowledge Academy has 52,303 Trustpilot reviews and learndirect 32,758. BPP replies to all of its latest 20 and Kaplan and Pitman to 19; The Knowledge Academy and QA reply to none.
Search goes to publishers and directories
Only Pitman Training appeared in any of 10 UK searches, through a centre page for Leeds. Local searches went to directories and specialist course listings, and cost searches to universities and publishers.
Everyone advertises
All ten ran Google ads in the 30 days checked, from about 200 to about 800. Nine also ran Meta ads, from 3 to at least 152 for learndirect. Six score 10 on paid, three score 8, and Firebrand Training, with no Meta ads, scores 6.
Key lessons for any training provider
Show the price
learndirect shows from £1.99 a month and Learning People from £149. A learner comparing courses needs a number before a call.
Let people enrol online
Five of the ten take enrolments online. A one-page booking or enrolment form is enough for a small provider.
Reply to every review
BPP replies to all of its latest 20. A reply to a struggling learner tells the next one how you treat people.
Build a page for each town you teach in
Pitman’s Leeds centre page was the only search result from any of the ten. A local provider can do the same for every town it serves.
Offer a prospectus for an email
Open Study College’s prospectus download earns the top email score. A short course guide does the same job.
Steal this playbook
Five moves from this leaderboard, ranked by return on effort.
- Put a from price on the homepage. Only three of the ten do.
- Reply to your latest 20 reviews. The Knowledge Academy and QA answer none.
- Write a page for each town you teach in. Pitman’s Leeds page was the only search result from any of the ten.
- Offer a prospectus for an email. Open Study College scores 5 on email; The Knowledge Academy 0.
- Let learners enrol online. The five that do not score 6 for website.
The evidence behind the scores
One line per channel, as read on the date shown for each brand. Review figures change daily; these are the numbers on the day we looked.
Open Study College
Read 22 October 2026 (Meta read 23 October 2026).
- Social 6: Links to Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and YouTube, six platforms in all.
- Website 10: Online enrolment with offers on the homepage (save £50 on one A Level, up to £400 on A Levels).
- Email 5: A subscribe offer and a prospectus download; no app seen.
- SEO 3: 0 of 10 UK web searches returned openstudycollege.com in the top ten, plus credit for a blog and study advice.
- Paid 10: Google Ads Transparency Centre, UK, last 30 days, by domain openstudycollege.com: about 200 ads. Meta Ad Library, UK, active ads from the Open Study College page, read 23 October 2026: 22.
- Reviews 8: Trustpilot 4.5 from 7,786 reviews, with a company reply on 15 of the latest 20.
- Brand 4: Same name everywhere and a clear positioning line (‘Online learning that fits your lifestyle’); no long-running asset or named people confirmed, and three recent news mentions not checked.
learndirect
Read 22 October 2026 (Meta read 23 October 2026).
- Social 6: Links to YouTube, X, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok, six platforms in all; recent posting and video not checked.
- Website 10: Online enrolment and checkout, with prices on the homepage (from £1.99 a month and from £29.99 a month).
- Email 4: A subscribe offer and account registration; no app seen.
- SEO 3: 0 of 10 UK web searches returned learndirect.com in the top ten, plus credit for a blog and careers advice.
- Paid 10: Google Ads Transparency Centre, UK, last 30 days, by domain learndirect.com: about 400 ads. Meta Ad Library, UK, active ads from the learndirect page, read 23 October 2026: at least 152.
- Reviews 8: Trustpilot 4.5 from 32,758 reviews, with a company reply on 7 of the latest 20.
- Brand 4: Same name everywhere and a clear positioning line (‘Flexible Online Courses: Learn at Your Own Pace’); no long-running asset or named people confirmed, and three recent news mentions not checked.
Learning People
Read 22 October 2026 (Meta read 23 October 2026).
- Social 6: Links to YouTube, Instagram, X, Facebook and LinkedIn, five platforms in all.
- Website 10: Online enrolment, with prices on the homepage (Learning People Lite from £149) and career advisers.
- Email 4: Account registration; no newsletter or app seen.
- SEO 3: 0 of 10 UK web searches returned learningpeople.com in the top ten, plus credit for a blog and career guides.
- Paid 10: Google Ads Transparency Centre, UK, last 30 days, by domain learningpeople.com: about 500 ads. Meta Ad Library, UK, active ads from the Learning People page, read 23 October 2026: at least 49.
- Reviews 8: Trustpilot 4.5 from 4,894 reviews, with a company reply on 17 of the latest 20.
- Brand 4: Same name everywhere and a clear positioning line (‘the UK’s largest provider of online Tech, IT and Project Management courses’); no long-running asset or named people confirmed, and three recent news mentions not checked.
BPP
Read 22 October 2026 (Meta read 23 October 2026).
- Social 6: Links to LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, four platforms in all.
- Website 10: Online course registration with a basket.
- Email 4: Account registration; no newsletter or app seen.
- SEO 2: 0 of 10 UK web searches returned bpp.com in the top ten; no advice library confirmed from the homepage.
- Paid 10: Google Ads Transparency Centre, UK, last 30 days, by domain bpp.com: about 300 ads. Meta Ad Library, UK, active ads from the BPP page, read 23 October 2026: at least 47.
- Reviews 7: Trustpilot 4.0 from 1,125 reviews, with a company reply on 20 of the latest 20.
- Brand 4: Same name everywhere and a clear positioning line (‘The Professional Performance Business’); no long-running asset or named people confirmed, and three recent news mentions not checked.
Kaplan
Read 22 October 2026 (Meta read 23 October 2026).
- Social 6: Links to Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, six platforms in all.
- Website 10: Online course registration with a basket; no prices on the homepage.
- Email 4: Account registration; no newsletter or app seen.
- SEO 2: 0 of 10 UK web searches returned kaplan.co.uk in the top ten; no advice library confirmed from the homepage.
- Paid 10: Google Ads Transparency Centre, UK, last 30 days, by domain kaplan.co.uk: about 200 ads. Meta Ad Library, UK, active ads from the Kaplan UK page, read 23 October 2026: at least 34.
- Reviews 6: Trustpilot 3.5 from 3,434 reviews, with a company reply on 19 of the latest 20.
- Brand 4: Same name everywhere and a clear positioning line (‘Together we create success’); no long-running asset or named people confirmed, and three recent news mentions not checked.
The Open University
Read 22 October 2026 (Meta read 23 October 2026).
- Social 6: The homepage renders its links in a way our check could not read, so social links were read from its About pages: Facebook, X, YouTube and LinkedIn, four platforms in all.
- Website 6: A course finder, fees and funding pages and virtual open day sign-up; no prices on the homepage.
- Email 4: A sign-in and registration route; no newsletter form seen.
- SEO 3: 0 of 10 UK web searches returned open.ac.uk in the top ten, plus credit for its OpenLearn free learning library.
- Paid 10: Google Ads Transparency Centre, UK, last 30 days, by domain open.ac.uk: about 600 ads. Meta Ad Library, UK, active ads from the The Open University page, read 23 October 2026: at least 47.
- Reviews 7: Trustpilot 4.2 from 1,373 reviews, with a company reply on 15 of the latest 20.
- Brand 4: Same name everywhere and a clear positioning line (‘Study with the experts in online learning’); no long-running asset or named people confirmed on the homepage, and three recent news mentions not checked.
Pitman Training
Read 22 October 2026 (Meta read 23 October 2026).
- Social 6: Links to X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, four platforms in all.
- Website 6: A page per course area, centre pages and an enrol route; no prices on the homepage.
- Email 2: A single email sign-up field; no account or app seen.
- SEO 5: 1 of 10 UK web searches returned pitman-training.com in the top ten (‘training courses Leeds’, through its Leeds centre page), plus credit for a blog and careers advice.
- Paid 8: Google Ads Transparency Centre, UK, last 30 days, by domain pitman-training.com: about 300 ads. Meta Ad Library, UK, active ads from the Pitman Training Works page, read 23 October 2026: 3.
- Reviews 5: Trustpilot 3.8 from 130 reviews, with a company reply on 19 of the latest 20.
- Brand 4: Same name everywhere and a clear positioning line (‘Get the UK’s Top Training for In-Demand Industries’); no long-running asset or named people confirmed, and three recent news mentions not checked.
QA
Read 22 October 2026 (Meta read 23 October 2026).
- Social 6: Links to LinkedIn, TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, six platforms in all.
- Website 6: A page per course area, registration and enquiry routes, aimed at teams; no prices or checkout on the homepage.
- Email 4: A subscribe offer and a log-in.
- SEO 3: 0 of 10 UK web searches returned qa.com in the top ten, plus credit for a blog and insights library.
- Paid 8: Google Ads Transparency Centre, UK, last 30 days, by domain qa.com: about 300 ads. Meta Ad Library, UK, active ads from the QA page, read 23 October 2026: at least 3.
- Reviews 5: Trustpilot 4.5 from 482 reviews, with no company reply on the latest 20.
- Brand 4: Same name everywhere and a clear positioning line (‘Skills your team needs’); no long-running asset or named people confirmed, and three recent news mentions not checked.
Firebrand Training
Read 22 October 2026 (Meta read 23 October 2026).
- Social 6: Links to LinkedIn, X, TikTok and Facebook, four platforms in all.
- Website 6: A page per course area and a registration route; no prices on the homepage.
- Email 2: A subscribe offer; no account or app seen.
- SEO 3: 0 of 10 UK web searches returned firebrand.training in the top ten, plus credit for a blog.
- Paid 6: Google Ads Transparency Centre, UK, last 30 days, by domain firebrand.training: about 600 ads. Meta Ad Library, UK, read 23 October 2026: no active ads found for Firebrand Training.
- Reviews 7: Trustpilot 4.4 from 2,499 reviews, with a company reply on 17 of the latest 20.
- Brand 4: Same name everywhere and a clear positioning line (‘Your Fastest Way to Certification, Guaranteed.’); no long-running asset or named people confirmed, and three recent news mentions not checked.
The Knowledge Academy
Read 22 October 2026 (Meta read 23 October 2026).
- Social 6: Links to LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest, six platforms in all.
- Website 6: A page per course area across 3,000+ courses and enquiry forms; no prices or checkout on the homepage.
- Email 0: Email enquiry fields only; no newsletter, account or app confirmed.
- SEO 3: 0 of 10 UK web searches returned theknowledgeacademy.com in the top ten, plus credit for a blog.
- Paid 8: Google Ads Transparency Centre, UK, last 30 days, by domain theknowledgeacademy.com: about 800 ads. Meta Ad Library, UK, active ads from the The Knowledge Academy page, read 23 October 2026: 6.
- Reviews 7: Trustpilot 4.5 from 52,303 reviews, with no company reply on the latest 20.
- Brand 4: Same name everywhere and a clear positioning line (‘Training the world’s professionals’); no long-running asset or named people confirmed, and three recent news mentions not checked.
How we scored
Who is on the board. Ten UK training providers an adult learner or employer is likely to meet: The Open University (the UK’s largest distance-learning university), learndirect (online courses and qualifications), Kaplan (accountancy, finance and tech training), QA (tech training and apprenticeships), Pitman Training (career training with UK centres), Open Study College (online courses and qualifications), Learning People (online tech, IT and project management courses), BPP (professional qualifications and apprenticeships), Firebrand Training (accelerated IT and project management courses) and The Knowledge Academy (professional training courses). Chosen for relevance and size, not marketing strength.
When we looked. All ten brands were read on 22 October 2026, against the fixed anchors below, with the ten searches run on the same day. This board was first published with scores relative to the other brands on it. On 22 October 2026 it was rescored on Whito’s fixed anchors and expanded to ten brands, so scores are not comparable with the earlier edition. Meta Ad Library counts were read on 23 October 2026, after the library was unavailable on 22 October.
- Social: which platforms the brand links to from its own site, and whether we could see recent posting and video.
- Website: 2 for a brochure page, 4 with a contact route on mobile, 6 with a page per service and a one-step enquiry, 8 with prices or ranges and registration numbers shown, 10 with online booking, an online checkout or an instant priced quote.
- Email: visible capture only, as we did not subscribe test inboxes for this edition. 2 for a bare newsletter form, 4 for a customer account, 6 for an app, 7 for a newsletter plus an app, up to 10 for a loyalty or app ecosystem with personal offers.
- SEO: ten UK searches for this sector, run through a standard web search API (22 October 2026; not personalised, no location set beyond the town in the query); we counted how many returned the brand’s own site in the top ten results. 0 of 10 scores 2, 1 to 2 scores 4, 3 to 4 scores 6, 5 to 6 scores 8, 7 or more scores 10, plus 1 for a substantial advice library. The searches: training courses near me UK; online course cost UK; project management course cost UK; online training courses UK; professional qualifications online UK; training courses London; training courses Manchester; training courses Birmingham; training courses Leeds; training courses Bristol.
- Paid: the Google Ads Transparency Centre (UK, last 30 days, by domain) and the Meta Ad Library (UK, active ads, counted by the advertiser page). 2 for nothing found in either, 4 for active in one with fewer than 10 ads, 6 for active in both or 10+ in one, 8 for active in both with 10+ in at least one, 10 for 50+ Google ads and 10+ Meta ads. Paid describes visible activity, not quality. A low paid score is not a fault.
- Reviews: a fixed formula. Rating (4.7+ scores 4, 4.5 to 4.69 scores 3, 4.0 to 4.49 scores 2, 3.5 to 3.99 scores 1) plus volume (10,000+ scores 4, 1,000+ scores 3, 100+ scores 2, 20+ scores 1) plus replies to the latest 20 reviews (half or more scores 2, some scores 1). Where Trustpilot sends a brand’s address to a parent company profile, we used that profile and say so.
- Brand: five checks worth 2 each: the same name and logo everywhere, one clear positioning line, a distinctive asset used for years, three or more independent press mentions in 90 days, and named people or expertise on the site. We award only what we could verify on the day.
These anchors are fixed for this edition, so the ten scores can be read against each other. Boards published before October 2026 used scores relative to the other brands on the board, so compare across boards with care.
Common questions
Which UK training provider has the best marketing in 2026?
Open Study College, on this board, at 6.6 out of 10, ahead of learndirect and Learning People on 6.4. It takes enrolments online, offers a prospectus download and holds 4.5 from 7,786 Trustpilot reviews with replies to 15 of the latest 20.
Which training provider scores lowest, and why?
Firebrand Training and The Knowledge Academy score 4.9. Firebrand ran no Meta ads and shows no prices. The Knowledge Academy has 52,303 Trustpilot reviews at 4.5 but replies to none of the latest 20, shows no price on its homepage and captures no email beyond enquiry forms.
Where does The Open University rank?
The Open University scores 5.7, sixth of ten. It replies to 15 of its latest 20 Trustpilot reviews and runs about 600 Google ads and 47 Meta ads, but shows no prices on its homepage and appeared in none of 10 UK searches.
How do training providers compare on reviews?
The Knowledge Academy has the most Trustpilot reviews, 52,303 at 4.5, then learndirect with 32,758 at 4.5. BPP replies to all of its latest 20, Kaplan and Pitman to 19, and The Knowledge Academy and QA to none.
What can a small training provider copy from these brands?
Show a from price, let learners enrol online, reply to every review, build a page for each town you teach in and offer a course guide in exchange for an email.
Corrections and right of reply
If your business is scored here and you think we have a fact wrong, email hello@whito.co.uk. We check it against the source, correct it within five working days if we are wrong, and publish your statement alongside if you want us to. Scores are never changed for payment or because a business has claimed a Whito listing. Full route: corrections, right of reply and removals.
Related: all UK marketing leaderboards · Training providers on Whito
If your business is named here and you think we have a fact wrong, email hello@whito.co.uk and we will check it and correct it. If you want to respond, send us a statement and we will publish it alongside. Full detail: Corrections, right of reply and removals.
