QS has announced today that it has acquired Hobsons Solutions, in a major acquisition that significantly expands the size of the QS business and adds 193 staff to its global teams.
Hobsons Solutions is a distinct product line that was run by Hobsons via three offices in London, Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne, offering student engagement and enrolment services to a global client base.
A spokesperson at London-based QS explained that the acquisition offers clear opportunity for vertical integration, complementing the QS portfolio and enabling Hobsons Solutions to leverage QS’s student reach.
QS is the largest supplier of international masters and MBA students to universities worldwide, attracting over 60 million web visitors per year and registering 500,000 prospective international and domestic student enquiries each year.
Nunzio Quacquarelli, CEO at QS, said, “QS’s mission is to enable motivated people anywhere in the world to fulfil their potential through educational achievement, international mobility and career development. I see expanding into the Solutions business as a direct response to our mission.”
“I see expanding into the Solutions business as a direct response to our mission.”
Hobsons Solutions was founded in 1999 and serves over 100 departments of universities in Australia, Asia, New Zealand, USA and UK to enrol candidates who have expressed an interest in target institutions. They also operate the world’s largest International Student Survey.
Hobsons Solutions will be renamed QS Enrolment Solutions.
Andy Nicol will continue as Managing Director of QS Enrolment Solutions, leading the team. Nicol has extensive experience within the HE sector both in a university leadership role and in developing a global education business, according to QS.
QS, founded in 1990, has a portfolio of products in the global higher education space, including university rankings, university fairs, rankings analytics, market intelligence and business consultancy.
