Pearson plc

Pearson operates through three global lines of business: School, Higher Education, and Professional. The company provides educational content, digital learning platforms, assessments, and professional certifications.

Pearson serves millions of students, educators, and professionals globally through its brands and platforms. The company has been transitioning to digital-first strategies, with more than half of annual revenues coming from digital sales as of 2019.

Pearson plc was founded in 1844 as S. Pearson & Son, initially operating as a construction and engineering company. Over the decades, the company diversified into various industries including publishing, media, and aviation.

In the 1960s-1990s, Pearson began acquiring educational publishing companies, including Longman (1968), Addison-Wesley (1988), and Prentice Hall (1998). These acquisitions established Pearson as a major force in educational publishing.

In 2003, Pearson acquired Edexcel, a UK provider of qualifications and assessments. In 2000, the company acquired Virtual University Enterprises and renamed it Pearson VUE, establishing a major presence in professional testing and certification.

Following the 2015 sale of Financial Times and The Economist, Pearson refocused entirely on education. In 2016, the company rebranded with a new logo featuring the interrobang (‽) to convey excitement, curiosity, and individuality in learning.

In 2019, Pearson sold its US K-12 courseware business to Nexus Capital Management, which rebranded it as Savvas Learning Company. The company has continued to evolve toward digital-first learning solutions.

In late 2025, Pearson VUE announced it would rebrand as Pearson, with its assessment segment identified as Pearson Professional Assessments.