Total Quality Management (TQM) has achieved some success as a philosophy of management in manufacturing industry. The differences between the manufacturing situation and that of tertiary education are examined to identify the similarities and differences and highlight the likely difficulties in implementing TQM in tertiary education. It is concluded that, while there are substantial differences from a manufacturing situation, where TQM has achieved its most conspicuous successes, the differences work as much in favour of the success of TQM as against it.