This article conceptualises the notion of the 'education hustle' as a case of Bourdieuian doxa and illusio. It is argued that the plethora of education reforms engaged in across the globe encompassing privatisation, corporatisation, marketisation, strong accountability, and the governance structures of the New Public Management (NPM), especially within the Anglo-American capitalist world is tantamount to an 'education hustle' where the ideas and values of a neo-liberal politico-economic framework of globalisation founded on the 'American Model' have been imposed (hustled) into fields such as education. This is about advancing an Anglo-American politico-economic primacy in an increasingly multi-polar world. I argue that an "emulative illusio" [emphasis added] is at work which co-opts nations into maintaining their interest in this policy approach to the detriment of education.