(Reuters, December 7, 2009) NEW YORK, Dec 7 (Reuters) - McGraw-Hill Cos Inc (MHP.N) expects a better year for all its businesses in 2010, helped by higher school enrollment, increased spending on textbooks and a recovery in its credit rating business, Chief Executive Harold "Terry" McGraw said on Monday.

"We think the education market should improve in 2010," McGraw said at a conference, discussing the company's textbook publishing operations.

There is pent-up demand for textbooks from schools that cut spending this year, as well as broadly increased enrollment in elementary schools, high schools and colleges, he said.

The company's Standard & Poor's ratings unit faces lawsuits for assigning high ratings to structured debt investments that later defaulted. McGraw said the company's legal risk is low and it is confident lawsuits based on various state law claims have no merit.

Standard & Poor's in the third quarter reported its first quarterly increase in revenue in almost two years. McGraw said he expects a slow recovery in structured credit ratings next year.

McGraw-Hill, which in the past has had an aggressive share repurchase plan, would like to return to this program, McGraw said, but he added it is not clear when this will be. "We're going to get back to it," he said. "It's a question of when."

McGraw-Hill shares climbed 1.9 percent to $32.55 in midday trading. (Reporting by Elinor Comlay; editing by John Wallace)