For prospective students, the website is often the first impression of campus life, academic opportunities, and the overall culture of the institution. What’s more, current students, faculty, even alumni – everyone relies on the website as their go-to source of information. That’s a big deal when you consider that 94% of people say web design impacts their first impression of a brand. A poorly designed site can send applicants running for the hills faster than you can say "application deadline" while a well-crafted online experience can make all the difference in attracting top talent. A Forrester study found that a good user interface (UI) can raise website conversion rates by up to 200%.
But creating an effective higher education website isn’t easy. What is it about? It’s about balancing modern, attractive design with functionality, accessibility, and the ability to tell your institution’s story in a way that resonates with multiple audiences. A good example? Harvard University’s website. With its intuitive navigation, bold visuals, and clear calls to action, it’s a masterclass in user experience and one of the most visited higher education sites.
So, how do you create a website that attracts the best minds of Gen Z (and, soon enough, Generation Alpha) while meeting the needs of your current students and stakeholders? As a reputable education portal development company with years of experience in the EdTech industry, we always keep our finger on the pulse to keep abreast of the latest developments and trends and provide our clients with the best results. Today, we will share our experience and knowledge to introduce you to this year's top trends in higher education website design and provide some practical expert tips to help create a website that not only keeps up with today's tech-savvy students but actually boosts your institution's reputation and gets people excited to be a part of it. Let’s dive in.
Simplified User Experience
The perfect user experience forms the very foundation of any successful higher education website, guaranteeing that visitors are able to navigate with ease. Websites should be focused on prospective students who seek information regarding admission requirements, program details, and available financial aid. Simplified UX includes:
- Streamlined navigation: Since most users are looking for specific information - about admission, courses, or campus life - an intuitive search bar and well-organized main menu are essential. These features should quickly connect users to their desired content without unnecessary clicks.
- Clear calls to action: You create a website for a specific purpose, right? Encourage visitors to take the action you want, such as applying, visiting, or donating.
- Mobile-friendly design: More than 60% of users browse websites on mobile. Emphasize responsive design to meet the needs of your future students, who mostly use their smartphones to surf through various websites. Responsive design means your site looks great on any screen size.
Inclusive Language and Visuals
To appeal to multiple audiences higher ed websites should use inclusive design elements. Avoid stock photos and instead feature authentic videos and images of students interacting, learning, and participating in campus life. Let your website show your diverse and welcoming community. Also, use language that speaks to diverse student groups. For example, Princeton University’s website does this well so audience members see themselves in the content.
Another tip from our experts is to make sure that text and multimedia elements are accessible to users with disabilities. Features like alt text, high-contrast color schemes, and keyboard navigation improve usability for all site visitors.
Interactive Experiences
Imagine yourself in the shoes of a pontificating student. Which website would attract you more and grab your attention: the one we are used to, static and with a lot of mixed information, or the one that gives you a sense of engagement at first glance with a variety of interactive elements? The second option seems to have a better chance of getting your cherished “I want to go to this college!”, right?
Features such as virtual campus tours, interactive maps, 360° panoramas of student spaces, infographics, and interesting video testimonials can impact how a prospective student perceives an institution. Your website can be not only one of a kind but also leave a lasting impression and significantly influence students' decision to apply to college.
These features give a peek into campus life and help students see themselves as part of the community. They also allow higher education institutions to showcase their unique offerings – from facilities to academic programs – in a fun and interactive way. Ohio Wesleyan University, for example, increased prospective student engagement with immersive virtual campus tours.
Usability and Accessibility
Before you get to this point, ask yourself: what do you want your university or college website to be like and what audience do you want to reach? If your answer is “as user-friendly, accessible, and understandable as possible for everyone,” well, in our subjective opinion, you're on the right track.
Websites should be designed to be accessible to all users, especially the ones with disabilities. Here are some top tips to help you with that:
- Ensure compatibility with screen readers and provide alternative text for images.
- Make your website mouse-free.
- Align with accessibility laws like WCAG and GDPR for a global reach.
- Keep content concise, visually appealing, and easy to find, especially for prospective students exploring program options or application details.
This way, you show your commitment to equal access to information for everyone and raise your profile as an organization.
Personalization of the Online Experience
Think about the last time you visited a website that remembered your preferences or offered personalized recommendations. It probably felt more engaging and relevant than a generic, one-size-fits-all experience. The same principle applies to higher education websites.
Personalization is becoming more and more important as institutions try to create more meaningful connections with prospective and current students. Ferris State University, for example, used this tactic to increase click-through rates on its website by 2,800%.
Tailoring content to individual interests, academic goals, or even geographic location can greatly enhance the user experience. Imagine a prospective student interested in engineering being greeted with relevant program information, research opportunities, and faculty profiles when land on your site. That little personal touch will make all the difference in fostering a stronger connection with the institution.
Here’s what you can do:
- Implement search functions that predict queries and correct typos, so all users can navigate more easily.
- Use data-driven insights to show personalized messages for prospective and current students.
Microinteractions
Micro-interactions are small, subtle animations or design elements that provide feedback on user actions. These tiny details create big positivity in users' minds because interactions feel intuitive and interesting. Examples include hover effects, button animations, and progress indicators. Thoughtfully implemented micro-interactions can add personality to a higher education website and successfully guide users to the right action.
The Best Higher Education Websites
Our professional team has researched and compiled the top institutions that are leaders in creating higher education websites. We focused on criteria such as user experience, visual appeal, and overall website performance. Here are the ones you should pay attention to:
Princeton University
Princeton University’s website is a benchmark for higher education web design. The homepage has a clean, modern look and features a prominent search bar so visitors can easily navigate and find what they’re looking for. High-quality images and videos create an immersive visual design that shows off the campus and student life. The main menu is intuitive, with clear categories for academics, admissions, research, and more. Interactive elements like virtual tours and multimedia galleries engage the audience.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
MIT’s website is unique in its navigation and content. The homepage has a static column on the left for navigation and a scrollable feature on the right for recent news and stories (that highlight the university’s research and achievements). If you want to try something like this, make sure your design is mobile-friendly.
MIT’s website has a modern design, is visually appealing, and focuses on user experience. The main menu is quite navigable: academics, admissions, research, and more are very clear categories. The use of interactive elements like virtual tours and multimedia galleries gives a good overview of the university and engages the audience. The MIT website successfully translates the distinctive identity of this institution onto the screen, using powerful images and information about student life to emotionally attach prospective students to itself.
Rhode Island School of Design
One of the most appealing website designs worth giving a look at involves the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). In it, the design elements are so striking to behold, and the student work and campus life pop up easily. The content on the website is well-structured; thus, a number of aspects in designing and developing the content strategy had users in focus. The design is responsive to ensure accessibility on every device, from desktops down to mobile devices.
University of Essex
Essex’s website is a true reflection of its brand promise: “home to the curious, brave, and bold”. It features bright colors, gradients, autoplay videos, and scroll animations. The dynamic feel of this website gives users a very engaging experience. The use of a strong typeface and visual layouts with text makes reading effortless on this website. The photography further focuses on campuses and students, speaking strongly to the pride in place and identity of this institution. Headings such as "Welcome home, welcome to Essex" and "We are Essex. Are you?" further illustrate the commitment of this university to inclusivity and community.
OCAD University
Do you already have a website and want to improve it? Here's a great example of how this approach and cooperation with a reliable partner can yield impressive results.
OCAD University's website design is a great example of how bold and artistic it can be. In collaboration with Evolving Web, OCAD U redesigned its digital experience with simplified navigation, striking calls to action, and impactful typography. Student-created artwork, combined with motion transitions that visually amaze, grasps the attention of a creative audience. The results speak for themselves. The results speak for themselves, within the first few weeks of launch website visits were up 21% and applications were up 15%. Clearly, this student-focused approach to higher ed website design is working.
Duke University
The Duke University website has done an excellent job in offering seamless and quite personalized user experiences. Its accessible navigation menu and use of clear calls to action make it easier for prospective students, faculties, and alumni to find what they are looking for. The well-developed donation page is a key feature, making it very simple for supporters to donate to the university. The website from Duke is a good example of how higher education can be made to represent a strong online presence and interact with the community effectively through web design.
George Washington University
The website of George Washington University was created with a focus on accessibility, particularly accessibility and inclusion. The site features the newest version of the campus interactive map that can help immerse future students in the experience. Following web accessibility guidelines means the website will be usable by all visitors, including people with disabilities. Its responsive design means that it looks and functions beautifully on both desktop and mobile devices, helping enhance the overall user experience for website visitors.
Juniata College
The Juniata College website tells its story and tugs at the heartstrings, as it's just so darn personal. It uses a conversational tone, highlighting stories of present students that make the connection personal with site visitors. CTAs like "Become the Author of Your Own Powerful Story" encourage site visitors to take action whether it’s to explore alumni stories, visit campus, or start their journey at the college. This makes the campus feel welcoming to prospective students even when they’re online.
Stanford University
Finally, Stanford. This university's website is a model of effective web design for higher education. Its visual design is sleek, modern, and very useable. The website content is rich and informative with a great deal of useful information about the university programs, research, and campus life. The use of multimedia elements like videos and interactive maps enriches the user experience and easily enables one to navigate through the university. Some of the accessibility features ensure that the website is usable by all visitors, including people with disabilities.
AnyforSoft's Experience in Higher Ed Website Design
At AnyforSoft, we specialize in creating user-centric websites tailored to the higher education sector. Our design process is focused on understanding the unique needs of colleges and universities to deliver solutions that combine functionality, creativity, and cutting-edge technology. Being an educational software development company, we provide UX/UI design services along with other services, so that you get an appealing and adaptive website resonating with your target audience.
Our projects guarantee:
- Strong content strategy
Crafting engaging and structured website content.
- Innovative features
Integration of interactive and multimedia elements that create a more engaging user experience.
- Post-launch maintenance
Ensuring post-launch maintenance so that your website runs smoothly for future use.
Our experience in school management software development and educational portal creation allows us to integrate with existing systems and provide end-to-end digital solutions seamlessly. Call the professionals who can help you effectively present your institution to thousands of potential students.
Final Thoughts
What is this article about? Well, we all know that the digital transformation in higher education (as everywhere else) has changed the way we perceive learning and everything related to it. It indeed brought many benefits, enhancing the effectiveness of education in general, but also introduced us to new challenges. Just like in any other industry, you need to offer a unique experience to attract your target audience.
Today, we've introduced you to the main trends in this area and have given a set of tips that will be helpful for you. A well-designed website is an investment in the future of an institution: growth, innovation, and connecting with the next generation of students. By keeping these trends and tips in mind and collaborating with an experienced design team like AnyforSoft, you can end up with a really effective product for enrollment and student engagement.
So, are you ready to take your institution online to the next level? Let's make your higher education website stand out in this digital world with our professional services.
