UW Makes List of ‘10 Best Higher Education Websites’

The University of Wyoming is one of 10 colleges and universities nationwide recognized for excellence in website design and management by the website design company Modern Campus.

Among about 4,500 higher education websites that use the Modern Campus content management system, UW’s site was lauded for its “vibrant web design” and because it “efficiently provides a seamless, engaging experience across multiple points of student interaction.”

“The site not only highlights the brand colors and brings out the Cowboy experience, but also leverages maps and virtual tours to bring the campus to life,” wrote Karam Singh, a content marketing manager at Modern Campus, in a post titled “Reflecting on 2023’s 10 Best Higher Education Websites.”

He added, “Wyoming also seamlessly integrates its course catalog with the website and provides up-to-date career data on program pages. This helps visitors make informed decisions upon enrolling for a program.”

Overall, the 10 winning websites were recognized for their effectiveness at providing students with informative content and engaging user experiences, driving conversions, maintaining interest and improving enrollments. Other schools recognized included Duquesne University, Pepperdine University and the University of Montana.

“We’re delighted to be recognized for the strides we have made in improving our website, particularly for prospective students and the UW student experience,” says Chad Baldwin, UW’s associate vice president for marketing and communications. “A great deal of effort has been expended by our team and partners across UW to adjust to a new content management system and refine our designs and messaging. While there are more improvements coming, this recognition shows we are in a good place and headed in the right direction.”

Mindy Peep, UW Institutional Marketing’s associate director for digital and content strategy, leads the university’s website improvement efforts in collaboration with UW Information Technology and others, including hundreds of people who manage individual unit webpages.

“Our recent migration to Modern Campus’ content management system allowed us to launch this incremental design upgrade. This recognition is a culmination of thousands of hours of work among our teams and has created a strong foundation for the next phase of integrating a powerful and aesthetically pleasing user experience into UW’s website,” Peep says. “We remain dedicated to ensuring the student experience improves on our website because it’s the primary gateway to discovering the university’s vast resources.”

As the website is the front door to an institution, it plays a crucial role in driving student enrollment by attracting, engaging and converting students. It is one of the first places that prospective students visit and serves as an important touchpoint in their enrollment decisions.

Today’s students expect higher education websites to be optimized for their phones, easy to navigate and personalized to their needs, says a media release from Modern Campus. Websites that are difficult to navigate and lack personalized web content frustrate them, found a recent study of high school students conducted by Modern Campus and Ruffalo Noel Levitz, a higher education enrollment consulting company.

“With decreasing enrollment rates mounting with increasing student expectations, it’s encouraging to see colleges and universities are becoming creative with their websites and digital properties,” says Kimberly Prieto, senior vice president for product at Modern Campus. “I’m thrilled that we can recognize these 10 institutions who are delivering exceptional student experiences while supporting their brand with their websites. These websites demonstrate the institutions’ unparalleled commitment to quality, creativity and student centricity.”