School websites, without a doubt, are a representation of their institution. When choosing a school, parents try their best to look through every element to make sure it’s suitable for their child.
Unfortunately, many parents cannot visit all the schools in their area due to a lack of time. As a result, they usually narrow down their options by going through different schools’ websites.
If an institutions’ website isn’t up to snuff, they will most likely click away from it. This causes the school to lose the opportunity to recruit a new student. That is why it is crucial to have a competent, user-friendly website that can help your school stand out.
Schools must design their websites to effectively show their academic courses, resources, and admission requirements. Moreover, it should serve as a virtual welcome mat for potential students.
Parents are more inclined to enroll their child in a school with a design identical to that of the top schools’ websites. Therefore, you must make your website as professional as possible so that visitors perceive it as a credible institution.
For this article, we looked at hundreds of school websites to choose the ones with the most effective designs. So let’s check them out to see what features you should incorporate in your school website design.
Why Is a School Website Important?
To move forward with the website design, you must first understand the purpose of school websites. For the most part, these websites have two essential functions. The first is to serve as a source of information for their existing students, parents, and faculty members. The second one is to promote the school so that parents are encouraged to enroll their children there.
The best website designs should effectively communicate the activities, resources, and curriculum of the school. It should also highlight the institution’s best and most distinctive features for attendees.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the best school website designs out there and see what they have to offer.
1. The New School
The New School is an independent charter school that celebrates diversity in its faculty, student body, and curriculum. The website of The New School makes a terrific first impression. It is well-organized and packed with helpful information for visitors and existing students alike.
What We Like About It
The rotating banner features compelling images of the school and its students. As a result, it instantly shows the visitor what to expect from the school – a lovely building with excellent facilities and a friendly environment.
Below that, you’ll find more photos of different levels, each of which links to its information page. These pages include all of the details a parent needs to assess whether the program is the right fit for their child.
There’s also a curriculum and sample schedule provided on the home page. All pages of the website are well-organized and informational without being overly cluttered.
The website also contains a part with numbers for the school’s statistics. This section establishes the school’s competence in helping their students by effectively displaying engaging figures.
On the home page, there are three Call-to-action (CTA) buttons for you to choose from. You can send an inquiry, schedule a tour, or submit your application.
What’s even better is that despite a large number of images, the school’s website loads swiftly. As a result, the parents do not have to wait long to see the information on the pages.
2. The Brearley School
The Brearley School is a private school for girls based in New York City. Its website is well-organized, user-friendly, and effectively delivers all pertinent information to its students and potential enrollees.
What We Like About It
The header has a navigation bar for all of the information a parent or student may need. This includes admission requirements and procedures, descriptions of the different levels, school programs, and a section for existing students.
If you are not sure where to go next, you can use the search box at the top of the page.
The website showcases carefully selected images of the students where they look cheerful and welcoming. When you hover your mouse over the photo, you’ll find links to the different school levels and relevant information for each.
Adding the pictures and names of the admissions team also gives the website a nice and distinctive touch. It helps parents become acquainted with the individuals who can answer their queries and process their children’s applications.
Finally, there is a video talking about why the students should choose Brearly. The video is eye-catching, colorful, and engaging. Indeed, it is a great way to promote the school in under a minute.
3. Maret School
Maret School is a private co-ed school based in Washington. Its website is vibrant, inviting, and filled with relevant information.
What We Like About It
The header features a striking photograph of the school itself. This image showing a beautiful building surrounded by greenery will surely make parents pause to see.
The school’s website contains a lot of information, yet it is neat and easy to navigate thanks to the drop-down menu.
When you scroll down, you’ll see a slider with the school’s latest “happenings.” Then, if you click on one of the links, a new tab will open with the blog entry showcasing that event.
Below are image panels showing the different grade tiers. When you hover over an image, you can see links to the relevant pages for each one.
Finally, there is a link to a virtual tour of the school. This is a great way to promote the school grounds and facilities since it lets the parents know what it has to offer without visiting on their own.
4. Teton Science Schools
Teton Science Schools is located in the Teton Range in northern Arizona. Their website highlights the school’s wide range of learning opportunities. Overall, it does a great job of showcasing the uniqueness of this institution.
What We Like About It
The Teton Science Schools’ website is another one that effectively uses a video on its homepage. First, the aerial shot of the school with students running and waving at the camera is a friendly approach to get the visitor’s attention.
A short text follows the video and explains the three school foundations. This emphasizes how important values are to the school. There are also buttons for you to access the school’s curriculum and pandemic action plan.
Then, there is a section called “By The Numbers.” This part only displays three key numbers: the present student population, their university passing rate, and the percentage of enrollees who get tuition assistance. If these three factors are valuable to the visitor, they will surely grab their attention.
5. Waterford School
Waterford School is a private school in Utah for children who are passionate about liberal arts. It has a well-organized and easily navigable website that also incorporates the school’s colors.
What We Like About It
Right from the start, the website accentuates the school’s unique focus on liberal arts. For example, the rotating banner highlights what the school offers its students, such as a safe environment, challenging opportunities, and competitive athletics.
The mouse-over effects give a dynamic appearance to the website while also providing links to information pages.
Following that is a calendar of upcoming events. This is a great feature to remind the students about activities at their school in the coming weeks. Moreover, it shows potential students what they can look forward to if they choose to enroll here.
When you scroll down, you’ll find a section with the latest school-related news. The links take you to a blog-style page where you can read about the events that took place.
Finally, the home page shows four critical statistics. These include the school’s student-to-teacher ratio, number of national merit semi-finalists, percentage of the population that attends colleges, and athletic championships. These are valuable numbers since most parents are looking for a school to help their child reach their full potential.
6. Sewickley Academy
Sewickley Academy is a 16-acre school based in Pittsburgh. Its campus is equipped with all of the facilities necessary to prepare each student for their future. Moreover, the school’s website is vibrant, dynamic, and welcoming.
What We Like About It
One of the elements you will notice right away is that the website uses a pop-up to show a sign-up form for their in-person campus tour.
The main section of the homepage introduces the school’s mission and vision statement. Moreover, the images chosen to accompany the description of their core values are colorful and eye-catching.
The next “By the numbers” section focuses on the competency of the school faculty, student’s participation in athletic activities, and class size. The video underneath that section explains what Sewickley is and what it can offer its students.
Finally, there is a part of the page dedicated to current events on campus. This section has several entries that indicate how full the school’s calendar is.
7. Albuquerque Academy
Albuquerque Academy is a private, co-ed school geared towards preparing students for college. Its website is straightforward to navigate and uses simple colors to attract attention, allowing the page content to stand out.
What We Like About It
The first thing you will see is the welcome greeting and a video showing the school and the various experiences that the students had in the previous year.
Following that are three video testimonials from students talking about their experiences at the school. You can also find a link to other videos if that’s something you’re interested in. Again, this is beneficial to potential students since they can have existing students tell them what it’s like to attend the institution.
Another unique element of this website is the section on how they prepare their students for the future. If college preparation is important to potential students and their parents, this section will surely grab their attention.
8. The Roeper School
The Roeper School in Detroit is the oldest school for gifted students in the US. Their website demonstrates that they offer an inquiry-based, individualized program.
What We Like About It
The homepage of this institution features a grid of appealing photos in the form of a collage. The rotating images and accompanying school statements are well-selected and give an attractive first impression.
When you move your cursor over the photos, you’ll see what else the school has to offer. The website has a wide variety of contents, which you can access by hovering over the main menu or using the search box at the top.
Furthermore, the website is mobile-friendly with a responsive design that allows it to be viewed easily on any device. As a result, there is no need to zoom in or out to see the components. It also makes effective use of the hamburger menu.
Also, the MyRoeper link stays at the top right corner, making it simple for current students to access the resources they need.
9. The St. Paul Academy and Summit School
The SPA is a private day school that adheres to the concept of an “accountable classroom.” This implies that every student is encouraged to participate in discussions and actively engage with the teachers. Despite having a lot of content, their website is well-designed and structured strategically.
What We Like About It
When you hover over the sticky navigation bar, it expands to show a detailed Menu.
The mission of the institution is prominently displayed on the homepage. As a result, visitors will immediately understand what makes the school unique and why they should pick it for their child.
The Call-to-action links are present at the bottom of the page, alongside URLs to the school’s social media profiles.
The website’s fonts, colors, and photos are well-balanced, giving it a neat and modern appearance. Furthermore, it is fully mobile responsive and looks impressive on any screen size.
10. The Miami Valley School
The Miami Valley School is a college preparatory school in Ohio. Its motto is “Here, they become,” which is prominently featured on its website.
What We Like About It
The Miami Valley School’s website has excellent visuals on its homepage. The persuasive welcome video depicts moments from student life that are both entertaining and thrilling.
Underneath the school’s concise explanation of why you should choose it, there is a list of statistics that matter most to parents looking for a competent school. These include the percentage of students who receive financial aid, classroom ratio, percentage of the school population who study abroad and go on to college, and the number of immersive experiences that the school offers.
The website focuses on what sets The Miami Valley School apart from other schools and why you should choose it. It also showcases a parent testimonial, which is an impressive touch to boost their competence. The links to schedule a tour or send in applications are conveniently placed alongside their CTA buttons.
The photos and text in the Campus News section are organized in a grid. Moreover, there’s a glimpse of the school’s social media accounts as well.
Lastly, the website loads quickly and looks fantastic on a computer screen, although it also has a pretty impressive design for smaller devices.
Conclusion
A school website should contain all of the information that parents seek while selecting a reputable institution for their child. It should also provide access to the resources for existing students.
The website must be well-organized with a compelling homepage. In addition, it should be easy to navigate and access on any screen. You can easily find all of this and more in these top ten school website designs.
To summarize, these school website designs are visually pleasing and provide all of the information that students and potential enrollees would need. Moreover, they catch your attention and provide you with a variety of ways to interact with them.
