The Web Marketing Association is inviting the globe’s elite University websites to participate in its 30th annual WebAward Competition for website development, showcased at WebAward.org. Setting industry standards across 86 categories, including Educational, School and University websites. The competition welcomes entries from websites until the May 29, 2026 deadline.
“In the realm of University web development, the bar is set exceptionally high due to the discerning nature of a digitally savvy student body,” remarked William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. “In the modern digital landscape, the website of a University stands as its primary channel for communication, the dissemination of information, and student engagement. The WebAward Competition emerges as a paramount platform for educational websites, offering them a stage to showcase their ingenuity, artistic flair, and efficiency in nurturing educational engagement and promoting student success. Given the digital proficiency of today’s students, who have been navigating the internet from a very young age, University websites are scrutinized under a more rigorous lens, demanding unparalleled quality to captivate and maintain the interest of the educational community.”
University Websites are critiqued based on seven metrics: including design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copy writing and ease of use. Every entry in the University classification is compared against its category peers and evaluated against a standardized excellence benchmark.
All University category participants are provided with important feedback that benchmarks their scores against the industry average. Additionally, they can receive insightful comments from the WebAward’s panel of judges on their efforts in web site development.
Winners of a WebAward in the University category will also receive:
- Increased visibility for their school
- Marketing opportunity to promote the company website to the media
- Links to your site from the highly ranked WebAward site to help SEO
- Social media posts for your company and personal feeds
- A highlight for your resume.
- Admiration of peers, friends and co-workers
- Unlimited bragging rights
Each year, the Web Marketing Association names the Best of Industry for the various education categories based on the score they receive from the WebAward judges.
Recent winners of the Best University Web Site include:
2025 – San Juan College for San Juan College Website: Modern Design, Intuitive Navigation, Student-Centric Focus
2024 – Red Sage Communications for Alabama Center for the Arts
2023 – Luther College for Luther College Website
2022 – Office of Communications & Marketing for CUNY Graduate Center
2021 – mStoner, Inc. for MARYMOUNT MANHATTAN COLLEGE WEBSITE REDESIGN
2020 – mStoner, Inc. for UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT BRADFORD WEBSITE REDESIGN
2019 – Primacy for Suffolk University Website
2018 – Knowble Media for Illinois College
2017 – The Culinary Institute of America for ciachef.edu
2016 – IN.gov for Ivy Tech Community College
2015 – Westwerk for FOCUS.BoiseState.edu
2014 – Systems Alliance, Inc. for Stevenson University
2013 – Behavior Design for The Cooper Union Website Redesign
2012 – University Marketing and Communications for 30 Days of EnTERPreneurship
2011 – Denison University & Fahlgren Mortine for TheDEN
2010 – Corey McPherson Nash for University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business
2009 – BrowserMedia for University of Maryland Women’s Basketball
2008 – Market United for Murdoch University Switching
2007 – The Art Institute of Pittsburgh for The Art Institute of Pittsburgh
2006 – Xavier University for The Road to Xavier
2005 – Geary Interactive for Sand Diego State University Timeline
2004 – School of Visual Arts for School of Visual Arts web site
2003 – 160over90 for Chestnut Hill College Admissions site
2002 – University of Houston for University of Houston – Division of University Advancement
University Websites can be entered into consideration for the 2026 Best University Website and other education-related WebAwards at the WebAward Website.
Stay connected with the Web Marketing Association through our social media presence on : Facebook LinkedIn Page, LinkedIn Group & Twitter. Ensure you like and follow to get the latest award news and updates!
To learn more and to enter the 30th annual WebAward Competition for Website Development, please visit our website and create a nominator account.
About the WebAwards
The Web Marketing Association was founded in 1997 to help define the standard of excellence for online marketing. Our internationally known award programs, such as WebAward Competition for Website Development, Internet Advertising Competition and the MobileWebAwards, recognize the people and organizations responsible for developing the most effective online marketing programs on the Internet today. Entrants benefit from assessment of their marketing efforts by a professional judging panel and the marketing opportunities presented by being recognized as an award-winning web developer.