Top Higher Education Catalogs of 2024
Course catalogs are a critical tool for institutions, serving as a resource to attract prospective students and guide current learners toward their goals. Modern colleges and universities understand that a catalog is more than a course listing —it’s a strategic asset for marketing, advising and supporting staff and students. A user-friendly, accurate and comprehensive catalog is fundamental to fulfilling an institution's mission.
Brand consistency, interactivity, multimedia integration and cross-departmental collaboration elevate the student experience. These features ensure catalogs are accessible and actionable, empowering students to make informed, career-focused decisions as they navigate their educational journey.
Each year, Modern Campus celebrates exemplary course catalogs that set the standard for usability and content. These catalogs not only drive enrollment but also support student success, foster retention and contribute to developing tomorrow’s workforce.
In alphabetical order, we celebrate this year’s exceptional catalogs.
- Bellevue College
- Chemeketa Community College
- Coastal Carolina University
- Grand Rapids Community College
- Muskingum University
- North Central Texas College
- South Dakota State University
- Southeast Technical College
Bellevue College
Website: catalog.bellevuecollege.edu
Comprehensive program explorer and engaging tools
Bellevue College leverages its catalog to provide robust tools for exploring programs and career opportunities. Featuring a streamlined design, the catalog integrates a "Career and Program Explorer" into its navigation menu, allowing keyword searches for instant access to curated program lists and career data.
The catalog groups educational options by area of interest, highlighting real-world applications to link academics with career outcomes. Its user-friendly layout guides viewers effortlessly through academic pathways —offering vital links to course schedules, program outcomes and admission tools. Centralizing key resources, it empowers students to make informed decisions with confidence and ease.
Chemeketa Community College
Website: catalog.chemeketa.edu
Organized information and career-focused planning
Chemeketa Community College’s catalog sets the standard for clarity and organization. From clear graduation and transfer requirements to detailed articulation agreements, the catalog ensures that all essential information is easily accessible. Each program page includes comprehensive descriptions of outcomes, career pathways and a term-by-term academic plan —empowering students to confidently navigate their education.
Each program features a "Degree Planner" button for printing reference materials and accessing planning worksheets. Advisor connections are prominently highlighted on every program page to ensure accessible support and personalized guidance. These features reinforce the catalog as an essential tool for fostering academic success and career readiness.
Coastal Carolina University
Website: catalog.coastal.edu
Dynamic engagement and career integration
Coastal Carolina University’s catalog seamlessly blends a dynamic video header with the institution’s homepage aesthetic to deliver a welcoming and consistent brand experience. Beyond its striking design, the catalog enhances usability with features like “Helpful Hints” and integrates essential academic details, such as foundation, core and major-specific courses. Each program page connects academics to careers by embedding job market data.
Clear navigation, along with calls to action like “Apply Now” and “Request Info” on program pages, ensures accessibility for prospective students. Additional sections resources, including enrollment management and campus life, provide a holistic view of how Coastal Carolina supports students from enrollment to success.
Grand Rapids Community College
Website: catalog.grcc.edu
Student-centered design and transfer clarity
Grand Rapids Community College’s catalog serves as a critical resource for students, faculty and staff. The catalog highlights the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA), which benefits about 80% of students by simplifying academic planning. Articulation agreements with transfer partners are accessible and well-detailed, simplifying the transfer process.
The catalog’s streamlined design and user-friendly content management system is highly praised by staff. Students benefit from clear pathways, term planning and immediate access to key resources like advising contacts and support services, solidifying the catalog as an essential guide for the GRCC community.
Muskingum University
Website: catalog.muskingum.edu
Personalized tools and streamlined navigation
Muskingum University’s catalog stands out with bold buttons, clear instructions to maximize its value and promotion of the “My Portfolio” feature— allowing students to save and reference personalized academic plans. This tool empowers users to chart their educational journey by adding courses and programs of interest for easy reference.
With a clean, simple and visually appealing navigation system, the catalog enables students, faculty and visitors to quickly locate critical information. In addition to course and program details, it provides easy access to policies, requirements and additional campus information, ensuring that all resources are readily available when needed.
North Central Texas College
Website: catalog.nctc.edu
Pathway clarity and accessible resources
North Central Texas College prioritizes simplicity and accessibility in its online catalog. Clear navigation menus lead users to detailed program pages, which outline pathways and semester plans to help students achieve their goals.
Program pages specify campus locations, eliminating confusion during planning, and present prerequisites, requirements and semester plans in a user-friendly format. Menu links to essential resources ensure all key information is easily accessible. By emphasizing clarity and ease of use, the catalog empowers students to confidently plan their academic journeys.
South Dakota State University
Website: catalog.sdstate.edu
Integrated resources and engaging visuals
South Dakota State University’s catalog combines best practices with engaging visuals for a standout user experience. Career pathways, clickable tiles with calls to action and a video header engage prospective students while maintaining a professional and informative tone. A “What’s New” section highlights updates and innovations for the current academic year.
With easy navigation and embedded images throughout, the catalog connects students to essential resources like program details, outcomes and career opportunities. Its design reflects SDSU’s commitment to providing a modern, user-friendly catalog experience.
Southeast Technical College
Website: catalog.southeasttech.edu
Program spotlight and transparency of information
Southeast Technical College’s (STC) catalog ensures students have all the information they need at their fingertips. An engaging video header showcases courses and campus life, while the homepage highlights new programs to keep visitors informed. Clickable buttons simplify navigation, with features like 'Apply Now' and 'Request Info' tabs driving leads directly to admissions. Key details like 'Learning Outcomes,' 'Program Mission Statement,' and 'Estimated Program Fees' are presented on-page for full transparency.
Additional links provide access to scholarships, real-time career outlooks, semester-by-semester plans and detailed course links. These course links provide syllabi, scheduling availability for courses offerings and a connection to the college bookstore for textbook information. This comprehensive, user-friendly format empowers students to make informed decisions and plan for success.
Celebrating the Top Higher Ed Catalogs of 2024
Watch as we highlight institutions that are leading the way in catalog and curriculum innovation, blending clarity with functionality to enhance the student experience.

Last updated: February 3, 2025