Higher education is a business, like any other. Both colleges and universities have to do their part in selling themselves to students to stir interest in their facilities. Of course, this means branding themselves, and displaying a great logo is a huge part of that branding. The logos for colleges and universities all vary in different ways, but are all very formal. Some have slogans and some display a coat of arms representing the history of the school. You can tell a lot by the logo such as an idea of the age of the school, it’s history and you can gain a feel for their branding efforts. The variety of logo designs is extremely interesting, but they all share a very professional look along with a bold font.

Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania, has multiple logos to represent their very large, well known school. It’s easy to see that the school’s logo designers have put forth a successful effort in their development. All four examples involve some form of their famous Nittany Lion and their navy blue and white school colors.

A coat of arms for a college or university is used as a common symbol to represent the school. A coat of arms is a traditional design that represents a group of people or a family. The coat of arms usually contains ancestral designs within a shield. The symbols stand for ancestry and achievement. Most colleges or universities date back over a hundred years, therefore the coat of arms contains history and meaning. The details change from school to school, but the symbols celebrate pride.

College is a great accomplishment is a graduate’s life and once all that studying and hard work is done, there exists a sense of pride in an alumnus’s heart.  A great logo for a college is important since it’s not only all over the school, but the life of the logo continues as alumni proudly display it on clothes, bumper stickers or other merchandise. School logos become traditions, therefore an effort to be the best is well worth it.

-Nora Reed