17 Best WordPress Themes for Universities to Use

University WordPress themes are specially designed to help schools build and manage their websites effectively. In our increasingly digital world, they need to level up their online presence as well.

As competition in education grows, universities need websites that are clear, attractive, and flexible to keep up with the changing needs of students and teachers.

A lot of old-school sites don’t work well for today’s users. Problems like poor mobile support, slow websites, hard-to-use interfaces, and outdated online learning tools can turn away potential students and upset current ones.

This article will help schools look for various WordPress themes available, highlighting those that work best for university sites.

By finding the right theme, universities can improve how they appear online, simplify how they operate, and offer a better educational experience overall.

Our Picks for the Best University WordPress Themes

Eduma

Eduma is a leading university WordPress theme with a focus on education. It has over 34 unique demo homepages, each designed for educational websites.

This theme’s integration with LearnPress elevates its functionality by helping with the efficient management of educational content and interactions. This makes it work well with modern e-learning systems.

Its WooCommerce compatibility also allows for easy selling of courses, merchandise, and other goods.

Moreover, Eduma has its one-click demo importer. This feature allows users to quickly implement pre-designed templates, almost instantly giving their site a professional appearance. 

Lastly, it Includes several premium plugins like WPBakery Page Builder and Slider Revolution. Offering more than just basic functionalities, Eduma is one of the best university WordPress themes for creating functional educational websites.

Benefits of Eduma

• Multiple layout options for courses and archives make course presentations attractive
• Easy customization of branding elements like logos, colors, and fonts
• Robust student management and analytics tools
• Advanced features support effective event management and global payment options
• A broad selection of customizable templates and layouts, regular updates, and lifetime support guarantee long-term satisfaction and usability

Drawback of Eduma

• Some premium plugins may require to be purchased separately

Astra

Astra is a WordPress theme celebrated for its customization and lightweight design. Its fast performance and simplicity are ideal for different websites, especially educational institutions. 

Astra has over 230 starter themes including one specially made for Universities. It has layouts perfect for displaying courses, faculty bios, and campus events. 

The theme’s design starts strong with an emotive success image on the homepage, setting a professional tone. It combines a simple yet effective grayscale color scheme with strategic color highlights, making key elements stand out.

You can easily tailor the template to reflect your university’s branding. You can also adjust typography, colors, and layouts, allowing for a personalized and cohesive look. 

Additionally, Astra’s WooCommerce integration is a game-changer for universities. This feature enables the easy setup of online stores selling books, course materials, or branded merchandise.

Benefits of Astra

• Seamless integration with LMS systems like LearnDash and LifterLMS
• Full compatibility with leading page builders
• Supports multiple languages, which is beneficial for international universities
• Provides a variety of site layouts and blog styles
• Highly customizable, from global design options to specific page elements

Drawbacks of Astra

• The most advanced features require the Pro version
• Limited support in the free version

Edukul

Edukul is an excellent university WordPress theme known for its ultra-responsive design. It looks stunning on all devices, a crucial feature for today’s mobile-first student body.

This theme is especially useful for international universities because it’s ready for multiple languages and translations. With support for the WordPress Multilingual Plugin (WPML), Edukul easily serves a global audience, reaching students from various language backgrounds.

Edukul also offers advanced customization options. Universities can pick from unlimited colors and fonts, various header styles, and sophisticated footer options. These features help universities tailor their websites to match their branding and create a unified online presence.

The theme further enhances community engagement by integrating social media through widgets for Instagram photos and Facebook likes.

Lastly, Edukul includes the WPBakery Page Builder for free, making page design straightforward with its drag-and-drop interface. This means educators and administrators can customize their pages without needing to code.

Benefits of Edukul

• Includes premium plugins like Revolution Slider at no extra cost
• Offers over 70 unique custom elements to enhance site functionality
• Backed by extensive documentation and professional support
• Features advanced security measures, including GDPR compliance
• Provides regular updates and easy demo import for quick and hassle-free setup

Drawbacks of Edukul

• The theme might be too resource-intensive for smaller hosting plans
• Dependent on third-party plugins for some important features

Academist

Academist is a versatile university WordPress theme known for its responsive and mobile-friendly design. It adjusts perfectly across all devices and screen sizes to provide a great viewing experience for the tech-savvy student body.

The theme shines with its advanced course management system, which is excellent for organizing and managing educational content. It includes tools for scheduling, allocating resources, and tracking student progress.

Additionally, the events calendar helps manage and display academic and extracurricular events. This way, you can keep the campus community informed and engaged.

The theme also supports e-learning with its Learning Management System (LMS), which includes quizzes, assignments, and certification processes.

Furthermore, Academist boosts user interaction with tools like instructor profiles, student dashboards, and detailed course information. These features not only improve the site’s functionality but also make the learning experience more interactive and personalized.

Benefits of Academist

• Offers a variety of demos with multiple homepage layouts to suit different educational styles
• E-commerce integration enables direct sales of courses and materials through the website
• SEO optimization ensures the website performs well in search engine results
• Comes with a GPL license that provides extensive flexibility in usage and modification
• Multilingual support broadens accessibility for a global audience

Drawbacks of Academist

• Can be relatively more expensive compared to other themes
• Some users might find certain design customization options limited without additional CSS or PHP knowledge

Eikra

Eikra is a sleek and minimalistic university WordPress theme known for its clean design. This theme simplifies navigation and boosts user experience, making it ideal for educational institutions.

It has 12 single and multi-page homepage demos to choose from. With its one-click demo import feature, it saves significant time by using sites that are pre-designed and customizable to meet specific requirements. 

The theme’s event calendar functionality also helps manage and display university events.

Eikra turns an educational website into a vibrant academic hub. It includes multiple stylish layouts for instructor profile pages. These profiles, along with integrated feedback and review systems, help create an active learning community. 

Moreover, Eikra supports video conferencing through Zoom, allowing real-time communication and collaboration. The theme also features event and blog pages that further engage the academic community, making it a center of activity and interaction.

Benefits of Eikra

• WooCommerce integration enhances e-commerce capabilities
• Regular updates ensure the security and functionality of the website
• Robust customer support and comprehensive documentation 
• Integrated LMS supports the effective administration of educational programs
• Compatibility with all modern browsers

Drawbacks of Eikra

• Its heavy reliance on plugins could affect site speed
• Does not offer a free version

OceanWP

Renowned for its flexibility and ease of use, OceanWP is perfect for educational websites. It offers a wealth of features like the ability to seamlessly integrate with popular page builders like Elementor and Gutenberg.

Using this theme, you can create a unique and functional online environment for your university. You can modify layouts, typography, and color schemes to align with your university identity and values through the WordPress Customizer.

OceanWP also fully adheres to web accessibility standards. This commitment is crucial for educational institutions that aim to provide equal access to information for all students. 

For universities managing sales of merchandise or course payments, OceanWP’s integration with WooCommerce is invaluable. It enables straightforward handling of e-commerce activities directly on the website. 

Moreover, the theme supports various educational plugins and tools that enhance functionality for course management and event calendars, making it a robust solution for academic institutions.

Benefits of OceanWP

• Fast loading times for a great user experience
• Compatibility with major page builders
• Extensive documentation and strong community support for troubleshooting
• Fully customizable on a global and individual page level
• Regular updates that improve security features and overall site functionality

Drawbacks of OceanWP

• Occasional compatibility issues with certain third-party plugins​ 
• Some premium features require separate purchase

Masterstudy

Masterstudy is a premium university WordPress theme that acts as a full Learning Management System (LMS). It’s the go-to theme for universities wanting to set up and manage an active online learning space. The theme allows for both paid and free course enrollments.

One of the theme’s main features is its real-time Questions and Answers function. It improves the learning process by promoting active dialogue between students and instructors within the course.

Additionally, the theme includes Zoom Video Conferencing integration, which enhances the virtual classroom by supporting live lessons and webinars.

Another significant feature of Masterstudy is its Certificates Builder. This tool enables the creation of customized certificates using high-quality images, various fonts, and drag-and-drop ease. It’s useful for courses that end with a certificate and helps build credentials.

Masterstudy also integrates with WooCommerce, allowing the sale of courses and educational materials directly from the website.

Benefits of Masterstudy

• Supports multiple content types, including text, video, and slides
• Features advanced assignments with support for uploads and essays in a variety of file formats
• Includes community and forum capabilities to boost student engagement and interaction
• Fully translated into 8 languages
• Showcases related courses to promote continuous learning and discovery among students

Drawbacks of Masterstudy

• Potential compatibility issues with less popular plugins or with major WordPress updates
• The extensive features can be overwhelming for beginners without prior WordPress experience

Divi

Divi is both a WordPress theme and a visual builder that allows you to edit your site in real-time from both the front and backend. Its drag-and-drop functionality is ideal for creating visually appealing layouts without any need for coding, making it highly suitable for educational websites.

The Divi Library enhances the theme’s utility by allowing users to save custom layouts, modules, and elements. These can be reused across the university’s site to maintain a consistent look and feel. 

GlobalStudy, a child theme designed specifically for Divi, targets e-learning with its integration of the MasterStudy LMS plugin. It provides ready-made page templates for creating and managing courses, lessons, and other essential pages for a complete learning management system. 

Additionally, the course builder feature in GlobalStudy is particularly user-friendly. It allows educators to create courses from scratch or populate them with pre-prepared content swiftly. 

The detailed profiles for instructors and students also enhance the interactive aspect of the learning experience. Students can even communicate directly with instructors through a messaging feature on their profile pages.

Benefits of Divi

• Supports 32 languages, including RTL language support
• Plugins and integrations help expand communication channels and engagement opportunities
• Access to a broad range of content elements and modules
• Capability for A/B testing helps optimize user engagement and effectiveness of the site design
• Employs AI technology to help you write both code and content on your site

Drawback of Divi

• Higher learning curve due to complex features

Edubin

Edubin is designed to meet the varied needs of educational institutions. It supports multiple Learning Management Systems plugins like LearnPress, Sensei, and Tutor LMS, which greatly enhance its ability to manage courses.

The theme includes a range of pre-built layouts so that universities can quickly set up and personalize their sites. Thanks to its responsive design, Edubin ensures that the website looks good from desktops to smartphones.

Edubin also features tools for managing events, which helps in organizing registrations and promoting educational activities. 

Additionally, the theme’s compatibility with WooCommerce makes it easy for institutions to handle eCommerce activities, like selling courses or academic resources.

Edubin offers extensive customization options as well. Universities can modify everything, from colors to fonts, for their websites to effectively match their branding.

Benefits of Edubin

• E-commerce ready with WooCommerce support
• Regular updates maintain compatibility with the latest WordPress versions and enhance security
• RTL support, accommodating languages like Arabic or Hebrew
• Professional support provides expert assistance for troubleshooting and theme customization
• Adheres to web accessibility standards

Drawbacks of Edubin

• Some LMS plugins may require separate purchases
• Heavy reliance on additional plugins for full functionality, which might complicate maintenance and updates

Education Zone Pro

Education Zone Pro is a prominent university WordPress theme specifically designed for educational institutions.

It offers a customizable homepage that can effectively highlight key information on your site. On top of that, the theme has a strong emphasis on security, which is important for maintaining the trust and confidence of students and faculty.

In addition, this theme features educational layouts highly curated for school environments, including dedicated areas for course listings, faculty information, and event calendars.

Education Zone Pro is also very responsive, includes WooCommerce support, and supports RTL (Right to Left) languages.

Benefits of Education Zone Pro 

• Both admins and visitors will find the website easy to use
• Facilitates the translation of the site into various languages
• Enables easy linking with social media platforms
• The theme works flawlessly across all modern browsers
• Includes six pre-designed websites that can be quickly adapted to specific needs

Drawback of Education Zone Pro 

• Does not offer a free version

WPLMS

The WPLMS university WordPress theme blends educational tools with social networking. This theme creates a vibrant learning environment by using microlearning and gamification strategies like badges, points, and learning paths to make learning both fun and rewarding.

It also allows comprehensive course creation. Instructors can easily build courses with multimedia elements, quizzes, and assignments. 

Furthermore, WPLMS integrates seamlessly with tools like Zoom for live sessions and WooCommerce for payment processing. This integration makes it practical for modern educational needs.

WPLMS is also designed to perform excellently on mobile devices. The mobile compatibility extends to an offline function.

Moreover, the theme offers extensive customization options. Educators can tailor course layouts to meet specific teaching styles and subject requirements.

Benefits of WPLMS

• Offers robust tools for course management and certification processes
• Integration with third-party tools and different plugins
• Encourages interactive learning through forums, chats, and groups
• Includes detailed tools for monitoring student progress and evaluating course effectiveness
• Suitable for both small educational projects and large-scale e-learning platforms

Drawback of WPLMS

• The wide array of features might be overwhelming for new users or those with limited tech skills

Lectura Lite

Lectura Lite is a free university WordPress theme that offers a simple, elegant, and user-friendly design. It’s a perfect choice for organizations looking to establish a professional online presence.

The theme is highly customizable, as it supports customizable menus and logos. It also has featured images and custom backgrounds to enhance your site’s visual appeal and make it more engaging for visitors.

On top of that, this theme meets modern web accessibility standards, even for people with disabilities. It also automatically adjusts its layout to fit different screen sizes and devices.

Being a free university WordPress theme, Lectura Lite is particularly attractive for budget-conscious educational institutions. It offers core functionalities without the hefty price tag associated with premium themes.

Benefits of Lectura Lite

• Works well with major page builders like Elementor and Beaver Builder
• Ensures quick loading times
• Comes with layouts suitable for blogging, ideal for publishing news or updates
• Offers a range of customization options to further tailor the site’s look
• Provides dedicated support to assist with any issues or customization needs

Drawbacks of Lectura Lite

• As a free theme, updates may not be as frequent as those for premium themes
• Some may find the design too basic

Neve

Neve is ideal for educational institutions that need a quick, efficient working website. It’s fast and also supports AMP to boost mobile browsing speeds, which is crucial as more people use their smartphones for web access.

With this theme, universities can adjust everything from blog layouts to header and footer configurations. Compatibility with popular page builders like Elementor and Beaver Builder also makes it easy for administrators to adjust designs as needed.

Another significant advantage is the theme’s ready-to-import starter sites like the university template. With just a few clicks, you’ll have a website with professional looks and functionality from day one. 

Plus, Neve’s WooCommerce compatibility means that institutions looking to sell courses or merchandise can easily set up shop on their website.

Neve is also updated regularly to remain compatible with the latest WordPress versions and integrates new features. These updates help maintain the theme’s security and functionality.

Benefits of Neve

• Affordable pricing tiers make Neve accessible for different budgets
• Includes support for RTL languages and is translation-ready
• Loads in less than one second for a smooth user experience
• Has highly SEO-optimized code 
• Easy to set up and has sleek designs

Drawback of Neve

• Limited color options in the free version

University

The University theme blends practical design with advanced functionality. It simplifies the creation and management of educational content, events, and online sales.

This theme’s event management feature lets you easily create and manage events, including ticket sales, thanks to its WooCommerce integration.

Another standout feature of this theme is its Visual Composer, a drag-and-drop page builder, that enhances the site’s customizability. You can create custom layouts without needing extensive coding knowledge.

Moreover, the theme features the Revolution Slider, a tool that allows the creation of dynamic slide shows. These can highlight important content on your website to make it more engaging for your visitors. 

Lastly, its compatibility with LearnDash makes it highly suitable for educational platforms. The plugin supports detailed course management and reporting, which are important for effective online education.

Benefits of University

• Includes seven demos for quick, professional website setup
• Integrated LMS capabilities include custom post types for courses
• Features for social media sharing and connectivity functions
• Provides comprehensive help and reliable user support
• Keeps the theme current with the latest features and security updates

Drawback of University

• Dependent on WooCommerce for ticketing features

Unicamp

Unicamp is a robust university WordPress theme that integrates well with the Tutor LMS Pro Plugin. This adds sophisticated features such as instructor management, detailed reporting, and advanced quiz capabilities.

The theme also offers event management tools, which simplify organizing and promoting both on-campus and virtual events to fit modern educational settings.

Aside from that, Unicamp features dedicated pages for academics, admissions, campus life, alumni, and research, all specifically designed for the education sector.

Unicamp’s integration with BuddyPress turns it into a community hub, perfect for fostering social connections within the educational community. This feature enables the creation of groups, personal profiles, and social networking among students and staff.

Benefits of Unicamp

• Enables easy integration of e-commerce functionalities
• Simplifies the setup process with pre-built content that can be easily customized
• Offers flexibility in transaction methods like PayPal and bank transfer
• Allows customization of quizzes and certificates

Drawbacks of Unicamp

• The cost of maintaining premium plugins like Tutor LMS might add up

Estudiar

One of the best WordPress themes for a university website, Estudiar is a highly regarded theme that’s both modern and user-friendly.

The theme is packed with customizable pages and practical elements designed to ensure every necessary feature is included in your website.

Estudiar comes with $260 worth of premium Getty Images stock for free. These images give you options for your website project and are included with the demo content.

The theme boasts dynamic content layouts built with Elementor Pro, covering everything from product pages to maintenance modes.

Estudiar’s responsive and retina-ready design also provides an optimal viewing experience for users. It also integrates with the Tutor LMS Pro Plugin, boosting its educational capabilities with features like detailed reporting and instructor management.

Benefits of Estudiar

• Has 23 HD WordPress video tutorials for beginners
• Community engagement through BuddyPress
• Easy setup with one-click demo import
• Advanced capabilities for managing events
• Strong security features

Drawback of Estudiar

• Requires good hosting for smooth operation

Educator By Edge-Themes

Educator is a university WordPress theme that makes it easy to share details about online courses and eLearning options. It allows you to introduce tutors and various school programs effectively.

This theme integrates well with bbPress, enabling the creation of discussion forums on your website. It fosters a community learning environment by enhancing student interaction and participation. 

It also supports Contact Form 7 to streamline the process of creating contact forms on your site. Moreover, the Events Calendar feature is particularly useful for managing and scheduling school events.

And with its WooCommerce compatibility, the theme supports the direct sale of courses and educational materials, making it a versatile tool for educational sales and services.

Benefits of Educator

• Fully responsive and retina-ready for optimal display on all devices
• One-click demo import simplifies setup
• Includes premium plugins like WPBakery Page Builder for enhanced customization
• Advanced course search and listing capabilities
• Supports multiple languages, ideal for international educational institutions

Drawback of Educator

• The cost of premium plugins, if not included, can add to the overall expenses

FAQS About University WordPress Themes

Final Thoughts

Choosing the best university WordPress themes is important for those who need to effectively manage their resources, technology, administrative tasks, and community engagement.

With the right theme, universities can establish a professional and efficient online presence. At the same time, it boosts their recruitment by presenting a well-polished image of what they can offer to potential students.

When you’re thinking about updating or creating your university’s website, consider how a specialized WordPress theme could make the process so much easier. 

Explore the options listed above, and let’s work together to create a more connected and dynamic educational environment.