Alumni magazines are more than just glossy pages of campus news or digital archives of past milestones. They’re time capsules, unlocking memories of lazy afternoons on the quad, late-night study sessions and the rush of game day with friends. They capture that unmistakable feeling of belonging, from the anticipation of move-in day to relationships formed in residence halls.
Past and present weave together in a tapestry (perhaps a university bookstore scarf) to showcase legacy and invention, threads of campus tradition uniting generations across a shared experience. Readers reconnect with old friends through class notes, relive moments of triumph — sometimes tragedy — and celebrate the contributions of today’s students and the achievements of alumni shaping industry.
At their core, these publications, whether printed or digital, distinguish themselves through compelling storytelling, innovative design and deep engagement with their readership. From tackling hot-button topics to thinking outside the box with bold design and innovative formats, here’s a round-up of graduate gazettes that continue to connect with their communities.
- Top of the Class: Award-Winning Alumni Magazines
- Tackling Tough Topics: Coverage of Complex Issues
- Hot Topic: Themed Issues with Impact
- Alma Mater Memos: Personal Stories and Keepsakes
- Cover Story: Creative and Bold Covers
- Back into the Fold: Innovative Print Design Features
- From Print to Pixels: Digital Magazine Evolution
- Multimedia Makeover: Interactive Storytelling Elements
- Ending on a High Note: Memorable Final Pages
Top of the Class
VCU Magazine from Virginia Commonwealth University was still in its infancy when it won the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s 2024 Robert Sibley Magazine of the Year Award, celebrated for its bold design, engaging narratives and journalistic depth. Similarly, Swarthmore College’s The Bulletin earned multiple 2025 CUPPIE awards in the Outreach–Magazines category from the College and University Public Relations Association of Pennsylvania for its masterful blend of storytelling, design and engagement.
VCU’s pages foster critical thinking and cook up connection, with stories ranging from advancing cancer research to being cast in the American tour of Hamilton to a pitmaster proprietor known for his barbecue. Meanwhile, the online Bulletin features a dynamic, scrollable format that lets readers explore stories about Swarthmore alumni in careers like baseball analytics and firefighting, as well as the remarkable journey of a student-turned-professor of physics earning a Nobel Prize.
Tackling Tough Topics
It is particularly impressive when alumni magazines not only capture the intellectual vibrancy of their campuses but also frame their stories through relevant social, political or scientific lenses. In Fall 2024, Northwestern Magazine highlighted the work of Harris Forbes ’19, associate producer for “America in Black,” a CBS News show covering aspects of Black American life, including sensitive issues like the Black maternal health crisis and the teaching of Black history in schools. The alum was particularly excited to help shift the media landscape by covering marginalized communities.
Boston University’s Bostonia, too, likes to push the envelope by publishing occasionally uncomfortable stories like democracy at risk (before the 2024 election) and an alum’s role securing and militarizing space as chief of space operations for the U.S. Space Force.
Hot Topic
When alumni publications weave a social theme throughout an issue, they unify editorial content and elevate alumni identity. Timely topics like social justice, climate change and AI highlight university research, industry ties and thought leadership. But sometimes, a theme is chosen just for fun. From campus lore to quirky trends, playful themes can showcase the lighter side of an institution’s impact.
Take the Summer 2024 issue of Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine, for example. They elevated the more predictable “Hidden Gems” mentions by writing about an abandoned apartment over the dining hall; a secret society that dates back to 1908; stories of students who’d dressed as the mascot; even a random landline at the end of a hall that, one alumna admits, she used often to call home to India.
The UCONN Magazine staff had been talking about doing a day-in-the-life issue for years, and perhaps influenced by HBO Max’s emergency room drama “The Pitt,” in which each episode dramatizes an hour in the day, UCONN took a similar approach, bringing readers on a 24-hour photographic journey around campus from ROTC training at 0500 hours to the men’s and women’s basketball courts for 2 p.m. practice to last call at Huskie’s in downtown Storrs.
Alma Mater Memos
Though not groundbreaking, two recent online features from UCLA and UMass showcase what alumni publications do best: offer time-capsule glimpses into campus life at pivotal moments in history.
For extra credit, you can download a worksheet to participate in UMass Magazine’s mementos story, which asked alumni of the Amherst school to share what they kept under a bed, at the back of a cabinet or still hanging in the closet. Keepsakes included several student IDs, T-shirts, a cereal bowl from Dining Commons circa 1976 and a commemorative bottle cap from the long-defunct dairy technologies major.
“If the immediacy of our digital world provides the leaves of our shared story — always moving, changing and falling — here, then, is the tree,” read a scrolling online yearbook story documenting Bruin and American history at UCLA.
Cover Story
Alumni magazines are shaped by more than words. A well-designed cover acts as a visual welcome mat, or maybe a “Welcome Back” mat, inviting alumni to reconnect with the memories and milestones of their alma mater. The cover itself may also catalyze dialogue, like the recent cover illustrations for Bowdoin Magazine. They evoke “home,” “part and apart” and “depth of meaning,” but they are more artful and esoteric than the traditional alumni magazine cover and deserve kudos for extending coffee table conversation.
The Summer 2024 issue of Clemson World highlights powerful stories of disability and accessibility, featuring a trailblazing graduate from one of the university’s PhD programs. Born fully blind in his left eye and legally blind in his right, the alum is now reshaping mainstream design with a commitment to inclusivity. In a striking nod to his work, the cover of this issue is designed in Braille.
And, as a tactic to engage alumni, the team behind the Spring 2024 issue of Bucknell Magazine created and mailed A and B versions of their innovator issue featuring two different alumni who embodied the spirit of entrepreneurship, encouraging recipients to connect and share their feedback.
Back into the Fold
Alumni magazines are usually in the business of cutting corners, not folding them. But occasionally, a publication pushes print design boundaries with a clever crease or a dramatic gatefold. To chronicle the University of Tampa president’s 30-year tenure, UT Journal introduced a striking double gatefold timeline in its Spring 2024 issue. Despite a 30% cost increase, the result was a standout feature that impressed readers and set new design benchmarks.
In Winter 2024, Nebraska Quarterly engaged its alumni in a hands-on activity. “Joining a club on campus can be key to finding your people,” read the cover. Students can join any of 550 clubs, even origami. The directions invited alumni to fold their own Archie, the mammoth mascot, as they fondly reflect on their days at Nebraska. Alumni engagement teams, here’s your next fundraising idea: Pop-up picture book of your college campus!
From Print to Pixels
With budget cuts and rising paper costs, the transition to digital was inevitable. But for many alumni publications, the creation of a website or digital hub was more than a shift from PDFs and flipbooks. This evolution mirrored innovations by dailies and monthlies, allowing alumni mags to generate their online displays. By adopting scrolling functionalities and interactive layouts, these magazines present news, departments and features in engaging new ways. Brown Alumni Magazine uses its digital territory to blend a structured layout with infinite scroll. This method fosters a journey of discovery, engaging users with a continuous narrative journey.
Moravian Magazine embraces minimalism with a clean design that prioritizes readability and visual appeal. The strategic use of white space and engaging imagery draws readers into a seamless browsing experience.
Mizzou Magazine crafts an online paradise that is as dynamic as it is navigable. With bold colors and an energetic design, it maintains a harmonious balance between excitement and cleanliness. As a side note, Mizzou is still doing everything right in its print publication, garnering it design, photography and typography honors.
Multimedia Makeover
Universities are revolutionizing alumni engagement by infusing publications with multimedia elements. From interactive articles to embedded videos, animations, clickable elements and rollover functionality, these dynamic features transform traditional features into immersive storytelling platforms that bridge past and present.
Ohio State Alumni Magazine stands out by redefining how stories are told and experienced. Exemplified in features like the Pelotonia Research Center story, with a simple scroll, lightboxes invite readers to explore visual content and images and supplements leap from the page, expanding to reveal intricate details and narratives hidden within.
At the University of California, San Francisco, the integration of digital artwork into UCSF Magazine is a testament to interactive innovation. Rollovers and clickable boxes with collaborative features allow users to delve deeper into artistic elements. This dynamic interaction transforms passive viewing into an engaging experience, enabling readers to uncover additional narratives and detailed insights embedded within the artwork.
Ending on a High Note
Although every page in an alumni magazine plays a crucial role in telling the story of a university’s past, present and future, it’s often the last page that leaves an indelible mark. Admittedly, finale features sometimes lose their spot to inside back cover (paying) ads! If still used for editorial purposes, this crucial real estate is a canvas for creativity and nostalgia. Whether it’s a spotlight on a remarkable alum, a quirky comic or a heartfelt farewell letter, the last page is where publications often pull out all the stops to connect, reflect and sometimes amuse.
There’s Denison College and Georgetown Magazine’s “The Last Word,” both contemplation pieces; WashU Magazine’s “Lasting Impression” photography; and University of Richmond Magazine’s “Postscript.”
The Penn Stater ties its issues up nicely with first-person nostalgic ruminations from individual graduates in “My Thoughts Exactly.” UC Boulder’s Coloradan simply runs “THEN” — a recollection of times gone by, pulling photography from archival collections.
Alumni magazines aren’t going anywhere. Whether folded into a mailbox or flicked through on a phone, they keep evolving and keep us coming back. Because at the end of the day, everyone loves a good story. Especially when it’s their own.
