What makes a higher logo great?

Recollect about your alma mater for a second. Do yous have a school bumper sticker with the logo emblazoned on it? A lid? A sweatshirt? A flag? Or mayhap all of the to a higher place?

If you still bleed your school colors and rock your school swag whenever possible, then chances are, your university did a pretty expert job designing its logo. According to the principles of great logo design, the best logos are uncomplicated, memorable, timeless, versatile, and appropriate. Click here to download our ultimate toolkit for social and PR branding.

Want to see some examples of awesome college logo designs? You're in the right identify. I chatted with my colleague, Tyler Littwin, fine art manager here at HubSpot, to choose 12 of the best college logo designs from American universities. Check them out and learn what nigh their design makes them stand out -- in a good manner.

i. University of Texas

university-of-texas-logo.png

Source: University of Texas

University of Texas'southward longhorn silhouette is the hallmark of classic and timeless logo design. The logo hasn't changed since its introduction in 1961, and information technology remains one of the virtually iconic college sports logos in the world.

"Any logo that works as a single color design is fantastic," says Littwin. "It's simple, iconic, and has a great necktie-in to the 'hook 'em horns' hand symbol."

hook-em-horns-hand-sign.jpg

Source: Atrocious Announcing

2. University of Due north Carolina

unc-monogram-logo.png

Source: Carolina Athletics

The interlocking NC, one of the Academy of North Carolina's athletics logos, features some other timeless design -- this fourth dimension with attention-grabbing colors. Walk into a packed crowd at the Dean Dome, and y'all'll encounter a bounding main of Carolina Blue, the official school color of UNC that dates back to the late eighteenth century.

Tyler gives UNC'southward logo two thumbs up. "Classic," he says. "A+ from me. Beyond the logotype, the color is a nifty bit of branding."

3. Ohio University

ohio-university-attack-cat-logo.png

Source: Ohio University

The "Attack Cat," which represents Ohio University's bobcat mascot, replaced a unproblematic dark-green mitt print in 2002 as the school'southward official athletics logo. While many OU alumni were disappointed with the change -- citing information technology as too intense -- Littwin likes the new design.

As an objective observer, he says, "It's a skillful integration of an illustration with type. The whiskers create a nice baseline for the arced text. In that location'due south also an overall nice balance: The bobcat is recognizable and 'Ohio' is nevertheless 100% legible."

four. University of Oregon

oregon-university-logo.png

Source: GoAbroad Blog

Academy of Oregon's "O" logo has hidden meaning: The within of the "O" represents the shape of the school's runway, Hayward Field, while the outside of the "O" represents the shape of Autzen Stadium, the school's football field.

"Every bit iconic and unproblematic of a logo as you could inquire for," says Littwin. "I am also a huge fan of the yellow and greenish color scheme. It reminds me of the Oakland A's, the Norwich Canaries, and so on."

5. University of Notre Matriarch

notre-dame-logo.png

Source: Wikimedia

The Notre Matriarch monogram is the university's most recognizable logo, and it'southward used for athletics and academics alike. The school's official brand standards call it "recognizable," "representative," "welcoming," and "approachable."

As for what Littwin thinks? "I'1000 a sucker for really bones logotypes similar this one, UNC'due south, and Iowa State's. They're wonderfully old-school and no-nonsense. E'er going to get my vote."

Fifty-fifty Notre Dame's trademarked "Fighting Irish" logo is impressively well-designed for such a unique mascot. "I prefer the stylized 'ND' logo, but in that location's something really vintage and cool about this surly Irishman," says Littwin. "Normally the more than cartoony logos lose me, simply this one is a keeper."

notre-dame-fighting-irish.png

Source: fathead

half-dozen. University of Miami

university-of-miami-logo.png

Source: Wikimedia

A reporter from the University of Miami'southward official student newspaper said it best: "There are thousands of universities across the nation, but only one gets to exist The U."

The Miami athletics' iconic dissever-U logo wasn't created until 1973, several years later the educatee-athlete scholarship fund first commissioned a logo redesign. It was designed past publicist Julian Cole, the showtime graduate of UM's radio and television section, and graphic creative person Neb Bodenhamer, who both were likewise responsible for designing the Miami Dolphins' current logo.

"If y'all call up about it, information technology was quite a stretch," said Lisa Cole, 1 of Cole's daughters. "They took the U and said, 'This is the university.'"

Only it worked, and a hype surrounding the "U" developed over the following few years. It was used for slogans like, "U gotta believe." Littwin calls it "minimalist and recognizable to a vivid caste."

Even an effort to find a logo replacement in 1979 past Henry King Stanford -- the university's president at the time -- failed, thanks to heavy student candidature against the change. Nowadays, as with the University of Texas' longhorn symbol, the "U" has its own paw symbol. "Throwing up the U" means property your hands in the air like this:

throwing-up-the-u.jpg

Source: PalmBeachPost.com

vii. Clemson University

clemson-university-logo.jpg

Source: UNC Charlotte

Clemson'due south tiger paw logo is some other one of the most widely recognized collegiate logos in the United States. Although it seems timeless, information technology actually wasn't introduced until 1970 -- the end of a rebranding campaign that began when the school commencement admitted women and minorities in 1950.

The logo itself represents a tiger's paw print, rough edges and all. An bodily tiger was chosen as the bailiwick for the logo, and the print comes from a bandage that was made for the design. In fact, practise you run into the slight indentation at the bottom of the paw print? According to Clemson'southward official website, that comes from "a scar that the tiger who had been chosen equally the field of study for the logo had received earlier the cast was made."

The genuine paw impress makes for a cool design. "The crude paw print is nifty and somehow works when paired with the more formal-looking type lockup," says Littwin.

Another subtle intricacy of the logo? The 30-degree angle represents the 1:00 p.m. kickoff typical for football games at the time.

eight. Bowdoin College

bowdoin-college-logo.jpg

Source: Bowdoin College

While Bowdoin'southward mascot has been the Polar Carry for over 100 years, this particular version of its logo is adequately recent: Information technology was made official by the university in 2008. A student reporter for the schoolhouse's official educatee newspaper explains: "The new logo is intended to serve as a consistent and timeless graphic identity for the College."

Previously, the polar bear logo had been unofficial -- and information technology had been represented by everything from a "cartoonish" running polar bear on student keycards, to a "more than aggressive" profile of a bear with its oral cavity open equally if information technology were snarling.

"Noting that in the wild, polar bears have no predators other than man, and that a ferocious, growling mascot was non the image the college was looking to project," wrote the student reporter, "[VP for Communications and Public Diplomacy Scott] Hood said that in that location's 'something highly-seasoned about having a mascot that is looking directly at you.'"

Littwin agrees -- that's what makes this logo so strong. "The polar comport seems remarkably calm and composed," he says. "I trust him."

9. Hofstra University

hofstra-university-logo.jpg

Source: CAA Sports

The Hofstra Pride logo was "adult to build a stiff visual identity" for its athletic department, according to its official usage guide. It'due south represented by a pair of lions, male person and female, that announced to be charging in the same direction. Furrowed brows and windswept manes give them a sense of conclusion and forcefulness.

"The Pride conveys both the teamwork and togetherness that are traits of lions living in a pride, that have a close bond and work together for the good of the unabridged group," reads the guide. Information technology was created for the university's athletic department in 2005.

"A very clever and awesome design," notes Littwin. "Information technology's rare to see a university become both sexes of a mascot into the aforementioned logo. Well done, Hofstra."

x. Missouri Western State University

missouri-western-state-logo.jpg

Source: American Clan of Colleges of Nursing

Missouri Western State University started using the Griffon logo in 1973, several years before the school became a fully funded iv-yr state college. Why a Griffon? Because "information technology was considered a guardian of riches, and educational activity was viewed as a precious treasure," reads the school's official website.

The logo symbolizes more than just a mythical animate being, though. Observe annihilation special near its shape? If y'all look closely, the outline of the Griffon resembles the shape of the state of Missouri. Bank check it out:

state-of-missouri-outline.jpg

Source: ArtFire

Littwin loves the hidden message. "It's a clever pattern that as well works even if y'all don't pick upward on the geographic reference," he says.

11. Florida International University

florida-international-university-logo.jpg

Source: Florida International Academy

The Panthers (originally the "Golden Panthers") replaced the Sunblazers every bit Florida International University's nickname in 1987 when Roary the Panther became its official mascot.

The logo represents a cool perspective -- it seems to exist coming out of the logo directly at the reader.

Littwin agrees. "I beloved the head-on perspective of this," he says. "There's something singular and nicely menacing about it."

12. Academy of Hawai'i

university-of-hawaii-logo.jpg

Source: Phenomenon Mamaki

The Academy of Hawai'i "H" logo was created for the able-bodied department in 2000. While the "H" conspicuously stands for Hawai'i, the school's official website says it as well represents the Hawaiian expression "ha," significant "breath" in Hawaiian. "The spirit of life passed on to united states from i person to another, generation to generation, with lessons and success," the website reads.

The cool patterns you see on either side of the "H" were inspired by Hawaiian kapa designs, which derive from native Hawaiian fine art. "I really like the kapa aesthetic and the simplicity of a one letter logo," says Littwin.

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Originally published Sep five, 2017 8:00:00 AM, updated September 05 2017