Kaplan University Launches New Website Aimed at an Exceptional Student Experience

Revamped KaplanUniversity.edu delivers more functionality, interactive features, social media interface capabilities and more

DAVENPORT, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kaplan University, a leader in higher education innovation, today announced the re-launch of its new student-facing website (www.kaplanuniversity.edu), which promises to make the student experience exceptional by delivering more functionality, enhanced interactive features, and social media-interface capabilities.

“Moreover, the website is a key platform for us to build from as we continue our rich tradition of innovating and transforming the student experience”

“Incorporating feedback and ideas from our students, faculty and staff, we’ve gone to great lengths to provide prospective and current students with an experience that is tailored to their needs, highly personalized and supportive, and convenient,” said Kaplan University President Wade Dyke. “The website features more content, tools and capabilities.”

New features include:

• Personalized Content and Routing—The site will learn from the viewing behaviors of visitors, adapting and delivering content based on the users’ site activity and needs, making their visit more tailored and compelling.
• Introduction of Social Media Hub—Kaplan University has a highly active and engaged social media community with more than 170,000 members across Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and YouTube. The site features a social hub, which brings together social media communities and makes it easy for visitors to join.

• Improved Media Library—Expanded search filters and categories (i.e. school, student type, and content type) make locating specific multimedia content much easier. Kaplan has produced a broad range of informative and inspirational videos, including those from its Visionary Voices series, which provide insights from thought leaders and employers across many industries. There are over 1.6 million video views on Kaplan University’s YouTube channel, with videos now easily accessed and searched through the website's media library.

• Simplified Page Navigation—Pages are not only user-friendly, but also better organized with descriptive titles, collapsible accordion-style tabs, sub-navigation and more consistent content. Equipped with a location finder widget, visitors can quickly jump to the campus sub-site of their choice. With the program finder option, visitors can search for specific programs of interest offered at ground locations. There is also a geo-location feature that displays the nearest campus based on a visitor’s IP address. This all adds up to an easier-to-navigate user experience. Important information is easier to find, helping students make informed decisions.
• Integrated Design—The new design is fresh and all-inclusive. No longer will there be individual sites for each Kaplan University campus or learning center. Instead, the new site absorbs them into one main site, offering campus learners an equally easy-to-use experience as online learners.
• Print Optimization—Students can conveniently print schedules, course descriptions, and other information directly from the site in a print-optimized format that extracts and lists all link URLs.
• Mobile Interface Compatibility—The new website, which doesn’t require Flash, is built to operate on tablets and mobile browsers for on-the-go access.
• Real-time Assistance—The added live-chat feature easily connects prospective students with admissions staff, prompting real-time assistance and answers to questions.
• Streamlined, Step-by-Step Financial Aid Process—Prospective Kaplan students will be able to access step-by-step guidance about the financial aid process. In addition, current and prospective students will find it easier to identify scholarships and other sources of funding while having instant access to related videos and important documents.
• Faculty Profiles and Testimonials—Kaplan University’s faculty members represent a variety of professional backgrounds, which will be highlighted. The profiles will give insight into their credentials and areas of emphasis, while serving as important resources for both prospective and existing students.

“We want every visitor’s interaction with us to be more rewarding and relevant, and the new website is a big step forward,” said Sophie Vlessing, Senior Vice President of Innovation and Strategy for Kaplan Higher Education Group. “The content is richer. It‘s mobile friendly and integrates seamlessly with social media. It all adds up to an intuitive, personalized and more valuable user experience.”

“Moreover, the website is a key platform for us to build from as we continue our rich tradition of innovating and transforming the student experience,” Vlessing added.

About Kaplan University

Kaplan University offers a different school of thought for higher education. It strives to help adult students unlock their talent by providing a practical, student-centered education that prepares them for careers in some of the fastest-growing industries. The University, which has its main campus in Davenport, Iowa, and its headquarters in Chicago, is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (www.ncahlc.org) and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Kaplan University serves nearly 50,000 online and campus-based students. The University has 11 campuses in Iowa, Nebraska, Maryland and Maine, and Kaplan University Learning Center in Maryland, Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri and Florida.

Kaplan University is one of Kaplan, Inc.’s higher education institutions, which serve more than 75,000 students online and through more than 70 campus-based schools across the United States. Kaplan’s higher education schools offer a spectrum of academic opportunities, from certificates and diplomas to graduate and professional degrees, including a juris doctor degree. Kaplan, Inc. is a leading international provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. It is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO), and its largest division. For more information, visit Kaplan University today.