It's College Week at 10,000 words! Over the next few days we will examine some of the best (and worst) online journalism happening at the hundreds of colleges and universities across the country. Most student newspapers are indeed a rehash of the print product but there are a select few that go above and beyond.

Today, the best designed student newspaper websites are highlighted. It's worth noting the remarkable number of schools relying on the templates provided by College Publisher. It's still up in the air whether this is a good or bad thing, but there is something to be said about individuality and creativity. Good design isn't expensive, it just takes some effort and ingenuity. Hundreds of online newspapers were examined and whittled down to the top seven. Here are the sites that are pushing the design envelope:

7. The Yorktown Patriot, Yorktown University

The Patriot's design is indeed patriotic. The use of red, white and blue images are appropriate and give The Patriot's online effort the feel of a government or campaign website. It's heavy use of images does means slower load times, but the site makes up for it with its SEO-friendly news pages.

6. The Stanford Daily, Stanford University

The design of The Stanford Daily Online is reminiscent of a traditional newspaper, but has been adapted to an online format that would be the envy of some mainstream newspapers. The site suffers from white space issues, but has a clean layout that makes it easily navigable and uses visually stunning photographs to draw attention where appropriate.

5. The Yale Herald, Yale University

The architecture of the vaulted ceilings incorporated into the header of the Yale Herald signifies that they mean serious news. And the rest of the site isn't too bad either. The serif font used in the site's navigation and headers sets the tone for a well-designed site that differs visually from any other student newspaper.

4. The Independent Florida Alligator, University of Florida

The Alligator is an incredible example of the potential greatness of an online student newspaper. Its black and white design makes the fine journalism happening on the site look even better. Sections and stories are easily scannable and the site's headlines are large enough to catch the eye. The Alligator also makes great use of its footer — a contrasting black to the rest of the page — something that is rare in online student paper design.

3. The University Daily Kansan, University of Kansas

At first glance, The Kansan doesn't look like a student newspaper site at all. Rather, it looks like many other professional media outlets, which is actually its strength. It's use of the color blue and scrolling news headlines, coupled with its unobtrusive advertisements and navigation make it stand out as more mature than any of its peers.

2. The Dartmouth, Dartmouth College

TheDartmouth.com is serene, like reading the news on a lazy Sunday regardless of the day of the week. Every section is featured prominently with an image or graphic, including the paper's print efforts. Equally impressive are the site's archives in which the attention to detail given to each issue is most evident.

1. Marquette Tribune, Marquette University

The Marquette Tribune's use of strong, eye-catching typography together with its blue/tan/peach color combo makes it the standout design of any online college newspaper. The design incorporates a bit of whimsy and is reminiscent of the fictional Daily Planet, but still captures the seriousness of a mainstream publication. Most importantly, the site has a one-of-a-kind look and brand that is unmatched among student newspapers and the web in general.




Agree or disagree with this list? Seen better design elsewhere? Share your favorites in the comments. TOMORROW: Best Use of Multimedia