When a school is planning a new website, one question always comes up:
“How much is this going to cost?”

Sometimes it’s asked right away. Other times, it’s saved for the end of the conversation. But no matter when it’s asked, the answer is usually the same: “It depends.”

That might not be the answer you were hoping for—but it’s an honest one.

The cost of a school website redesign depends on a few key things: your goals, your timeline, your software needs, and how much support you want. Some schools go the DIY route for a few hundred dollars a year. Others invest six figures in a full digital makeover with best-in-class custom design, integrations, and long-term strategy.

But this blog isn’t here to dodge the question.

Instead of offering a generic price range, we’ll walk you through what really affects the cost of a school website redesign. From design scope to software needs to long-term support, we’ll break down what goes into the price—and why it’s more of an "investment" than an expense.

What’s the ROI of a School Website Redesign?

When talking about cost, the next question often is: "What do we get out of it?" That’s where ROI—return on investment—comes into the discussion.

A school website is your most important marketing and communication tool. A strong website can support enrollment, improve family communication, reduce staff workload, and even boost fundraising.

What Does ROI Look Like for Schools?

Here are some of the most common ways schools measure the return on their website redesign:

• More inquiries and applicants
  • A clearer, more engaging website leads to more families reaching out—and more applications coming in.
• Fewer complaints and confusion
  • A better site experience reduces the number of calls and emails asking where to find lunch menus, calendars, and login pages.
• Higher parent satisfaction and retention
  • When families can easily find what they need, they’re more likely to stay enrolled and engaged.
• More effective communications
  • Integrated tools for email, mobile apps, and alerts help schools communicate consistently—and faster.
• Donations and community engagement
  • When your message is clear and your brand looks strong, your alumni and supporters are more likely to give.

Can You Measure It?

Yes—and you should.

Even small changes in website performance can have a big financial impact. For example:

• A 40% increase in inquiries could lead to dozens of new students.
• If each new student brings in $20,000–$30,000 in tuition, that’s potentially hundreds of thousands in new revenue.
• Saving your staff 5–10 hours a week through a better CMS or automated tools adds up quickly.

Saving money is great, but so is using your time, team, and tools more effectively.

Pro tip: Tie your website goals to real outcomes like page views on admissions pages, completed inquiry forms, or reduced support calls. That’s the kind of ROI you can see, track, and share with leadership.

Keep Reading: How to Calculate the ROI of a School Website Redesign

What Factors Affect the Cost of a School Website Redesign?

Theme vs. Custom Design

• Theme websites use pre-designed templates. They’re more affordable, faster to launch, and ideal for schools with smaller budgets or tighter timelines.
   
• Custom websites are designed from scratch around your school’s brand and goals. They involve more strategy, design time, and collaboration—but offer more flexibility and polish.

Custom design typically increases cost but delivers a more tailored, long-term solution

Premium or “Award-Winning” Design Work

Sometimes leadership wants a website that stands out—something that looks like “the best in the area.” If expectations include standout design, animations, or the potential to win awards, that level of creative work takes more time and expertise.

Interactive Features and Animations

Features like slideshows, parallax scrolling, animated navigation, and hover effects can create a “wow” factor, but they also take extra time to design, test, and deploy across devices.

Interior Page Design Needs

Most websites include a few key pages that need more than just templated content. Pages like tuition, academics, or admissions may require unique layouts and visual treatments that help tell your story and drive conversions.

Landing Pages for Campaigns

If you run paid ads, email campaigns, or digital marketing efforts, you’ll want custom landing pages. These need to be highly focused, conversion-friendly, and on-brand—and may be updated regularly.

Strategic Consulting

If you want expert input on branding, audience strategy, SEO, content structure, or digital marketing, strategic consulting may be part of your project. These services bring long-term value—but also add to cost. Schools that invest in strategy up front often see stronger ROI post-launch.

The cost of your school’s website will depend on which of these options matter most to you. Come to the table with an idea of your priorities—design level, functionality, support—and you’ll be in a better position to shape a budget that fits your goals.

Comparing School Website Costs: Freelancers vs. Agencies

Hiring a freelance designer or a small design studio might sound like a cost-saving solution. Freelancers can sometimes deliver beautiful homepages for less than a large web company might charge—but there are tradeoffs to keep in mind.

What You Might Get:

• Lower upfront costs (often $2,000–$50,000)
• A custom homepage design
• Personal collaboration with a creative partner

What to Watch Out For:

• Limited school experience: Many freelance designers aren’t familiar with school-specific needs like calendars, faculty directories, or academic pages.
   
• Lack of UX planning: Freelancers may design for visual appeal but lack the expertise to structure content for families, admissions, and current parents.
   
• Missing mobile support: Not all designers are experts in responsive or mobile-first design, which is essential for school websites today.
   
• No CMS support: Freelancers often design in tools like Figma or Photoshop but don’t build out the site in a content management system (CMS). That means more work—and more costs—when it’s time to launch or update the site.
   
• Ongoing maintenance issues: If your freelancer moves on or is unavailable, it’s hard to make changes or keep your site up to date.

If you go this route, ask questions up front:

• Who will build the site in your CMS?
• Will the site be mobile-optimized and accessible?
• Will they design interior page templates or just the homepage?
• Who maintains the site long-term?

A freelance option may work for very small schools with limited needs, but for most schools, a website is a living tool that supports marketing, enrollment, and communication. You’ll want a solution that can grow with you.

How Your CMS and Software Influence School Website Cost

When budgeting for a school website redesign, design is only part of the picture. The content management system (CMS) and other digital tools can significantly affect both your upfront and ongoing costs.

A modern school website needs more than just good looks. It needs tools to manage content, communicate with families, and integrate with your existing systems. These features are usually part of a software subscription, which can vary based on:

Key Software Features That Affect Cost:

• Content Management System (CMS):
  • Your CMS should make it easy to create pages, manage updates, and keep your content organized—without needing a developer.
     
• Email Marketing Tools:
  • Can you send newsletters, manage contact lists, and reuse website content in emails? Integrated email tools can save hours each week.
     
• Mobile App:
  • More schools are offering a mobile app as an extension of their website to improve parent communication.
     
• System Integrations:
  • Can your CMS “talk” to your SIS, enrollment platform, or donor database? If not, your team may spend hours copying data manually.
     
• Security and Hosting:
  • Especially for public school districts, secure hosting and protection against cyberattacks is essential. Budgeting for this upfront saves money (and stress) down the line.

These software elements typically come as part of a subscription or annual licensing cost. The exact cost depends on your school or district’s size, user count, and desired features.

Pro Tip: When comparing providers, ask about what's included in the software subscription—some quote only the design, while others (like Finalsite) bundle support, CMS access, and updates.

The Cost (and Risk) of Building a School Website Yourself

On the surface, building your school website in-house or using a do-it-yourself (DIY) platform like WordPress might seem like the most budget-friendly option. And in terms of annual fees alone, it can be. But there are hidden risks that make it harder to manage in the long run—especially for schools.

DIY Website Costs: What You Might Save

• Hosting: $100–$500/year
• Domain and SSL certificates: $50–$100/year
• WordPress or open-source themes: $0–$100 (or custom themes for more)

If you have an experienced web designer and developer on staff—who plans to stay at your school long-term—this may work. But that’s rare.

Keep Reading: Finalsite vs WordPress for School Websites

What Makes DIY Risky for Schools

1. Security Gaps

Open-source platforms like WordPress rely heavily on third-party plugins. Each plugin adds a potential security vulnerability. Without regular updates and monitoring, you could be exposing your site to ransomware or breaches.

2. Ongoing Maintenance Needs
In-house sites require someone to manage core updates, fix broken elements, troubleshoot bugs, and ensure the site stays live and fast. Most schools don’t have a full-time developer for this—and when that person leaves, knowledge is often lost.

3. Administrative Limitations
Permissions and user roles in DIY platforms can be tricky. Want to give one teacher access to update only their class page? That may not be easy—or even possible—without custom coding.

Many schools find themselves in an “all or nothing” situation: either one person manages everything (leading to backlogs), or too many people edit the site (leading to chaos).

4. Fragmented Site Architecture
It’s common for WordPress sites to “multiply” over time. One school reported managing over 20 separate WordPress sites—all built for different departments or projects—with no unified navigation, branding, or structure.

5. Functionality Limits
WordPress was built for blogging—not school communications. You won’t find built-in tools for directories, calendars, forms, or password-protected parent pages unless you add plugins or custom code. That creates more complexity (and more potential for things to break).

What DIY Really Costs

While a DIY site may only cost a few hundred dollars a year, hiring a developer to maintain it regularly can run between $45,000–$75,000 annually, depending on their expertise. And that still doesn’t include design, content strategy, or integrations.

In short, if you’re considering building your site in-house, make sure you budget not just for launch, but for maintenance, staffing, training, security, and long-term support.

The Cost of Hiring a School Website Company

Hiring a professional school website company is often seen as the most expensive option—but it’s also the most reliable and scalable. If you're looking for a website that supports admissions, retention, communication, and growth, partnering with experts who understand schools can save time and frustration in the long run.

What You’re Really Paying For:

A full-service school website partner like Finalsite typically provides:

• Custom or theme-based design options
• Strategic consulting and project management
• A user-friendly content management system (CMS) built for schools
• Built-in tools for calendars, news, forms, directories, password-protected pages, and more
• Website hosting and security
• Ongoing training and support

This “all-in-one” approach helps avoid the headaches of coordinating freelancers, plugins, and multiple platforms.

Typical Costs (Based on Scope)

• Theme-based website: Starting around $5,000–$25,000
• Custom website with consulting, multiple design rounds, and content strategy: $35,000–$75,000
• Enterprise-level websites for large districts or schools with multiple microsites or complex needs: Up to $150,000+

Many school website companies, like Finalsite, also bundle design costs with software subscriptions, so the upfront design may be partially or fully included depending on your enrollment or the package you choose.

Why Schools Choose This Route

• You get a proven implementation process that helps keep the project on track and on time.
• Your CMS is built specifically for schools, not retrofitted from a generic website platform.
• You have access to a team that understands K–12 education, from admissions funnels to accessibility compliance to internal communications.
• You’re supported not just at launch, but long-term—through training, upgrades, and ongoing support.

While hiring a school website company may appear more expensive at first glance, the total cost of ownership is often lower over time. You won’t need to patch together tools, constantly troubleshoot, or scramble when your in-house expert leaves. And most importantly—you get a website that works.

Key Takeaway

So, how much should a website cost? Hopefully, you understand why “it depends” can be an acceptable answer. With considerations ranging from design scope to software integrations, the answer isn’t straightforward – and it shouldn’t be. After all, there’s only one school like yours, and a custom approach to your project will lead to a custom price. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Angelo graduated valedictorian from St. Paul's School in Baltimore, MD and from Princeton University. Despite getting his degree in creative writing and English Literature, it generally takes some doing to keep him from programming and breaking websites. Just after graduating, he started Silverpoint, and grew it to over 300 schools worldwide before merging with Finalsite in 2013.