And the winners are… 

Today CASE announced the 2025 Circle of Excellence Award winners.  

The premier accolades for educational advancement, the COE Awards celebrate colleges, universities, and schools whose talented staff advance their institutions with ingenuity and resourcefulness. These creative, inspiring projects impact educational communities and transform lives around the world.  

In 2025, teams from 640 institutions in 33 countries entered the awards, submitting 4,460 entries. The 93 award categories span all advancement disciplines, including magazines and publications, fundraising campaigns, alumni initiatives, special events, marketing, leadership, video, and more.   

“The Circle of Excellence Awards shine a spotlight on the extraordinary creativity, passion, and innovation demonstrated by advancement professionals at institutions around the world,” says Sue Cunningham, CASE President and CEO. “These awards not only celebrate outstanding achievements but also underscore how essential this work is to strengthen educational communities and positively shape lives and society. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to this year's recipients for their dedication and remarkable accomplishments.” 

This year, volunteer judges from CASE’s membership selected 477 exemplary entries for bronze, silver, gold, and grand gold recognition. Winners are selected for overall quality, innovation, use of resources, and the impact on the institution or its communities, such as alumni, parents, students, faculty, and staff.    

This year, award entries were considered for global recognition and regional or district recognition. CASE will announce the Best of Regions/Districts later in 2025.   

This year’s winner of the highest accolade for magazines, the annual Robert Sibley Magazine of the Year Award, is The University of Texas at Austin. Judges praised Texas Law Magazine, stating, “The content and design choices are thoughtfully crafted to appeal to their intended audience, while beautiful photography and illustration keep readers’ attention and present a refreshing difference from other law magazines.”   

All of this year’s winners exemplify the best of our profession and we hope their achievements inspire every member of our community as we look ahead to the next cycle of innovation, creativity, and impact.