Merritt College is embarking on a new digital chapter. The college has launched a completely redesigned website that sticks to its core mission: put students first. Making it easier than ever to access resources and support, the new website offers more accessibility than its predecessor.

The redesign is part of a district-wide effort to modernize and unify all four Peralta College websites using HubSpot, starting with the award-winning redesign of the Peralta District website that launched in 2021. Thereafter, Berkeley City College launched its website in March 2024, and Laney College followed in October of the same year. The new merritt.edu follows in the footsteps of its sister colleges, with College of Alameda soon to follow.

Why It Matters

Perched in the Oakland hills, Merritt College is known for its incredible view of the Bay and strong programs in nursing, child development, environmental studies, and social services. However, the old website did not reflect the scholastic prestige of the institution nor its ability to offer adequate support for students’ needs.

“Our previous site was slow — it took a long time just to load the homepage,” said Web Content Developer John Freeman. Not only was it necessary to increase website speeds, but also to increase district-wide efficiency and capabilities for all the Peralta College websites. Web Content Developer Aaron Harbour emphasized how using HubSpot for all the websites, “Essentially, allows for more collaboration when making changes and updates across all district websites, instead of everyone having their own system or contractor.”

That collaborative spirit guided the redesign. The new merritt.edu is cleaner, faster, and easier to navigate — built with students in mind from start to finish.

Built Around What Students Need Most

The vision for the new Merritt site was simple: make it easier for students to get started and stay supported. Developers, administrative leadership, and students focused on three main goals:

• Student-first design: The layout, menus, and homepage were organized around what students do most often — applying, enrolling, and accessing support services.
• Mobile-friendly and accessible: Since most students browse on their phones, the new site adapts smoothly to any screen size and meets accessibility standards.
• Future-ready: Running on HubSpot, the site is faster, easier to update, and designed to “embrace the swirl,” so students can move seamlessly between colleges across the district.

What’s New

The new site offers smoother navigation, a stronger search engine, a responsive design, and a dedicated section for Merritt College’s Instagram page. Built-in analytics track user activity, and a “Website Issues/Assistance Update” link allows students, faculty, and staff to share feedback and request website updates directly with the web team.

A Team Effort Across the District

It took a village to bring the new site to life. Web Content Developers Harbour and John Freeman from the district’s Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations (MCPR) team collaborated with Nathan Pellegrin (Director of Research and Planning) and Umaporn “Kay” Chudthong (former student and Web Content Developer) from Merritt College, with support from college staff and leadership. Nathan Pellegrin celebrated Kay’s contributions as a student worker, exclaiming, “She was instrumental in planning and doing a lot of the file manipulation, web page tracking, and sorting through all the web pages that needed to be discarded. She did a tremendous amount of work!”

A heartfelt thank-you goes to everyone who contributed their time, expertise, and creativity. The new merritt.edu stands as a shared achievement — one that celebrates Merritt College’s mission of equity, access, and opportunity while helping students connect, explore, and succeed. Now that the site is live, the team continues refining content, improving navigation, and encourages feedback from students, staff, and faculty. Collaboration across the college will drive ongoing improvement in student support and resource accessibility.