Most advice about personal websites assumes you already have a career to show off. As a college student, you probably have something different: classes, a couple of projects, a club role, a part-time job, maybe an internship. That's enough. A good student website isn't about how much you've done. It's about making what you've done easy to see and easy to understand.
Below are six example layouts by major, then the sections every student site should have, and a short list of things to leave off. The examples are composites we put together to show structure, not real people's sites, so borrow freely.
What a student website is actually for
Before the examples, it helps to know the job your site is doing. A recruiter, professor or alum who clicks your link usually wants to answer three questions quickly:
- Who is this? Name, school, major, graduation year, what you're looking for.
- What can they do? Two to four pieces of proof: projects, work samples, results.
- How do I reach them? Email, LinkedIn, résumé download.
If your site answers those three questions within one scroll, it's doing its job. Everything else is a bonus.
Six personal website examples for college students
1. Computer science student: project-first
Who it's for: CS, data science and engineering students applying for internships.
Layout:
- Header: "Sophomore studying computer science at [School]. Looking for summer 2027 software internships."
- Projects (the main event): three cards, each with a screenshot, a one-sentence description, the tech used, and links to the live demo and the code.
- Experience: TA role, hackathon, campus IT job.
- Skills: a short, honest list grouped by what you've actually used in a project.
- Contact: email, GitHub, LinkedIn, résumé PDF.
Why it works: technical recruiters want to see working things. A live demo link does more than a paragraph about your passion for coding. For each project, add one line on what you did if it was a team effort.
2. Marketing or communications student: results and samples
Who it's for: marketing, PR, journalism and comms majors.
Layout:
- Header: "Marketing student who runs social for two campus organizations."
- Work samples: screenshots of posts, campaigns, a newsletter, a press release, or a class project brief. Each with a short note: the goal, what you made, what happened.
- About: a few sentences on the kind of work you like and why.
- Experience: internship, club leadership, freelance work for a local business.
- Contact.
Why it works: marketing is a "show me" field. If you grew a club's following or ran an event that filled a room, say so plainly with the real number you have (followers before and after, RSVPs, attendance). Don't round up.
3. Design or architecture student: visual case studies
Who it's for: graphic design, UX, industrial design, architecture, fashion.
Layout:
- Header: your name and one line on your focus ("UX design student focused on accessible mobile apps").
- Case studies: two or three in depth beat ten thumbnails. For each: the problem, your process (sketches, iterations), the final work, and what you learned.
- About and contact.
Why it works: design hiring is portfolio-driven, and process matters as much as the polished result. Show the messy middle. If you're not sure how to structure a case study, start with problem, process, outcome.
4. Business or finance student: clear and professional
Who it's for: business, finance, accounting, economics and consulting-track students.
Layout:
- Header: "Finance and economics student at [School], class of 2027. Interested in investment banking and corporate finance."
- Highlights: case competition results, a stock pitch, an investment club role, a research paper.
- Experience: internships and part-time jobs, each with two or three bullet points that go a bit deeper than your résumé.
- Résumé download and contact.
Why it works: finance and consulting recruiting runs on résumés, so your site isn't replacing yours. It's the place for the stock pitch deck, the case competition slides, or a short video intro that a one-page résumé can't hold.
5. Science or pre-med student: research and service
Who it's for: biology, chemistry, neuroscience, public health, pre-med and pre-law.
Layout:
- Header: "Biology student and undergraduate researcher in [Lab name] at [School]."
- Research: the question your lab is asking, your role, any posters or presentations (a photo of you at the poster session works well).
- Clinical or service experience: volunteering, shadowing, EMT certification, tutoring.
- Activities and contact.
Why it works: grad programs and research positions want to know you can explain your work clearly. A plain-English summary of your research shows that better than a list of lab techniques.
6. Undecided or exploring student: story-first
Who it's for: first- and second-year students, double majors, or anyone who hasn't settled on a path.
Layout:
- Header: "Second-year student exploring the overlap between psychology and product design."
- About: a short story of what you're curious about and how you're testing it (a class, a club, a side project).
- What I've worked on: two or three things, even small ones: a podcast, an Etsy shop, a campus job you made better.
- What I'm looking for: informational chats, research roles, a first internship.
- Contact.
Why it works: when your path isn't a straight line yet, a site lets you explain the thread that connects your interests. That's something a résumé can't do.
The sections every student site needs
Whatever your major, these are the building blocks.
A headline that says what you want
Skip "Welcome to my website." Write one sentence with your year, major and goal. Visitors should know in a few seconds whether you're a fit for what they're hiring for.
An About section that sounds like you
Three to five sentences. What you study, what you're good at, what you're curious about, and one specific detail people will remember. Read it out loud. If it sounds like a cover letter, simplify it.
Two to four pieces of proof
This is the heart of the site. Proof can be:
- A class project you're proud of
- A club event you organized
- Something you built, wrote, designed or researched
- A part-time job where you improved something, even a small process
For each one, answer: what was the goal, what did you do, and what happened? This is where your site goes deeper than your résumé.
Experience
List jobs, internships, leadership roles and volunteering. Don't just paste your résumé bullets. Add a sentence of context or a photo for the ones that matter most.
Photos or a short video
A clear, friendly headshot helps people put a face to a name at career fairs. A 60-second video intro or a clip of you presenting can make your site memorable. Neither needs to be professional quality; good lighting and a steady phone are enough.
Contact and résumé
Email (use a professional-looking address), LinkedIn, and a downloadable résumé. Make the contact section easy to find from anywhere on the page.
What to leave off
- High school details, unless you're a first-year student and it's a genuinely strong achievement.
- Skill bars and percentages ("Python: 80%"). They don't mean anything to a reader. Show the skill in a project instead.
- Every class you've taken. List two or three relevant courses at most, ideally tied to a project.
- Unfinished pages labeled "coming soon." Leave the section off until it's ready.
- Anything you wouldn't want an employer to read. Assume they'll click every link.
How to build one quickly
You don't need to code or spend a weekend on a template. The fastest path is to start from what you already have: your résumé.
With CraftedBio, you upload your résumé and get a personal website in about 90 seconds. Then an AI co-writer asks you questions about specific roles and projects, so the site tells the story behind each line instead of repeating your bullets. You get a link like craftedbio.com/yourname that fits on a career fair handout or an application form.
If you'd rather build it by hand, our step-by-step guide on how to turn your résumé into a personal website walks through the process with any tool.
Put the link where people will see it
A great site that nobody visits doesn't help. Once it's live:
- Add it to your résumé header next to your email.
- Put it in your LinkedIn Featured section. Here's how to add a personal website to your LinkedIn profile in five places.
- Add it to your email signature and your Handshake profile.
- Print it, or a QR code to it, on anything you hand out at career fairs.
Quick checklist
- Headline with your year, major and goal
- Short About section that sounds like you
- Two to four projects or work samples, each with goal, action and result
- Experience with context, not just copied bullets
- A headshot (and optionally a short video)
- Email, LinkedIn and résumé download
- Tested on a phone and in a private browser window
- Linked from your résumé, LinkedIn and email signature
Start with what you have
You don't need a long résumé to have a good website. You need a few real examples of your work and a clear sentence about what you're looking for. Start there, publish it, and add to it every semester.
Ready to try it? Create your free CraftedBio site from your résumé and have a link to share before your next career fair.