Academic institutions award students and members of the organization for their achievements through academic certificates. These academic certificates commemorate their exemplary performance and hard work, making these certificates prestigious in the academic and professional fields. 

These certificates are often displayed on living room walls and office desks because they represent an individual’s honor and excellence. This serves as their bragging rights for their hard work!

Because of this, every academic certificate design should reflect the same amount of excellence through great graphic design. Graphic designers need to come up with well-designed certificates that these exceptional individuals can truly be proud of.

To help you get started, we’ve collected 22 top academic certificate design templates as inspirations for your next certificate design project.

1. Traditional design

This traditional academic certificate design is the quintessential certificate look that we are all familiar with. This design exudes tradition by using gothic and script fonts that have been in use for centuries.

2. Gold embellished design

2. Gold embellished design

One way to add prestige to academic certificate designs is by using gold embellishments. Gold can be used for borders, decorative details, accent colors, and seals to make it more elegant.

 

3. Black and white design

Black and white versions of academic certificate designs make them work for any type of academic occasion. White can be used as a design for standard awards, while black can be used as a distinctive alternative for more exemplary awards—like the grand prize.

 

4. Classic design

This classic academic certificate design is a simpler take on the traditional style. It takes away detailed design elements and retains the traditional gothic and script fonts for a cleaner, yet still respectable look.

 

5. Detailed border design

The detailed border academic certificate design boasts its use of intricate lines and shapes for its borders. This gives the standard certificate design an added layer of design without being over the top.


 

6. Colored detailed border design

Similar to the detailed border design, this colored academic certificate design can add an extra layer of design to your certificates while eliciting certain moods, like blue for authority for example. You can also incorporate your school’s official colors to this academic certificate design to make it more custom made for your institution.

 

7. Portrait design

This portrait academic certificate design can be applied to numerous academic settings. Using a portrait orientation for your design can make the certificate taller, and therefore seem more high value.

 

8. Modern design

This academic certificate design is the modern take on the traditional certificate design shown earlier. This modern design replaces traditional gothic and script fonts for modern serif and sans serif fonts for a sleeker finish.


 

9. Clean modern design

This clean modern academic certificate design can be used for occasions without the unnecessary extravagance of intricate details. This design retains only the necessary elements in the certificate, making it cleaner.


 

10. Simple classic design

Simple classic certificate design is a lot like the classic design, but without being too formal. This design can be used for simpler but still formal occasions, like academic competitions, as opposed to formal graduations.


 

11. Colored background design

This colored background academic certificate design is perfect for schools that take pride in their school spirit and colors. This design gives any standard certificate to look more distinct and aesthetically pleasing.

 

12. Image border design

Now moving to more casual certificate designs, this certificate design uses images as its borders for a more striking look. This gives the too formal certificate a more casual and personable character that is truly display-worthy.

 

 

13. Simple modern design

This academic certificate design is similar to the simple classic design, but with a modern twist. The striking difference is its use of modern design elements like the sans serif font and a flat logo design.


 

14. Minimalistic design

They say less is more, and it’s true enough for this minimalistic academic certificate design. The minimal use of design elements makes the achievement speak for itself and be the main focus of the design.

 

15. Colored minimalistic design

Similar to the minimalistic academic certificate design, this design adds a splash of color to the certificate to give it some personality.


 

16. Elegant design

The combination of dark blue and rich gold gives this academic certificate design an elegant look that’s perfect for the most esteemed academic achievers.


 

17. Modern chic design

This modern chic design puts a more casual and playful mood to the formal certificates we normally see.


 

18. Abstract design

This academic certificate design uses abstract design elements such as lines and shapes to make certificates look more artistic.


 

19. All black design

This all-black academic certificate design exudes prestige with its use of deep blacks and light details. This works well for certain certificate designs because black is considered the color of power, formality, authority, and sophistication.


 

20. Fluid design

Like the abstract academic certificate design, the fluid design uses abstract design elements but with liquid-like lines and shapes. This design is the newest type of abstractionism in graphic design, making your certificates stand out.


 

21. Retro pop design

Applying retro pop design in certificate design gives certificates a familiar but fresh look that appeals to a broad type of demographic. The recent resurgence of vintage design certainly makes this certificate design cool and trendy.


 

22. Mixed prints design

The mixed print design combines a lot of different styles of prints and textures to give standard certificates a loud and eccentric mood that will certainly grab people’s attention.



 

To Conclude…

We’ve listed these academic certificate design templates with varying degrees of formality so you can have an inspiration for any occasion you’re working on.

For any of your certificate design needs, let Graphics Zoo’s experienced graphic designers help you work on your design projects. Just send us an email at support@graphicszoo.com.