Introducing
The 2025 Campus Forward Award Winners
Campus recruitment is constantly evolving in the face of new challenges and industry innovations. The Campus Forward Awards recognizes the teams and programs that evolve with the shifting landscape and deliver impactful talent programs for early career individuals. This year, RippleMatch is proud to recognize the top teams in the country that navigate this space with continued care and intentionality to support the next generation of talent.
Through a detailed application process, early career teams could choose to highlight their university recruitment strategies, use of technology, candidate experience, DE&I, and internship programming with the hopes of being recognized for excellence across these categories.
The programs recognized for excellence in these categories represent the best of the best, selected from hundreds of applications submitted by campus recruiting teams across industries and program sizes.
Read on to learn about the top early career programs in the country, as well as categories of excellence that early career programs could apply to be recognized for.
2025 AWARD WINNERS
Categories of Excellence: Recognizing Standout Early Career Programs
RippleMatch’s Campus Forward Awards recognize the top early career teams and programs in the nation. Through a detailed application process, early career teams could share their approach to different pillars of university recruitment, including recruitment strategies, use of technology, candidate experience, D&I, and internship programming. Programs that passed a certain threshold of excellence within each category are awarded as a winner of a Campus Forward Award, signifying their commitment to excellence in the early career space.
Below, we share the key attributes shared by each team & program recognized in the different categories of the 2025 Campus Forward Awards. On the spotlight pages of this year's winners, you'll find highlights of these pillars and a glimpse into what makes these teams and programs so special.
Overall Excellence: Best in Class Award
Programs received an 'Overall Excellence: Best in Class Award' if they received a Campus Forward Award in every single category, including Recruitment Strategy, Tech Innovation, Candidate Experience, DEI, and Internship Programming. Given the challenging criteria to receive all 5 awards, teams that received an Overall Excellence Award represent a holistic excellence and well-rounded commitment to connecting with and uplifting the next generation of talent.
Excellence in Recruitment Strategies
Programs that received an 'Excellence in Recruitment Strategies' Award take a thoughtful and strategic approach to early career hiring. Through a range of strategies that include engaging in-person events, strategic partnerships, virtual recruitment, early ID programs, on-campus ambassadors, and more, these early career recruitment teams are meeting the next generation of talent where they’re at and forming authentic connections. Excellence was evaluated through submitted short answer questions that reflect an innovative and intentional approach to recruitment, as well as selections through multiple choice submissions.
Innovative Use of Technology
Programs that received an 'Excellence in Tech Innovation' Award show that they are leveraging the latest technology, made clear through their short answer submissions and multiple choice responses on use of cutting-edge technology, such as AI. By embracing innovative tech solutions, these teams are streamlining processes, embracing new recruitment strategies, and improving their candidate experiences.
Excellence in Candidate Experience
Successful university recruitment teams know how important it is to build a standout candidate experience. Programs that received the 'Excellence in Candidate Experience' Award build efficiency into their processes while ensuring they're building real relationships with candidates. The teams recognized through these awards respond to candidate applications in 2 weeks or less, often display compensation on their job listings, go above and beyond to prepare candidates for their process, showcase their culture, and provide support and engagement post-offer.
Excellence in DEI
Programs that received an 'Excellence in DEI' Award are taking actionable steps to increase representation in their workforce. The teams recognized build diverse early career pipelines through diversity-focused partnerships, curating relationships with HBCUs & HSIs, leveraging technology, partnering with ERGs, connecting with underrepresented talent early on in their academic careers, and often have dedicated D&I team members. These programs were evaluated through multiple choice selections of their DEI programming, as we as detailed short answer responses of representation metrics within their early career programs.
Excellence in Internship Programming
The award-winning internship programs included in the 2025 Campus Forward Awards are designed for impact. Interns are given projects with real business outcomes, gain exposure to senior leadership through lunch-and-learns or final presentations, and are crafted so interns can form meaningful relationships with peers. Programs were assessed on two key metrics – the percentage of internships asked to return for full-time positions, and the percentage of interns that accepted return offers. These had to meet a baseline criteria of excellence in order to receive an award, as they showcase the company's investment in converting interns to full-time hires, as well as intern enjoyment and willingness to return to the company.
