The verdict in three sentences
In Denver, a private or international school website built by a local agency or a school-specialist platform costs, as a 2026 ballpark, between 15 000 and 60 000 USD for the build, often with an annual licence on top. Kolonell builds the admissions journey, division pages and inquiry forms for a fixed price of 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD, with no licence fee, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks on Starter and Growth. The decision rests on the 3-year total cost, on who produces the campus photos and video (a Denver agency can film on site, Kolonell cannot) and on how well the site converts relocating families into campus tours.
What do Denver agencies, freelancers and Kolonell charge?
These are prudent ballparks, not official figures. They draw on public pricing of Front Range agencies, minimum project sizes on Clutch.co profiles (frequently 10 000 or 25 000 USD and up), hourly rates published by US agencies (often 110 to 180 USD per hour), the published packages of school-specific website platforms, which usually combine a setup fee with a yearly subscription, and freelance rates on Upwork.
| Criterion | Denver agency or school platform | Local freelancer | Kolonell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build cost, 2026 ballpark | 15 000 to 60 000 USD and up | 3 000 to 12 000 USD | 2 900 / 4 900 / 8 900 USD, fixed |
| Annual licence | Common on school platforms, several thousand USD | Rare | None |
| Changes outside scope | Often 110 to 180 USD per hour | Often 60 to 110 USD per hour | Quoted before any work |
| Usual timeline | 10 to 20 weeks | 6 to 12 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks, Premium usually 4 to 6 |
| Campus photo and video shoot | Often offered | Sometimes | Not included: your media or a local photographer |
| Admissions copy | Often billed separately | Rarely included | Native English or French included |
| Support after launch | Retainer or licence | Case by case | 3 months, 6 on Premium |
Payment is by bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kickoff and 50 % at delivery. Your project manager meets you on Google Meet at your hours and sends a written update weekly. The team is based in Senegal (GMT), 6 hours ahead of Denver in summer and 7 in winter, so an 8 a.m. call in Denver is mid-afternoon for us. The full offer is on our international website page.
What should a Denver school compare over 3 years?
| Item over 36 months | Denver agency (mid range) | Kolonell Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Website build | 28 000 USD | 4 900 USD |
| Platform licence | 3 000 USD per year, 9 000 USD | None |
| Maintenance (same assumption) | 180 USD per month over 33 months, 5 940 USD | 5 940 USD, maintenance quoted on request |
| Professional campus shoot, one day | 2 000 USD | Local photographer, 2 000 USD |
| Admissions software (the school's own) | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Indicative total | 44 940 USD | 12 840 USD |
The maintenance line is a deliberate assumption, identical on both sides, because Kolonell quotes maintenance after the support period on request. Licences vary a lot between platforms; ask for the year 2 and year 3 price in writing.
What does each Kolonell tier include for a school?
| Item | Starter 2 900 USD | Growth 4 900 USD | Premium 8 900 USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Division pages | Early years, lower and upper school on summary pages | One page per division with curriculum overview | Full structure, campus life, athletics, outdoor program |
| Admissions journey | Inquiry form and key dates | Steps, deadlines, tuition and financial aid page, tour booking | Journey per entry point, mid-year arrivals, international families |
| Admissions or parent software | Link | Embedded forms from your tool | Polished integration; a custom parent portal is quoted on request |
| Careers page for teachers | Simple list | Job pages with application link | Full recruitment section |
| Bilingual FR/EN site | No | No | Included |
| Timeline | 3 to 4 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks | Written schedule at kickoff, usually 4 to 6 weeks |
| Support after launch | 3 months | 3 months | 6 months |
What does a Denver school website need?
Families arriving in Denver often relocate for aerospace, energy, health and tech employers along the Front Range, and many compare schools from another state or country before they visit. Independent school admissions in the area typically run an autumn open house season with winter application deadlines, so the site has to be ready by late summer. Points that matter here:
- A clear admissions path: inquiry, tour, application, assessment or visit, decision. Publish dates, and say how you handle mid-year arrivals.
- Tuition and financial aid: Colorado has no statewide private school voucher, so families weigh full tuition against strong public options; an honest tuition and aid page helps qualify inquiries.
- Programs described precisely: IB, AP, a bilingual track or a Montessori early years program only if the school actually offers it, with the right authorisation wording.
- Outdoor and campus life: Denver families ask about outdoor education, mountain trips and athletics; real photos matter more than stock images.
- Teacher recruitment: a careers section with role pages reduces reliance on paid job boards.
On compliance, the facts only. Photos of students require written parental consent under the school's own media policy. COPPA applies to online services directed at children under 13, not to a school site aimed at parents, but avoid collecting children's data through forms. The Colorado Privacy Act applies only above volume thresholds (for example data on 100 000 Colorado consumers a year) that most schools do not reach, yet a clear privacy notice remains good practice. Display accreditations such as NEASC, CIS or IB World School status only if the school holds them, and aim for WCAG 2.1 AA. This is not legal advice.
Which questions should you ask every supplier?
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
- What will the licence cost in year 2 and year 3, and can we leave with our content?
- Who writes the admissions and division pages, and how many revision rounds are included?
- How will the site connect to our admissions software and calendar?
- Who owns the domain, hosting and analytics accounts?
- What is the plan for photos with valid parental consent?
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Ellen R. is director of admission at a pre-K to grade 8 day school of about 420 students in south Denver. A specialist platform proposes 24 000 USD to build plus 3 500 USD a year. Kolonell Premium, chosen for a French-English version for relocating European families, costs 8 900 USD. Over 3 years, with the same maintenance assumption of 150 USD a month after support (30 months on Premium, 36 on the platform side), the comparison is 24 000 + 10 500 + 5 400 = 39 900 USD against 8 900 + 4 500 = 13 400 USD. The school keeps 2 000 USD for a one-day photo shoot with a Denver photographer.
FAQ
How much does a private school website cost in Denver in 2026?
As a ballpark, 15 000 to 60 000 USD with a local agency or school platform, often plus a yearly licence, and 3 000 to 12 000 USD with a freelancer. Kolonell charges a fixed 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD.
Can Kolonell connect our admissions software?
Yes: Growth embeds the forms of the tool you already use and Premium polishes the integration. A custom parent portal is an application quoted on request.
Who takes the photos?
Kolonell does not shoot on site. You provide your media or book a local photographer, typically 1 500 to 2 500 USD for a day, and we choose and optimise the images.
When should we start before open house season?
Delivery takes 3 to 4 weeks on Starter and Growth and usually 4 to 6 weeks on Premium, so starting by early summer leaves room for content and photo consent.
Is there a yearly fee?
No licence fee. You pay hosting and domain directly, get 3 months of support (6 on Premium), then maintenance is quoted on request.
Let's scope your project. Send us your divisions, admissions calendar, current software and photo library, and we will return a fixed-price tier with a delivery date ahead of open house season. Request your free quote or see the international offer.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
