The benefits of Digital Asset Management for higher education


While general cloud storage is great for keeping files, it’s not always ideal for storing certain ones like images, videos or PDFs. For higher ed institutions and their many colleges and units, finding a specific image you need can be nearly impossible. Compound that with not having a unified space to store things, and searching for a specific image can take weeks. That’s when having a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system turns from a “nice to have” to a “need to have.”

DAMs offer unique advantages that other storage systems don’t. According to Acquia, a cloud-based DAM tool, the benefits of using a DAM in higher education include organizing content more efficiently, streamlining workflows, protecting your brand and enabling governance. 

DAM benefits for universities

In late 2025, I had the opportunity to speak to several colleges that currently utilize a DAM solution across their campuses. Here’s what they had to say about it:

  1. Since 2016, the University of Georgia has been using a DAM system to unify 17 colleges and more than 30 units. They reported that since they started using their DAM, they have increased creative output. And with their formal approval process for images and videos, they have ensured that high-value images no longer get lost in the shuffle of images.
  2. The University of Kansas explained that when you are part of a large institution, where so many people want to access assets, having a central repository of images and videos just makes sense. Since they started using their DAM, they have noticed a significant increase in work quality and team efficiency. 
  3. Governance and a strong commitment to usage were the key success factors for a DAM at the University of Arizona. Through roles and access levels, they found success in managing their brand assets, ensuring their logos and images are used appropriately before being made public. 
  4. With over 2,500 active MarCom users, the University of Missouri was able to scale to 200,000 assets within one year. They utilize their photographers as gatekeepers of the DAM, where only high-quality, approved assets are stored. Through this process, they found that usage of images has significantly increased across the university. 

In the world of higher education, a unified DAM solution doesn't just support individuals — it empowers the entire institution to tell its story more effectively.

If you have questions about using DAMS, reach out to me, Elisha Bahr, at [email protected].

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