Concept3D vs. Google Maps for Higher Education

Concept3D gives colleges and universities full control over their campus map’s branding and design. You can incorporate school colors, a logo, and custom icons to align with your visual identity.

One standout feature is the ability to use custom illustrations or photography of campus buildings and grounds, including optional 3D renderings. This allows institutions to showcase their campus in the best possible light.

You can also offer multiple map views — such as traditional street view, 3D models, or illustrated layouts — depending on what best supports your goals.

Customization is more than visualization. If a building name changes or a new parking lot opens, updates can be made immediately without waiting on a third party. Concept3D also allows schools to set preferred routes for special occasions, such as move-in day, commencement, or big games, giving them full control over how visitors navigate campus.

Google Maps offers some customization options. Like Concept3D, it allows users to highlight points of interest and customize icons. There are also some options to adjust map colors using a feature called “map style.”

Still, Google Maps will always feel like Google. The company’s logo and branding are required, and users are not permitted to remove or alter attribution. Institutions can’t add their own logo or fully tailor the map to match their brand identity. 

Schools are also subject to Google’s choices when it comes to imagery and updates. For instance, if Street View captured your campus on a gloomy winter day, that’s what prospective students will see, regardless of your preference to highlight a vibrant fall scene. In some cases, user-uploaded photos may appear that don’t reflect the campus in the best light.

Google’s massive scale is part of what makes its mapping tools so powerful, but it also means their attention is spread across countless organizations. Changes to building names, streets, or routes can take months or years to be reflected, depending on Google’s update schedule and priorities.

Ultimately, you’re working within a framework you don’t fully control. And without the ability to white-label the experience, it’s difficult to create a fully branded, consistent look across your website.

Concept3D’s interactive maps bring campus life to the screen in a way that’s both intuitive and meaningful. Students can explore on their own devices, browse locations visually, or follow custom routes tailored to different needs and interests.

Built-in virtual tours with video, sound, and storytelling help schools communicate their legacy, traditions, and personality through place. For example, a map could highlight the statue students rub for good luck, the building that once served as a wartime hospital, or cutting-edge research facilities that show how the college has evolved over time. Some institutions even use interactive walking tours within the map, allowing prospective students to explore specific majors, programs, or parts of campus on their own time.

Universities can also create custom tours specific to your majors! Show future students what a walk on campus will be like for business students, or a dining tour of favorite restaurants on campus.

Location-based content adds even more value. Institutions can offer tips on where to park, grab a coffee, or find a nearby restroom, all within the map interface.

Accessibility is also a core focus. Concept3D maps can be navigated using a keyboard and include features like defined wheelchair-accessible routes, ensuring that all students feel welcomed from the start.

Over the years, Google Maps has introduced a variety of interactive features. Most notably, users can get turn-by-turn directions for driving, biking, or walking. They can also drop pins, explore areas through Street View, and interact with map layers for real-time traffic and transit information. 

Maps also performs well in terms of accessibility. The interface is keyboard-navigable, and it includes directions for wheelchair users. However, because indoor mapping isn’t available for higher educational institutions, accessibility features are typically limited to outdoor pathways and entrances.

While Google’s interactive features are powerful and widely loved, they’re built for the general public. They lack the education-specific features — like virtual campus tours and custom interactive layers — that help colleges connect with prospective students on a deeper level.

Parking is a challenge at nearly every university. But what if students could see available spots in real time? With Concept3D, this use case is a reality. The platform supports live data integrations from campus systems, making it easy to share up-to-date information about parking, transit, campus events, and more.

Concept3D is also built to support indoor navigation. With detailed renderings of building interiors, schools can offer wayfinding from classroom to classroom, seamlessly guiding students through both indoor and outdoor spaces. 

Google Maps offers simple API functionality, including custom routes and limited indoor navigation. Indoor mapping is generally reserved for select location partners like stadiums, airports, and malls. At this time, Google doesn’t map the interiors of university buildings.

Maps also doesn’t integrate with campus systems to display real-time information like parking availability, weather updates, or event details. 

Concept3D provides dedicated, personalized support from day one. Every client begins with guided onboarding, where the Concept3D team helps configure every detail of the new campus map and trains staff on how to maintain and update it over time.

Support doesn’t end after launch. Clients have ongoing access to specialists for troubleshooting, questions, or strategic guidance as their map evolves.

Embedding a Google Map on your site is largely a self-serve process. Google often relies on its user community to contribute updates and maintain accuracy.

For colleges using Google Maps, this often means handling customizations like styling, imagery, and routing on their own, with little direct support from Google. 

When organizations do need assistance, response times can be slow. Any requests for changes or personalized service compete with a global queue of users across countless industries.