How did 2U use Hygraph in their Learning Management System?

2U, a global edtech company, used Hygraph to centralize and manage metadata for their high-volume Learning Management System (LMS). By federating over 500 data sources and serving up-to-date content to more than 300,000 students, 2U ensured that 90%+ of brand metadata was delivered efficiently across their LMS, marketing websites, and other interfaces. This enabled accurate, updated, and accessible information for students and partners at scale.

What were the main reasons 2U chose Hygraph over other solutions?

2U selected Hygraph after an extensive proof-of-concept phase because it offered a hosted, headless GraphQL backend, an editor-friendly UI, and seamless SSO integration. The team valued Hygraph's performant GraphQL APIs, which improved load times and conversion rates, as well as features like audit logs and granular permissions for security. The no-code schema builder and headless architecture also supported 2U's omnichannel and future expansion needs.

What measurable results did 2U achieve with Hygraph?

2U saw significant improvements after adopting Hygraph, including faster load times on the frontend, higher conversion rates, and lower bounce rates. The migration to Hygraph was completed in half the originally planned time (under 3 months instead of 6). The team also benefited from easier monitoring and tracking of content changes via audit logs, and improved cross-platform user experience as they shifted to a mobile-first approach.

What features of Hygraph were most valuable to 2U?

2U highlighted several key features of Hygraph: performant GraphQL APIs, SSO integration for secure authentication, an intuitive UI requiring minimal onboarding, audit logs for content tracking, and a no-code schema builder for flexible content modeling. These features enabled 2U to scale content operations efficiently and prepare for omnichannel distribution.

What are the key features of Hygraph?

Hygraph offers a range of features including a GraphQL-native API, content federation, Smart Edge Cache for fast content delivery, granular permissions, SSO integrations, audit logs, project backups, and a user-friendly interface. These features support operational efficiency, scalability, and secure content management for modern digital experiences.

Does Hygraph support Single Sign-On (SSO) and granular permissions?

Yes, Hygraph supports SSO integrations, allowing secure authentication through providers like OneLogin. It also offers granular permissions, enabling organizations to define detailed access rules for content and user roles. These features are especially valuable for enterprises with complex security requirements.

How does Hygraph ensure high performance for content delivery?

Hygraph delivers high performance through features like Smart Edge Cache, high-performance GraphQL endpoints, and continuous improvements to its API infrastructure. These capabilities ensure fast, reliable content delivery for high-traffic and global audiences.

What security and compliance certifications does Hygraph have?

Hygraph is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant (achieved August 3rd, 2022), ISO 27001 certified for its hosting infrastructure, and GDPR compliant. These certifications demonstrate Hygraph's commitment to high security and compliance standards.

What security features does Hygraph provide?

Hygraph offers enterprise-grade security features including granular permissions, SSO integrations, audit logs, encryption at rest and in transit, regular backups, and a transparent process for reporting security issues. These features help protect customer data and support compliance with regulations like GDPR and CCPA.

How long does it take to implement Hygraph?

The implementation timeline for Hygraph varies by project scope. For example, 2U completed their migration in under 3 months—half the time originally planned. Other customers, like Top Villas, launched new projects within 2 months. Hygraph's structured onboarding process and free API playground help teams get started quickly.

How easy is it to get started with Hygraph?

Hygraph is designed for easy onboarding. Teams can start immediately using the free API playground or a free forever developer account. The onboarding process includes introduction calls, account provisioning, and technical and content kickoffs. Extensive documentation, webinars, and live streams are available for hands-on guidance.

What support options are available for Hygraph customers?

Hygraph provides 24/7 support via chat, email, and phone. Customers can also access real-time troubleshooting through Intercom chat, join the community Slack channel, and use extensive documentation and training resources. Enterprise customers receive a dedicated Customer Success Manager for personalized guidance.

How does Hygraph handle maintenance, upgrades, and troubleshooting?

Hygraph is a cloud-based platform, so all deployment, updates, and infrastructure maintenance are managed by Hygraph. Upgrades are rolled out seamlessly, and troubleshooting is supported by 24/7 support, real-time chat, and comprehensive documentation. This minimizes technical overhead for customers.

Where can I find more case studies about Hygraph customers?

You can explore a wide range of Hygraph customer case studies, including 2U, Komax, Stobag, Samsung, Dr. Oetker, Discovery, and more, on the Hygraph case studies page. These stories showcase how organizations across industries use Hygraph to solve complex content management challenges.

Can you provide a case study about 2U using Hygraph for learning platforms?

Yes, you can read the full case study about 2U's implementation of Hygraph for their learning platforms on the 2U case study page.

What problems does Hygraph solve for organizations like 2U?

Hygraph addresses operational inefficiencies (eliminating developer dependency, modernizing legacy tech stacks), financial challenges (reducing operational costs, accelerating speed-to-market), and technical issues (simplifying schema evolution, improving integration, and performance). For 2U, this meant scalable content management, improved performance, and easier cross-platform expansion.

What KPIs and metrics are associated with Hygraph's impact?

Key KPIs include time saved on content updates, system uptime, speed of deployment, consistency in content across regions, user satisfaction scores, reduction in operational costs, time to market for new products, maintenance costs, and scalability metrics.

When was this page last updated?

This page wast last updated on 12/12/2025 .

2U and Hygraph: Case Study

Snapshot

2U, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU) is a global edtech (educational technology) company that contracts with non-profit colleges and universities to power online graduate and undergraduate degree programs, professional certificates, short courses, and boot camps. The company supplies its client institutions with a cloud-based SaaS (software-as-a-service) platform, coursework design, infrastructure support, capital, and more. They are a trusted edtech partner to some of the world’s top universities, like the University of Cambridge and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, helping them launch world-class digital education for over a decade.

With over 500 total offerings and 300,000+ students enrolled across all products, 2U operates a high-volume Learning Management System (LMS) empowering students at a global scale to embrace
digital education.

To ensure that the metadata for all their university partners is accurate, updated, and available to students, 2U handles 100+ data points per brand (assets, configurations, etc.) that need to be reflected within the LMS itself, along with their marketing websites, course collateral, product pages, and other user-facing interfaces.

Initially, 2u managed this data using a homebrew Headless CMS for editorial and content teams. This custom CMS was built to meet the needs of a specific use case, as the projects grew and diversified the in-house system became unsustainable for a broader range of use cases. 2U needed to build a centralized content hub to house all of these assets in a single repository where they could utilize more efficient workflows, programmatic content aggregation and the power of GraphQL to build a powerful solution.

Hygraph has made it really easy to scale up our content needs when our business model gets more demanding. [...] We planned our migration to be complete within 6 months, but we’ll have them done within half that time.

Jason KayeDirector of Engineering at 2U

The Process

The headless CMS built in-house served the needs of 2U for a specific use case. As the team added several new partners and products at an accelerated pace, their system wasn’t scalable. When deciding whether to build on top of this solution further or adopt an external solution, 2U opted to go for a hosted solution and avoid “rebuilding the wheel.” The team hoped to avoid any further singular points of failure or performance issues that their CMS could encounter, to prevent spending resources away from focusing on their core business model.

2U was all in on GraphQL, and while looking for solutions to replace their CMS, they considered several combinations of Headless CMS and DAM platforms before coming across Hygraph. After an extensive proof-of-concept phase, it was apparent that Hygraph fits their needs entirely - Headless, hosted GraphQL backend, and an editor-friendly UI - and opted to go with Hygraph. Given that their business model was heavily using GraphQL, the choice was simple.

Why Hygraph?

The 2U team chose Hygraph for the following reasons.

Performant GraphQL APIs

Because of the heavy use of GraphQL in other areas of their tech stack, it was important for the 2U team that the headless CMS also had powerful GraphQL APIs. The APIs of Hygraph proved that they could perform at scale resulting in load time improvements. The increase in performance with Hygraph’ API led to higher conversion rates and lower bounce rates. Additional features such as audit logs made it easy to monitor and track any changes to the team’s content.

Security and Authentication via SSO

Security and authentication were key elements to consider during the evaluation process. The ease of implementing SSO with Hygraph and their OneLogin accounts gave the team the peace of mind they needed. Audit Logs, granular permissions, and other security measures within Hygraph demonstrated to the team that their data would be secure within Hygraph.

Intuitive UI

It was important to the team that the Content UI was simple, without sacrificing the features that the team needed. Hygraph offers a system that requires minimal onboarding for the broad range of stakeholders that would be interacting with the content within the UI.

Omni-channel distribution

The 2U team wanted to choose a stack that prepared them for their future expansion plans as well. It was important that whatever approach they chose needed to prepare them for a greater cross-platform presence. The no-code schema builder of Hygraph as well as the headless nature of the platform meant that 2U’s project could grow in the future to serve their omnichannel needs.

Given the success of moving to Hygraph and having their business goals met ahead of schedule, there are early conversations of extending their adoption of Hygraph to handle further aspects of their application content.

Results and benefits

Load time improvements on the frontend with Hygraph’s API serving content at high speeds.
Hygraph’s audit logs (and with content based permissions on the way) made it easier for the team to monitor the changes and additions made to their content.
The increase in performance with Hygraph’s API led to higher conversion rates and lower bounce rates.
With 2U rapidly adopting a mobile-first approach and ramping up their focus on mobile, the team needed a solution to improve their cross-platform user experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

2U Case Study & Use Cases