Once almost exclusively seen as fundraising vehicles with a little bit of "where are they now" tossed in, university and college alumni magazines have gone glossy and reader-friendly.

"These are the ultimate niche magazines with readerships of 100,000 to 200,000 - all focused on one subject," explains Rae Goldsmith, VP of marketing/ communications for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. "But they've gotten a lot more sophisticated because they found out their audience didn't want to read something where ...