Enrollment management goes far beyond just collecting student applications. It is a well-executed process that starts long before a student fills out any forms. This includes marketing your institution like it’s the next big thing, waving those scholarship opportunities like a welcome banner, and being faster at replying than a teenager on social media.
Speaking from experience, if I inquired about a college and didn’t hear back promptly, I’d likely move on to the next option. The only exception? If that institution had done an exceptional job with its student outreach, I couldn’t help but give them another chance.
This blog will walk you through the top 10 enrollment management software solutions. But before we dive into the recommendations, let’s explore the key stages that influence enrollment success – this way, you’ll know exactly which tool is the right fit for your needs.
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Stages in an Enrollment Process for Higher Education
1. Attracting students (Lead generation)
The foundation of successful enrollment management lies in your ability to capture the attention of potential students. An effective enrollment management system plays a crucial role in enhancing application rates and streamlining the admissions process for educational institutions.
Think of it as being the most interesting person at a party – you need to stand out in a crowd of institutions all vying for students’ attention.
Whether it’s through eye-catching social media posts, immersive virtual tours, or engaging email campaigns, this is where you make that crucial first impression that could make a student think, “Hey, this could be my future alma mater!”
Key activities:
· Digital marketing campaigns
· Virtual campus tours
· Social media engagement
· Website inquiry forms
2. Engagement & nurturing (Building relationships)
Once you’ve captured initial interest, the real work of relationship building begins. 77% of prospects enroll with the first advisor with whom they develop a genuine relationship.
This critical phase transforms general interest into genuine consideration through personalized communication and meaningful engagement.
Success depends on your ability to understand and respond to each prospective student’s unique needs and communications. An excellent way for admission reps to do this is by building a personal connection with high-quality needs and sending personalized responses.
Key activities:
· Personalized email campaigns
· Text message updates
· Virtual counseling sessions
· Social media engagement
3. Financial aid & scholarships (Securing funding)
Financial considerations often represent the bridge between acceptance and enrollment.
This crucial stage focuses on making higher education accessible and affordable through strategic financial aid packaging, clear communication of options, and managing tuition payments. It’s about creating pathways to enrollment by helping students and families understand their financial options and identifying the available resources.
A well-executed financial aid strategy and efficient handling of tuition payments can transform what seems financially impossible into a realistic opportunity.
Key activities:
· FAFSA integration
· Scholarship matching
· Award letter generation
· Financial aid packaging
· Payment planning
Now that you know the stages, let us look at the list of the 9 best enrollment software to help your higher education institution.
9 Best Enrollment Management Software for Higher Education Institutions
1. LeadSquared Education CRM
G2 rating: 4.6/5(236 reviews)
As mentioned earlier, the journey towards the enrollment process is equally or more important than the actual enrollment process. LeadSquared will help you identify the most suitable applicants by checking their eligibility criteria: age, GPA, interests, locations, course preferences, etc.
Once you define the criteria, LeadSquared assigns prospects a quality score. This makes prioritization easy for admission reps, saving them time and resources.
In addition, you can create your application portal for a unique, personalized experience.
LeadSquared’s Flostack is a lead engagement and scheduling platform that helps universities effectively manage student inquiries. For instance, if a prospect fills out an inquiry form at 10 PM, it’s likely that no admission representatives will be available to respond.
In such cases, Flostack steps in by directing the prospect to a microsite with detailed information about the college. The lead is then automatically assigned to the first available agent, ensuring a quick follow-up.
This streamlined process increases the chances of converting inquiries into enrollments, helping universities stay responsive and efficient.
LeadSquared focuses on making your enrollment process hassle-free. Whenever an applicant shows a positive intent, like spending 10 minutes browsing through the fee and course structure, these enrolment signals are captured and assigned to the qualified admission representative. Flostack
Learn about LeadSquared’s education CRM by booking a free demo!
2. Element451
G2 rating: 4.5/5(36 reviews)
Element451 is an AI CRM platform that provides insights into enrollment trends, communication effectiveness, and application funnel performance. This information will help the admissions team allocate resources and effort to important areas.
Its predictive analysis feature helps identify leads that are more likely to enroll, allowing admission representatives to spend their time wisely
Element451 can help institutions attract prospective students through effective marketing campaigns
In addition, Element415 allows for personalization, but the customizations may require technical expertise or additional support from the Element451 team.
3. Technolutions
G2 rating: 4.4/5(71 reviews)
Slate by Technolutions is an admission platform that assists with admission and the student journey after.
They provided features such as donor management, alumni relations, and event management into one powerful environment.
With Slate, you can enhance the holistic campus experience, streamline administrative processes, and optimize student outcomes while customizing according to your needs.
4. Salesforce Education Cloud
G2 rating: 4.2/5( 39 reviews)
Salesforce assists in student success and retention. You can track student progress, engagement, and satisfaction throughout their academic journey. It provides insights to identify at-risk students and offers targeted interventions.
Salesforce also Includes features for case management and connecting students with advisors or support resources.
It also helps build lasting alumni relationships through personalized communication and engagement.
One drawback of Salesforce is the time and resources required to set up the CRM system. The software is complex to understand, and an experienced Salesforce professional must set it up and customize it.
5. HubSpot
G2 ratings: 4.8/5(654 reviews)
HubSpot helps in student marketing by creating and distributing valuable content (e.g., blogs, eBooks, and webinars) to attract and inform potential students.
It segments audiences based on interests, demographics, or application status for tailored communications.
You can grab the student’s attention by engaging prospects where they are by managing campaigns and responses across platforms directly from HubSpot.
6. Ellucian Banner
G2 rating: 3.2/5(177 reviews)
Ellucian Banner is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system designed specifically for higher education institutions. It supports the core administrative and admission functions of a university.
Ellucian Banner automates financial aid processes, including application reviews, award distribution, and compliance reporting.
7. Blackbaud
G2 rating: 4/5(37 reviews)
The Blackbaud Enrollment Management System is perfect if you have a smaller higher education institution.
It has built-in communication features that make sending automated updates, reminders, and decision notifications easy, keeping families informed throughout the process.
In addition, Blackbaud seamlessly integrates with Blackbaud’s other school management solutions, like Student Information Systems (SIS) and Financial Aid Management, to create a unified platform for managing student data.
8. Jenzabar
G2 rating: 4.0/5(49 reviews)
With Jenzabar, academic staff can efficiently manage course registrations, grades, and transcripts while conducting degree audits and assisting with educational planning.
The system extends beyond academics to handle various student services, including housing assignments, campus activities, and health services integration.
It handles everything from FAFSA integration to scholarship management and loan processing. Helping staff and students benefit from streamlined payment processing, flexible payment plans, and clear account statements.
9. Workday student management
G2 rating: 4.1/5(1,570 reviews)
Workday simplifies recruitment by providing comprehensive tools for managing prospective student relationships.
The platform helps track every interaction with potential students, from their first inquiry to final enrollment. Admissions teams can easily monitor application status, communicate with candidates, and make informed decisions using built-in analytics.
Conclusion
Enrollment management isn’t just about collecting applications—it’s about connecting with students and helping them find their academic home.
The right software can make this journey smoother for everyone involved. Whether you’re running a small college or a major university, tools like LeadSquared, Salesforce, Blackbaud, and Ellucian Banner can help turn interested prospects into enrolled students.
These platforms work behind the scenes to streamline your processes, letting your team focus on what matters most—building meaningful connections with future students.
When you find the right fit for your institution, you’re not just choosing software; you’re choosing a partner to create better experiences for your staff and the students they serve.
