Higher education is no longer just chalkboards and lecture halls. Campuses are bustling with technologies that keep students connected, classrooms interactive, and administrators’ lives just a bit easier, all contributing to the institution’s success.
Whether you are a college dean looking to simplify admissions, a professor ready to ditch the paper grade book, or a student trying to navigate campus life easily, there is a software solution out there with your name on it!
With the many software programs available, keeping up with the latest tools can be tough. That is why we have done the legwork for you, rounding up the top 10 software solutions that best impact higher education.
The list starts from CRMs that automate admissions to learning platforms that make online classes feel like home. These tools are here to take your institution to the next level.
Let us look into software that makes higher education smarter, more efficient, and a whole lot more exciting!
Top 10 Software Solutions for Higher Education
1. LeadSquared- CRM for higher education
Purpose: Trusted by 800+ education institutions worldwide, LeadSquared is a complete admissions platform for student acquisition, application tracking, student journey tracking, enrollment, and more. It centralizes these processes, making it easier for institutions to attract, enroll, and retain students effectively.
Top Features
- Automated lead nurturing
LeadSquared automates the process of engaging with prospective students throughpersonalized communication workflows. By setting up automated sequences, institutions can ensure timely follow-ups, share relevant information, and guide leads through the admissions funnel without manual intervention.
You can send welcome emails to new inquiries, followed by information emails about courses, campus life, and application deadlines.
- Email/SMS Campaigns:
Create and manage multi-channel marketing campaigns with ease. Institutions can design targeted email and SMS campaigns to reach prospective students where they are most active and get higher engagement and response rates.
Send SMS about upcoming application deadlines or email newsletters about campus events and success stories.
- Custom Reporting:
Get insights with LeadSquared’s reporting tools. Customize reports to track key performance indicators (KPIs) like lead conversion rates, campaign effectiveness, and student engagement metrics. This helps in data-driven decision-making to continuously optimize recruitment strategies.
Generate a monthly report showing the number of applications each marketing channel receives to see which works best.
- Lead Scoring
Prioritize your leads with LeadSquared’s advanced lead scoring. Assign scores based on various criteria, such as engagement level, application status, and demographic information. This helps admissions teams focus on the most promising leads and increase the chances of successful enrollments.
Assign higher scores to leads who have attended virtual campus tours, downloaded course brochures, or submitted partial applications.
- Application Tracking:
Monitor and manage the entire admissions process with ease. LeadSquared provides a single dashboard where institutions can track application status, communicate with applicants, and ensure that no prospective student falls through the cracks.
Easily see which applicants have completed their submissions, which need additional documents, and which have been accepted or declined.
Benefits:
- Streamlines Admissions Workflows:
By automating repetitive tasks and centralizing student data, LeadSquared reduces the administrative burden on admissions teams. So staff can focus more on personalized interactions and strategic initiatives rather than getting bogged down by manual processes.
- Boosts Student Engagement:
LeadSquared’s omni channel communication tools ensure prospective and current students get timely and relevant information. This continuous engagement creates a sense of connection and support which leads to higher satisfaction and retention rates.
- Optimizes Conversion Rates with data insights:
The platform’s analytics clearly show what’s working and what’s not. Using these insights, institutions can refine their marketing and admissions strategies to improve lead conversion rates and enrollment outcomes.
- Seamless Integration:
LeadSquared integrates seamlessly with other systems used by higher education institutions, such as Learning Management Systems (LMS), Student Information Systems (SIS), and marketing tools. This ensures a smooth flow of data across systems and overall operational efficiency.
- Personalized Student Journeys:
Customize communication and engagement strategies for each student. LeadSquared lets institutions create personalized experiences that resonate with prospective students and make them feel heard.
2. Canvas-Learning management system
Purpose: Canvas LMS by Instructure is teaching and learning software built for schools, higher education institutions, and business leaders. Its main purpose is to make teaching and learning easier for everyone.
Top Features
- User-friendly: With its simple design and easy navigation, Canvas is accessible for students and educators.
- Collaboration tools: It offers discussion boards, group assignments, and real-time chat to increase healthy interaction between students and instructors.
- Analytics and reporting: Canvas has analytics and reporting features that help educational institutions understand student engagement and performance.Benefits: It simplifies online and hybrid course management, improves student engagement and enhances device accessibility.
3. Ellucian Banner – Student information system
Purpose: Ellucian Banner is a comprehensive SIS that simplifies everyday tasks for students, staff, and faculty. From enrollment to advancement, It is a complete, integrated SaaS platform that uses data to drive student success.
Top Features:
- Financial management: Ellucian Banner has tools for accessing and managing financial information, automating financial processes, and monitoring budgets.
- Integration: It can integrate with various applications and ERP systems, including Oracle and Microsoft.
Benefits: Centralizes student information, making tracking academic progress easier and efficiently handling administrative processes.
4. PeopleSoft Campus Solutions – Campus Management System
Purpose: PeopleSoft Campus Solutions by Oracle is a robust campus management platform supporting HR, financials, and administrative processes.
Top Features:
- Streamline processes: PeopleSoft allows you to automate many administrative tasks, such as enrolment, grading, and financial tasks.
- Academic advisement: This module includes features for course recommendations, graduation requirements, and tracking academic progress.
Benefits: Automates essential workflows, provides insights into campus operations, and helps institutions manage resources effectively.
5. Microsoft Teams – Collaboration Platform
Purpose: Microsoft Teams is widely used in higher education for virtual classrooms, meetings, and team collaboration.
Top Features
- Video meetings: With Microsoft Teams, you can host video conferences for up to 250 people and add features like background blur, meeting recording, and transcription.
- Integration with Microsoft 365: Access apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, SharePoint, and Outlook.Benefits: Fosters communication and collaboration among students, faculty, and staff, supporting in-person and remote learning environments.
6. Civitas Learning – Academic Advising Software
Purpose: Civitas Learning provides predictive analytics to support academic advising, helping institutions improve student retention and success.
Top Features:
- Centralized data: See all student data together—academic, behavioral, engagement, financial data, sentiment, and more—to build a complete student picture.
- Academic planning and scheduling tools: The platform’s scheduling features help students and advisors collaboratively plan courses, ensuring that students remain on track for graduation.
Benefits: Enables data-driven advising and personalized student support and helps improve retention rates by identifying students who may need additional support.
7. Salesforce Education Cloud – CRM and Alumni Management
Purpose: Salesforce Education Cloud offers CRM and alumni management tools for managing student relationships, engagement, and alumni networks.
Top Features:
- Insights on student progress and well-being: Institutions can monitor student progress and well-being through integrated tools that track academic, personal, and professional development.
- Alumni engagement portal: Provides a dedicated platform for alumni to connect, share updates, and participate in university events.
Benefits: Helps institutions build lifelong relationships with students, support recruitment, and engage alumni meaningfully.
8. Ex Libris Alma – Library Management System
Purpose: Ex Libris Alma is a cloud-based library management platform that simplifies resource cataloging, circulation, and access.
Top Features:
- Self-Service access for library users: The library offers a self-service portal where students and faculty can search, borrow, and renew materials independently, improving user convenience and freeing library resources.
- Tracking for digital and physical resources: Manages a library’s entire collection, including digital content, e-resources, and physical materials, making it easy for users to access content in the format they need.
Benefits: Enhances library operations, supports multi-format resource access, and improves the user experience for students and faculty.
9. ExamSoft – Online Assessment Software
Purpose: ExamSoft provides a secure online and offline exam administration solution, with tools for automated grading and performance tracking.
Top Features:
- Automated grading for efficient assessment: Automated grading features that ensure accuracy and consistency allow educators to save time, which is especially useful for large classes and multiple-choice assessments.
- Remote proctoring for secure online exams: Ensures academic integrity with remote proctoring solutions that monitor exam sessions for signs of cheating, especially helpful for institutions administering online exams
Benefits: Ensures assessment integrity, especially for remote exams, and provides valuable insights into student performance.
10. Unibuddy – Student Engagement Platform
Purpose: Unibuddy connects prospective and current students, fostering a peer-to-peer community supporting recruitment and engagement.
Top Features:
- Engagement analytics to support recruitment efforts: Tracks interaction metrics to identify which engagement methods resonate best with prospective students, informing recruitment strategies and enhancing prospective student experiences
- Live chat with student ambassadors for peer support: This option enables prospective students to connect with current students, gaining first-hand insights and experiences that help them make informed enrollment decisions.Benefits: Increases prospective student engagement, supports admissions by offering authentic peer insights, and builds community.
Benefits of Higher Education Software
Higher education software offers numerous benefits to colleges and universities, including:
Improved student retention and graduation rates
Higher education software helps institutions implement timely interventions by providing tools for tracking academic progress and identifying at-risk students, leading to better retention and graduation outcomes.
Enhanced student engagement and experience
Interactive learning platforms, personalized communication, and real-time feedback foster a more engaging and supportive educational environment.
Increased efficiency in administrative tasks
Automating routine administrative processes, such as enrollment, grading, and financial management, reduces staff workload and allows them to focus on more strategic initiatives.
Better decision-making through data-driven insights
Advanced analytics and reporting tools provide valuable insights into student performance, engagement, and institutional operations, enabling data-driven decision-making. With these insights, institutions can make room for improvements,
Improved financial aid management and institutional sustainability
Efficient management of financial aid processes ensures that students receive timely support, contributing to their success and the institution’s economic health.
Enhanced career opportunities for students
Career planning and placement tools help students explore career paths, connect with potential employers, and secure job opportunities.
Streamlined communication and collaboration among faculty, staff, and students
Unified communication platforms facilitate seamless interaction and collaboration, enhancing the educational experience.
By implementing higher education software, institutions can address their complex challenges and focus on their core mission: providing high-quality education and supporting student success.
Choosing the Right Higher Education Software
Given the numerous options available, selecting the right higher education software can be daunting. To make an informed decision, institutions should consider the following factors:
Scalability and flexibility to meet the institution’s growing needs
Ensure the software can grow with your institution and adapt to changing requirements. Before deciding which CRM to choose, requesting free demos and seeing what features and configurations align with your higher education platform is wise.
Integration with existing systems and infrastructure
The software should seamlessly integrate with your current systems, such as Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Student Information Systems (SIS), to ensure a smooth flow of data.
User-friendly interface and ease of use
The software’s simple and intuitive interface ensures that faculty, staff, and students can easily adopt and use it. Demo calls can be taken with representatives from students, staff, and other faculty members. This way, any difficulty in understanding the interface can be solved then and there.
Comprehensive features and functionality
Look for software that offers a wide range of features to support various aspects of your institution, from admissions and enrollment to academic advising and financial management.
Customization options to meet the institution’s unique needs
The ability to customize the software to fit your institution’s specific requirements is essential for maximizing its effectiveness.
Support and training provided by the vendor
Reliable customer support and comprehensive training resources are vital for ensuring the software’s successful implementation and ongoing use.
Cost and return on investment
Consider the total cost of ownership, including implementation, maintenance, and support, and evaluate the potential return on investment regarding improved efficiency, student success, and institutional sustainability.
By carefully evaluating these factors, institutions can choose a higher education software solution that aligns with their goals and objectives, ultimately driving student success and institutional sustainability.
Conclusion
These comprehensive solutions bring a fresh, tech-forward approach to the entire educational journey, making learning smarter, more efficient, and much more fun.
A comprehensive student system enhances the overall student experience by managing various aspects of their academic journey, including financial aid, academics, and payment processes.
So, go ahead—explore these platforms and let your institution thrive in today’s ever-evolving world of higher education!
Still confused about which software solution to choose? Book a free demo with us and decide what is best for your institution. Click here!
