Higher Education Software

What Is Higher Education Software?

Higher Education Software is used by colleges, universities, and other educational institutions to manage student admissions and enrollment, curriculums, faculty, grades, finances, reporting, etc. This includes learning management systems and other tools accessed by students and educators, in addition to the operational systems utilized by administrators.

Higher education software tends to be more similar to business technology than K-12 learning platforms. Higher education organizations tend to be larger, so they require more robust and scalable learning and back-office solutions than most K-12 institutions. This includes some unique functions like fundraising, grant management, and other higher-ed focused capabilities. Higher education software is also more likely to blur the line between academic learning management and corporate learning management systems.

Modern higher education technology can provide a range of benefits to academic institutions, especially those still reliant on older or on-premise systems. Higher education software improves access to student, faculty, and course data. It also allows for process improvements and greater efficiency, either from best-of-breed tools or all-in-one centralized solutions. Cloud-based technology has also become the norm, not the exception, with all the associated scalability benefits that come with that transition.

Higher Education Point Solutions and ERP

The higher education market tends to be segmented into point solutions and higher education ERPs. There are point solutions to serve most, or all, specific higher education functions. These functions include scholarship management, course content management, accreditation, housing management, and a host of other features. There are also more standard student information systems and learning management systems that focus on higher education institutions.

There are also a growing number of higher education enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. These products primarily serve higher education institutions’ back-office functions like HR, finance, and facilities and inventory management. These systems focus on managing the business workflows that keep higher ed schools running.

There are also systems that merge both segments into all-in-one platforms. These tools can deliver both the academic and logistical support that large institutions especially need, while centralizing data and processes that enable more efficient scaling.

Higher Education Software Comparison

When comparing higher education software, consider these factors:

• Use Case: What specific functions does the organization need to serve with this product? Are there specific financial processes like fundraising that need revamping, or does the organization require a broader systems overhaul? In the latter case, the opportunity to adopt a broader ERP solution may become more appealing.

• Scalability: Can the given product handle the institution’s current scale, and can it grow with the organization? Consider factors like multi-location support, how robustly or easily it manages data while keeping it accessible, and any pricing considerations that may impact future growth.

• Configurability: How easily can the platform be tailored to the institution’s particular needs, both on implementation and over time? Consider factors like modularized offerings, what later or routine changes will require IT support, and how easily non-specialized users can perform certain high-traffic functions, like course management.

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