10 Contenders for the Best Student Information System for Universities

Student information systems have changed shape. The old model, a registry database bought once and kept for decades, has given way to cloud platforms sold by subscription, some of which now reach back into recruitment and admissions or forward into HR and finance. At the same time, the vendor map has shifted through acquisitions and renamed products, so even experienced buyers can struggle to compare like with like. This guide explains ten contenders in plain terms, starting with Full Fabric for business schools, specialist universities and professional education.

Quick picks

• Full Fabric: business schools, specialist universities and professional education
• TechnologyOne OneEducation: universities replacing student, finance and HR together
• Ellucian: large North American institutions
• Tribal SITS: large UK universities

How the Platforms Rank

1) Full Fabric

Accessibility is easy to overlook when choosing software, but every student has to use the portals the SIS provides. Full Fabric, which was founded in 2011, tests its student-facing apps to WCAG AA, a widely used international accessibility standard, and addresses EN 301 549. That matters for public institutions with accessibility obligations and for any university that wants every applicant to complete their journey without barriers.

Under the surface, the platform puts CRM, admissions, payments and the SIS on one data model. In everyday terms, the information a student types into an application form is the same information the registry later uses for enrolment, grades and transcripts, so nothing has to be copied across. Short courses can stack into larger qualifications, and UK institutions get HESA reporting.

The platform fee is €12,000 a year, with extra charges based on usage. It is certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2022. It also connects to tools many universities already use, with ready-made links to Salesforce, Dynamics, HubSpot and UCAS, and payments through providers such as Stripe and Flywire.

It does not include finance or HR software, so it works best alongside existing systems for those.

2) TechnologyOne OneEducation

OneEducation is an ERP, meaning software that runs an organisation's back office, built specifically for education. Student management sits alongside finance, HR, payroll and timetabling on one data model, so a university can replace several systems with one.

Curriculum management came through TechnologyOne's purchase of CourseLoop, and the suite also includes exam management and a student portal called DxP Student. The company says OneEducation serves over 6.5 million students.

One subscription, called SaaS+, covers setup, support and future upgrades, so long-term costs are easier to forecast. Standard support comes as part of the fee.

3) Ellucian

Higher education is Ellucian's only market. Its student offering now spans Banner, Colleague and Anthology Student, the last added through an acquisition completed at the close of 2025, and its HR and finance applications share the same platform, so a large university can source most core systems from one place.

Its student aid and scholarship tools make it strong for US institutions. The main question for new buyers is which of the three student systems to choose, since Ellucian has not published how they will develop together.

Advisors get warnings when a learner seems to be slipping, alongside planning tools for degrees and an automated advisor for routine questions. About 3,000 institutions in 50 countries use Ellucian, by its own count, and the cloud edition of Banner keeps itself up to date.

4) Oracle Student and PeopleSoft Campus Solutions

Oracle has an older system, PeopleSoft Campus Solutions, and a newer cloud one, Oracle Student, with a described route from one to the other. Oracle Student is especially capable with continuing education, offering billing when students enrol and invoices for sponsoring organisations.

It makes most sense for universities already using Oracle's finance and HR cloud. The documentation is aimed mainly at the US, and prices are not published.

Its curriculum tools can handle courses of different lengths and different grading schemes, and it supports consortia, where several institutions share degrees or exchanges. Students use a self-service area called Student Central, and a separate module, Student Financial Planning, handles financial aid.

5) Thesis SM

Smaller institutions on both sides of the Atlantic are the target for Thesis SM, the product that used to carry the Unit4 name. Its UK coverage includes returns such as HESA and ILR plus the visa sponsorship checks needed for overseas students, and Canadian colleges can generate their T2202 tax slips.

Registry teams can set up their own approval steps, complete with automatic emails, and every record can be downloaded as a spreadsheet file. Expect an implementation of 12 to 24 months, and note that American colleges are pointed to a sister product, Thesis Elements.

Thesis says most other systems take 30 months to implement. Its open APIs let technical staff read and update almost every type of record, which helps if you want to connect a CRM or a learning platform later.

6) Jenzabar One

American colleges are Jenzabar's market, and Jenzabar One gives them records, aid, accounting and staff software in a single cloud package. Learners returning to study as adults are a particular focus, helped by payment plans that can be spread out.

It is a practical all-in-one for American private colleges, though it does not mention UK or European reporting.

The platform also includes communications tools for messaging students across several channels, data analytics and automated workflows. The analyst firm IDC named Jenzabar a Leader among North American higher education SIS vendors in 2024. The company is based in Boston and cites more than 40 years of experience.

7) Classe365

Records, attendance, report cards, a learning space, admissions and fee collection all come in a single Classe365 subscription. The price has two parts: a core charge tied to enrolment, and a one-off charge for each optional module you turn on.

It suits small colleges and training providers on a budget, but national reporting is not mentioned.

Optional modules carry no cap on student numbers, so a growing college isn't penalised, and paying annually brings the renewal price down by 10%. The current prices took effect on 1 January 2025, replacing a model that had been in place since 2013.

8) Classter

Classter is a modular platform for schools, colleges and training providers, priced per active student. It runs in seven languages and connects to more than 40 other tools, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Moodle.

It works well for groups running several kinds of education, though universities with government reporting duties should check carefully, as HESA and IPEDS are not mentioned.

You choose only the modules you need, such as admissions, an online classroom, billing or HR, and the company publishes a worked pricing example. Its higher education example sets the Core module at €8.50 per active student. Help is available through a support portal and knowledge base.

9) Workday Student

Workday built its name on HR and finance, and Workday Student extends that same platform to learners. For a university already on Workday, it means enrolment, staffing and budget figures can be read side by side.

Students get a mobile-first app, and advisors get AI tools that flag students who may need support. Pricing is not published.

Deakin and the University of Queensland are among the Australian users Workday names. UK reporting isn't covered on its overview pages, Workday warns that features it hasn't released yet could change, and Workday Extend lets IT teams add their own apps.

10) Tribal SITS

Built around British higher education, SITS sends the data that the Office for Students, HESA, the Student Loans Company and the Graduate Outcomes survey require. Clearing and student finance are part of it too, and international students can pay fees in their home currency.

It is the established choice for large UK registries, and Tribal says over 60% of UK universities use it. Independent providers are pointed to a different Tribal product, EBS.

There is also a tool that shows students the degree result they are heading for, and registry teams can watch attendance and engagement to catch problems early. Tribal is getting customers ready for the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, due in January 2027.

Student Information Systems in Plain English

A student information system, or SIS, is where a university keeps the official record of every student. It shows who is enrolled, which courses they are taking, what grades they have earned, what fees they owe and which qualifications they have completed.

Many people across the university rely on it. Registry staff manage enrolment and graduation, academic staff record marks, finance teams send invoices, and planners use the data to forecast numbers. Universities also use the SIS to produce reports for government bodies.

Today, some systems do more than that. Some also handle recruitment and admissions, so a student's record begins with their first enquiry. Others connect to HR and finance software, so the whole institution runs on one platform. Knowing which of those you need is the first step to choosing well.

It also helps to know how the software is delivered. Most modern systems are cloud based, which means the vendor runs the software and the university pays a subscription. That usually brings automatic updates, but it also means the contract and the vendor's reliability matter more than ever.

Which Tool Should You Choose?

Choose Full Fabric if you are a business school, specialist university or professional education provider that wants admissions and student records on one record.

Choose TechnologyOne OneEducation if you want to replace student, finance and HR systems together in Australia, New Zealand or the UK.

Choose Ellucian if you are a large North American institution that wants one higher education vendor for most core systems.

Choose Thesis SM if you are a smaller UK or Canadian institution with reporting duties.

Choose Tribal SITS if you are a large UK university with complex statutory returns.

Choose Classe365 if you are a small provider that wants a simple, affordable all-in-one product and does not file government returns.

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