Ellucian

Managing budgets, grants, and spending with AI-driven analytics for higher education institutions.

Ellucian Overview

Ellucian is a leading cloud-based software provider for higher education institutions, offering an integrated ERP system to manage finance, HR, student services, and more. Its AI-driven solutions, like Banner and PowerCampus, streamline budgeting, grant management, and spending with real-time analytics.

Designed for universities globally, it enhances efficiency, supports student success, and integrates seamlessly, though it requires training due to its complex interface.

Key Features

  • Centralized Financial Management: Manage budgets, forecasting, accounting, financial reporting, procurement, and accounts payable from a unified platform for streamlined operations.
  • AI-Powered Analytics: Use AI-driven dashboards to track financial performance, forecast trends, and optimize resource allocation with real-time insights.
  • Compliance Support: Simplify adherence to GASB and FASB standards with built-in reporting tools, ensuring data accuracy and financial transparency.
  • Role-Based Access: Provide personalized, secure access to financial data for CFOs, department leads, and staff, tailored to their roles.
  • Scalable SaaS Foundation: Offer cloud-based deployment on AWS with enterprise-grade security, continuous updates, and scalability for institutional needs.
  • Invoice and Billing Automation: Streamline invoicing, billing, and payment processes, reducing manual tasks and improving efficiency.
  • Expense Synchronization: Integrate purchasing and expense data for better control, insight, and approval workflows across campus.
  • Journal Voucher Management: Enable financial teams to access, process, copy, reverse, or delete journal vouchers, including budgets and transactions.
  • Finance Query Module: Provide a visual dashboard to view spend analysis, save, and share queries, enhancing collaboration among accounting teams.
  • Integration Capabilities: Seamlessly connect with other Ellucian products and third-party tools like AvidXchange for enhanced AP automation.

Price

Plan / Tier Price / Cost Notes
Base Cost Contact for Quote Pricing varies depending on size, modules, deployment.
Pricing Based on FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) Based on institution size Pricing depends on number of students, modules selected, and environment requirements.
Modules (e.g. student records, finance, HR) Varies by selection Additional modules like finance, HR, financial aid may increase cost.
Deployment (Cloud vs On-Premise) Varies Cloud-based deployments typically cost less than on-premise.
Support and Customization Varies Costs depend on the level of support, customization, and integration needed.
Existing Customer Offers Some services at no additional cost For existing customers, certain features like the Experience Foundation may be included at no extra charge.
Implementation and Services Varies by scope Custom implementation, data migration, and training add to the cost.

Pros

Competitor Pros of Ellucian
PeopleSoft Ellucian offers a comprehensive suite tailored for higher education, with robust ERP, SIS, and CRM modules like Banner and PowerCampus. Its AI-driven analytics provide real-time insights for budgeting and resource allocation, surpassing PeopleSoft’s less specialized higher education focus. Strong integration capabilities with tools like AvidXchange enhance automation, and its cloud-based SaaS on AWS ensures scalability and security. Over 70% of users praise its functional integrations and ease of implementation.
SAP SuccessFactors Ellucian excels in higher education-specific solutions, unlike SuccessFactors’ broader HR focus. Its centralized platform manages finance, HR, and student services with role-based access, ensuring data consistency. Validation tables prevent data entry errors, and standardized reporting supports accreditation needs. Users rate Ellucian’s customer service highly, with 60% noting timely support, and its SIS serves as a reliable single source of truth for institutional data.
ADP Workforce Now Ellucian’s specialized focus on higher education gives it an edge over ADP’s general HR and payroll tools. Its ERP system streamlines budgeting, grants, and procurement, with AI-powered dashboards for financial forecasting. Ellucian’s mobile support for Android and iOS enhances accessibility. Over 70% of reviewers appreciate its feature set, and its scalability suits institutions of all sizes, from small colleges to large universities.
Ceridian Dayforce Ellucian provides a higher education-specific ERP with superior financial management and compliance tools compared to Dayforce’s HR-centric platform. Its journal voucher management and finance query module enable detailed spend analysis. With a 74/100 user sentiment rating, Ellucian’s integrations work seamlessly for 70% of users, and its cloud deployment offers flexibility and continuous updates, ideal for dynamic institutional needs.
UKG Pro (UltiPro) Ellucian’s tailored solutions for higher education outshine UKG Pro’s general HR focus. Its SIS manages the entire student lifecycle, from admissions to graduation, with robust reporting for accreditation. Ellucian’s expense synchronization and invoice automation reduce manual tasks, and 60% of users praise its customer service. Its AWS-based SaaS platform ensures scalability, making it suitable for large institutions with complex needs.
Jenzabar Ellucian’s comprehensive suite, including Banner and Colleague, offers more robust financial and student management tools than Jenzabar. Its AI-driven analytics and compliance support for GASB/FASB standards are standout features. Over 70% of users find its setup straightforward, and its role-based access enhances usability across departments, giving it an edge for institutions needing integrated, scalable solutions.
Element451 Ellucian’s full-suite ERP and SIS capabilities surpass Element451’s CRM-focused platform. Its financial management, compliance tools, and AI analytics provide deeper insights for institutional planning. With a 3.8/5 product quality score, Ellucian’s integrations and mobile support cater to diverse campus needs, and its established market presence ensures reliability for large institutions compared to newer platforms like Element451.
Slate by Technolutions Ellucian’s broader ERP and SIS functionality outpaces Slate’s admissions-focused CRM. Its centralized platform supports finance, HR, and student services with real-time dashboards. Over 70% of users value its integration capabilities, and its compliance tools ensure regulatory adherence. Ellucian’s scalability and AWS-based infrastructure make it a stronger choice for comprehensive institutional management.

 

Cons

Competitor Cons of Ellucian
PeopleSoft Ellucian’s user interface is often criticized as outdated and unintuitive, requiring excessive clicks compared to PeopleSoft’s streamlined design. Customization is challenging, often causing issues during upgrades. Its complex UI demands extensive training, and 60% of users find its BI tools require advanced knowledge for anything beyond basic reports, limiting accessibility for non-technical staff.
SAP SuccessFactors Ellucian’s UI is clunky and less intuitive than SuccessFactors’ modern design, with 60% of reviewers noting navigation difficulties. Reporting across multiple student journey areas is cumbersome, requiring multiple screens. Customer support can have long response times, and customization limitations frustrate users needing tailored fields, making it less flexible for dynamic HR needs.
ADP Workforce Now Ellucian’s interface is less user-friendly than ADP’s, with 60% of users citing unintuitive navigation and outdated design. Its reporting tools require SQL expertise for complex queries, unlike ADP’s simpler analytics. Customization is difficult and costly, and some users report bugs outweighing features, leading to operational inefficiencies for smaller teams.
Ceridian Dayforce Ellucian’s complex UI and acronym-heavy navigation frustrate users compared to Dayforce’s intuitive design. Customization often disrupts upgrades, and 45% of reviewers note issues with time-tracking features, such as mobile app clock-in problems. Limited reporting flexibility requires technical expertise, making it less accessible for mid-sized teams with varied needs.
UKG Pro (UltiPro) Ellucian’s outdated UI and navigation issues, noted by 60% of users, lag behind UKG Pro’s modern interface. Customization is restrictive, and upgrades can break custom features. Reporting across multiple modules is challenging, requiring SQL skills, and occasional long support response times frustrate users needing quick resolutions for operational issues.
Jenzabar Ellucian’s steep learning curve and clunky interface, criticized by 60% of users, compare poorly to Jenzabar’s simpler design. Customization is problematic, often requiring costly consultant support. Its BI tools demand technical expertise, and some users report frequent bugs, making it less reliable for institutions seeking straightforward, cost-effective solutions.
Element451 Ellucian’s unintuitive UI and complex navigation, noted by 60% of users, contrast with Element451’s user-friendly CRM. Its high customization costs and upgrade issues deter smaller institutions. Limited reporting flexibility and occasional system freezes frustrate users, and its high implementation costs can strain budgets compared to Element451’s affordable $20k/year starting price.
Slate by Technolutions Ellucian’s outdated UI and cumbersome navigation, criticized by 60% of users, lag behind Slate’s modern, streamlined design. Its reporting requires SQL expertise, limiting accessibility. Customization is difficult and costly, and some users report frequent bugs and unreliable customer support, making it less appealing for admissions-focused teams seeking agility.

Verified Customer Reviews