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Best Academic Advising Software in 2026

Academic advising software can help institutions monitor degree progress and support students as they plan their studies. Compare degree audit and degree planning features, then look at early alerts and intervention workflows for follow-up needs. Mobile access and a student planning portal offer additional ways to assess how students engage with advising. FlightPath, Ellucian Degree Works, and Civitas Advising are among the entries. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing provide cost context; weigh those details alongside the advising functions that matter in your setting, such as reviewing requirements or planning a path toward completion.

  1. 1

    FlightPath

    Free plan Open source AndroidAPIiPhone+4

    Choose FlightPath if your institution needs degree planning, audits, advising communication, and early alerts, especially if you can operate the free self-hosted edition.

    9.0 Free plan Visit site
  2. 2

    Slate

    Free plan Web

    Slate provides a flexible foundation rather than a finished editor experience. Its extensibility and collaboration model suit teams prepared to configure and maintain a framework.

    6.4 Open source Visit site
  3. 3

    Civitas Advising

    Paid AndroidAPIiPhone+1

    Civitas Advising brings student records, outreach coordination, and academic planning into one institutional platform.

    6.1 Pricing on request Visit site
  4. 4

    EAB Navigate360

    Paid AndroidAPIiPhone+1

    Navigate360 combines student-engagement tools, staff workflows, analytics and AI in a cloud CRM for higher education.

    6.0 Pricing on request Visit site
  5. 5

    Ellucian Degree Works

    Paid AndroidAPIiPhone+2

    Degree Works brings degree audits, planning, transfer articulation, and reporting into an institutional advising workflow.

    5.8 Pricing on request Visit site
  6. 6

    CoreCampus

    Paid APIWeb

    CoreCampus combines student records, campus operations, CRM, and document management in a cloud platform. Schools should request pricing based on their average annual FTE enrollment.

    5.7 Pricing on request Visit site
  7. 7

    Slate

    Paid AndroidAPIiPhone+1

    Slate spans student-facing and institutional workflows, with integration and security options described for institutional use.

    5.6 From $30,000/yr Visit site
  8. 8

    Ellucian Advising

    Paid Web

    Choose Ellucian Advising if your higher education team needs student progress indicators, advising workflows, and coordinated communications in one web platform.

    5.5 Pricing on request Visit site
  9. 9

    Ellucian Smart Plan

    Paid Web

    Institutions seeking adaptive academic planning tied to student progress and course registration should consider Smart Plan.

    5.4 Pricing on request Visit site
  10. 10

    ConexED Retain

    Paid Web

    Retain brings early alerts, shared case records, scoring, and follow-up automation together for higher education student support.

    5.3 Pricing on request Visit site
  11. 11

    Kuali Financials

    Paid APIWeb

    Kuali Financials brings core finance operations, controls, and integrations into a cloud system for higher education.

    5.3 Pricing on request Visit site
  12. 12

    AdviseU

    Paid

    Universities seeking coordinated degree planning, student what-if tools, and advising analytics should consider AdviseU.

    5.2 Pricing on request Visit site
  13. 13

    Ellucian Banner Student

    Paid Web

    Banner Student brings admissions, student aid, curriculum, and success tools into a higher education information system.

    5.1 Pricing on request Visit site
  14. 14

    TracCloud

    Paid APIWeb

    TracCloud combines student data, appointments, waitlists, alerts, and reporting for higher-education support services.

    5.1 From $5,999 Visit site
  15. 15

    Starfish

    Paid Web

    Starfish combines student tracking, advising analytics, and degree planning with implementation support from EAB.

    5.0 Pricing on request Visit site
  16. 16

    HighPoint Degree Planner

    Paid Web

    Degree Planner brings course sequencing and what-if planning into a visual graduation path. Institutions should note its PeopleSoft focus and that students still need individual advisor support.

    4.9 Pricing on request Visit site
  17. 17

    uAchieve Planner

    Paid Web

    Choose uAchieve Planner if a higher education institution needs degree-based term planning, plan validation, and course demand reporting.

    4.9 Pricing on request Visit site
  18. 18

    Upswing Advising & Early Alerts

    Paid Web

    Colleges and universities seeking a shared platform for advising, appointments, messaging, and student alerts should consider Upswing Advising & Early Alerts.

    4.9 Pricing on request Visit site
  19. 19

    Stellic

    Paid APIWeb

    Stellic brings planning, advising, and transfer pathways together for higher education institutions. Institutions should account for its integration setup and request a demo for pricing information.

    4.8 Pricing on request Visit site
  20. 20

    Watermark Student Success & Engagement

    Paid AndroidiPhoneWeb

    Watermark brings degree planning, alerts, intervention workflows, and a student portal into one listed service. Institutions should request pricing and confirm that its workflows fit their needs.

    4.3 Pricing on request Visit site
  21. 21

    Kuali Advisor

    Paid Web

    Kuali Advisor brings degree auditing and planning together with early alerts and a student portal. Institutions should request pricing and confirm that its web-based access fits their needs.

    4.2 Pricing on request Visit site
  22. 22
    4.0 Pricing on request Visit site
  23. 23
    4.0 Pricing on request Visit site

#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price

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