Best Academic Advising Software in 2026
Updated
In short: FlightPath is ranked #1 of 20 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of Ellucian Degree Works and Civitas Advising. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Slate at $2,500/mo.
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.
20 academic advising software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
1 of the 20 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FlightPathWeb · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 2 | Ellucian Degree WorksWeb · Linux · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.7 |
| 3 | Civitas AdvisingWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 4 | EAB Navigate360Web · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 5 | ConexED RetainWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 6 | CoreCampusWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 7 | Ellucian AdvisingWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 8 | Ellucian Banner StudentWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 9 | HighPoint Degree PlannerWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 10 | Kuali FinancialsWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 11 | StarfishWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 12 | StellicWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 13 | uAchieve PlannerWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 14 | Watermark Student Success & EngagementWeb · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 15 | AdviseUNo platforms listed | One bar | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 16 | Kuali AdvisorWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 17 | SlateWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $2,500/mo | 5.2 |
| 18 | Upswing Advising & Early AlertsWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 19 | Ellucian Smart PlanWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 20 | TracCloudWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
Compare all 20 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Degree audit | Degree planning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FlightPath | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | Ellucian Degree Works | 5.7 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | Civitas Advising | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | EAB Navigate360 | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | ConexED Retain | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 6 | CoreCampus | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 7 | Ellucian Advising | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | Ellucian Banner Student | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 9 | HighPoint Degree Planner | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 10 | Kuali Financials | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 11 | Starfish | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 12 | Stellic | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 13 | uAchieve Planner | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 14 | Watermark Student Success & Engagement | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 15 | AdviseU | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 16 | Kuali Advisor | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 17 | Slate | 5.2 | No | $2,500/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 18 | Upswing Advising & Early Alerts | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 19 | Ellucian Smart Plan | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 20 | TracCloud | 5.0 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which academic advising software is ranked first on Freedom251?
FlightPath is ranked #1 of 20 with a score of 6.4. Ellucian Degree Works is second and Civitas Advising third.
How many of these have a free plan?
1 of the 20 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Slate has the lowest first paid tier we found: $2,500/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.