FREEDOM251

Freedom251 › Learning & Education

Free and open first

Best Higher Education Software in 2026

Higher education software helps colleges and universities handle student records, academic operations, admissions, financial aid, curriculum work and other administration. This list covers products available via the web or APIs, on Android, iOS or Windows, and through self-hosting.

  1. 1

    openSIS

    Free plan Open source AndroidAPIiPhone+5

    openSIS combines student information management with a wide set of school operations and integrations.

    8.7 Free plan · paid from $4/mo (annual) · 15-day trial Visit site
  2. 2

    UniTime

    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3

    UniTime covers course, exam, event, room, and student scheduling in one educational system.

    8.5 Free plan Visit site
  3. 3

    OpenEduCat

    by OpenEduCat
    Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+2

    OpenEduCat combines institutional systems with modular pricing and cloud or on-premise deployment. Check the required Core cost and hardware needs against your intended setup.

    7.1 Free plan · paid from $489/yr · 15-day trial Visit site
  4. 4

    Classe365

    Free trial AndroidAPIiPhone+1

    Choose Classe365 if your institution wants student lifecycle management alongside learning, finance, enrolment, and alumni modules.

    6.4 From $100/mo · 15-day trial Visit site
  5. 5

    Classter

    by Classter
    Paid AndroidAPIiPhone+1

    Classter covers academic, administrative, billing, communication, and learning workflows in one cloud platform.

    5.9 Pricing on request Visit site
  6. 6

    Populi Financial Aid

    Free trial LinuxMacWeb+1

    Populi combines financial aid processing with broader college management tools and provides connections for direct aid work or servicers.

    5.9 From $199/mo Visit site
  7. 7

    Anthology Student Verification

    Paid AndroidiPhoneWeb

    Student Verification brings document collection, rules-based requirements, and staff review into a higher-education aid workflow.

    5.6 Pricing on request Visit site
  8. 8

    Ad Astra

    Paid APIWeb

    Ad Astra brings scheduling, forecasting, reporting, and integrations together for higher education institutions.

    5.5 Pricing on request Visit site
  9. 9

    CELCAT Timetabler

    Paid Web

    Institutions that need constrained scheduling, room booking, and personalised timetable publishing should consider CELCAT Timetabler.

    5.5 Pricing on request Visit site
  10. 10

    Creatrix Campus Curriculum Management System

    Paid APIWeb

    Creatrix Campus is built around institution-wide curriculum collaboration, outcomes mapping, workflow approvals, and record retention.

    5.5 Pricing on request Visit site
  11. 11

    Ellucian PowerCampus Financial Aid

    Paid WebWindows

    PowerCampus Financial Aid covers aid processing, compliance tasks, and student self-service through a companion portal.

    5.4 Pricing on request Visit site
  12. 12

    Jenzabar One

    Paid APIWeb

    Choose Jenzabar One if your higher education institution needs student-facing services and campus workflows in one ecosystem, with API and integration options.

    5.4 Pricing on request Visit site
  13. 13

    Tribal SITS

    Paid AndroidiPhoneSelf-hosted+1

    Tribal SITS brings recruitment, student support, finance and reporting into a university-focused system.

    5.4 Pricing on request Visit site
  14. 14

    Ellucian Banner Student

    Paid Web

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

    5.0 Pricing on request Visit site
  15. 15

    Workday Student Admissions

    Paid AndroidAPIiPhone+1

    Workday Student Admissions brings several financial aid workflow functions together in a cloud product for web and mobile platforms. Institutions will need to request pricing to evaluate its cost.

    5.0 Pricing on request Visit site
  16. 16

    CAMS Enterprise

    Paid WebWindows
    4.6 Pricing on request Visit site
  17. 17

    Kuali Research

    Paid
    4.1 Pricing on request Visit site
  18. 18

    Modern Campus Student

    Paid Web
    4.0 Pricing on request Visit site
  19. 19

    Modern Campus Curriculum

    Paid
    3.9 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

Compare free-plan availability, starting prices and trial conditions before committing. If you may inspect or modify code, review its open-source licence. Confirm that each option provides the student information system, academic management, admissions, financial-aid, deployment and mobile capabilities you require.

Questions

Do higher education tools offer free plans?

Check each listing for free-plan availability and review the terms and usage limits that apply.

Can I try higher education software before paying?

Check each listing for a free trial. Classe365 lists a 15-day trial; verify the duration and included features for other tools.

What does higher education software cost?

Pricing varies. Classe365 lists plans from $100 per month, while several tools show pricing on request. Check current terms with the provider.

Which platforms can these tools use?

Listings cover web and API access, Android, iOS, Windows and self-hosted installations. Check the platform details for the product you are considering.

What functions should a college compare?

Before choosing, assess student information systems, academic management, admissions, financial aid, deployment and mobile access.

Can I use open-source higher education software?

Check each listing for open-source availability, then review the applicable licence and determine whether self-hosting suits your institution.

More in Learning & Education