# STARS Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra

> With the help of Capterra, learn about STARS Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Student Information System products and more.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/132147/STARS-Campus-for-Career-Colleges/alternatives

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# 

 STARS Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons

Last updated on March 13, 2026

Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team.

[Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews)

STARS

## What is STARS?

STARS securely and reliably maintains operational data for colleges and schools. Designed primarily for Post-Secondary schools, STARS manages all aspects of operations from Lead Management, LMS, Student mobile friendly portal, Student Scheduling, Student Grades and Attendance, Student Ledgers & 1098Ts, Student Financial Aid, Compliance Reporting (Title IV), Placement and Accounting. We use IBM Enterprise grade servers.. 99.99% up-time! Our school management system is easy to use & implement.

## What is STARS used for?

[School Management](https://www.capterra.com/school-administration-software/)[Learning Management System](https://www.capterra.com/learning-management-system-software/)[Admissions](https://www.capterra.com/admissions-software/)

Overall rating

Based on 14 user reviews

Reviews sentiment

Positive

\-

Neutral

\-

Negative

\-

Starting price

$399

Per Month

Free trial  
not available

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## STARS alternatives

Highest Rated

[4.9 (7)](https://www.capterra.com/p/108971/School-wide-Management-System/reviews/)

Starting price

Contact vendor for pricing

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

100%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[4.7 (114)](https://www.capterra.com/p/155900/Classter/reviews/)

Starting price

Contact vendor for pricing

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

94%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[4.8 (164)](https://www.capterra.com/p/135075/Classe365/reviews/)

Starting price

$100.00

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

98%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[4.5 (448)](https://www.capterra.com/p/133283/Alma/reviews/)

Starting price

Contact vendor for pricing

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

94%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

## Features

Features with the highest number of reviews are displayed first. Those that have no reviews appear next, sorted alphabetically.

Activity Dashboard

Dashboard to view the status of ongoing processes, identify current incidents and track past activities

Activity Tracking

Track and document all activities across devices, networks, and other systems

Ad hoc Reporting

Generate one-off reports that meet information requirements

Admissions Management

Handle the registration and admission process for existing and new students

Alerts/Notifications

Alerts or notifications of various types such as pop-up messages, sounds, banners, or badges

Alumni Management

Tools that help educational institutions or fundraising organizations connect with alumni

STARS 76 features

Dashboard to view the status of ongoing processes, identify current incidents and track past activities

Track and document all activities across devices, networks, and other systems

Generate one-off reports that meet information requirements

Handle the registration and admission process for existing and new students

Alerts or notifications of various types such as pop-up messages, sounds, banners, or badges

Tools that help educational institutions or fundraising organizations connect with alumni

Application programming interface that allows for integration with other systems/databases

Track, manage and store the applications of potential future members, customers or candidates

Creation, administration, and evaluation of assessments or tests

Assign issues and tasks based on availability or required skills

Manage attendance for classes, shifts, meetings, or events

Track the attendance of specific individuals or groups

Plan, schedule, and execute organization's accounts and assets to ensure compliance with policies and laws

Create, manage, and send invoices or bills to customers

LMS functionality built-in for content delivery

Track and manage schedules and meetings via an integrated calendar

Build, track, and maintain relationships with candidates

Communicate using direct chat or messages within the system

Online registration for classes

Schedule in-person or online classes

Plan and schedule lessons and maintain students' behavior in the classroom

Leave comments and notes on documents for others to view

Manage and track all internal and external communication conducted via calls, email, text, or chat

Handles digital content throughout its lifecycle, from creation and storage to distribution and archiving

Developing custom training courses for educating employees or for teachers to create courses for their students

Create, organize, and assign courses to users

Built-in customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities or integration with a third-party CRM system

Map out the subjects that comprise courses of study

Add customized logos and colors to align with company branding

Customize contracts and forms to collect specific information

Alter the layout and content of reports

Import and export data to and from software applications

Allow staff users to manage and track disciplinary interactions with students and to view individual student's discipline records

Store, manage, and track all electronic documents in a centralized location

Manage, store and organize emails within the system or via third-party apps

Online portal where employees can access and track their own information

Manage the enrollment and onboarding of all new members and accepted applications

Track and manage staff profiles, recruitment, schedules, productivity, career development and performance

Automatically collect recurring fees or dues from members

Track collected or paid charges for services performed or access granted

Manage information and/or provide updates regarding student financial aid

Plan, manage, and track the financial activities of an individual or organization

The software is designed for classrooms

Software designed for higher education organizations

Store, manage and track all forms in a centralized location

Track student's scores and grades on course materials

Software designed for private/independent schools

Plan, organize and set up the date, time and location of a candidate's individualized interview

Software designed for kindergarten through 12th grade schools

Organize and track educational activities

Manage all in-house operations of the school library

Access software remotely via mobile devices

Access the system via a mobile application

Accept and process online payment transactions

Online gateway through which parents and students can view material and communicate with teachers

A set of indicators that tracks the performance of networks, applications, systems, teams, etc.

Document and report the progress of ongoing projects

Reporting on how each user, task or process has advanced since its initiation

Engage in direct, instant messaging with customers, users, etc.

Notifications that are delivered to users as soon as an event occurs

Ability to record, store, update, and retrieve information

Oversee and coordinate the registration of attendees, visitors, customers, events, activities, etc.

Timed notification for any upcoming task, deadline, appointment, or activity

Create, manage, and distribute student reports that document their academic progress and achievements

Collection, analysis, and representation of numerical data and generation of reports to understand various patterns

View and track pertinent metrics to find patterns and gain insights from data

Set & manage permission levels based on user roles and restrict access to only authorized individuals

Plan availability and assign specific time slots for tasks and resources

Online portal through which end users can access the system, manage tasks, or obtain information

Observe employees over a period of time to gain an understanding of their abilities to perform certain tasks

Create lists of student grades, transcripts, class lists, course schedules, etc. to be shared with instructors and administration

Database of students to track personal information of individuals and families

Allow media to be embedded in the question or answer options

Create tools to measure student retention of learning material and lessons

Set up connections to third-party platforms to improve business processes

Export text transcripts for the chat between two or more individuals

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Features

4.3 (4)

4.3

Based on 4 reviews

## Pricing

Value for money

4.0 (4)

Basic

$399.00

Per Month

Value for money

4.0 (4)

4.0

Based on 4 reviews

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## Support, customer service and training options

Customer Service

4.8 (14)

Support

-   Email/Help Desk
-   FAQs/Forum
-   Knowledge Base
-   Phone Support
-   24/7 (Live rep)
-   Chat

Training

-   In Person
-   Live Online
-   Webinars
-   Documentation
-   Videos

Deployment

-   Web
-   Android
-   iPhone/iPad

Typical users

-   Freelancers
-   Small businesses
-   Mid size businesses
-   Enterprises

Customer Service

4.8 (14)

4.8

Based on 14 reviews

## User reviews

Overall rating

4.6

Based on 14 reviews

Filter by rating

5(10)

4(3)

3(0)

2(1)

1(0)

Mentioned topic

Sorted by most recent

AO

Andrew O.

Compliance Officer/Mechanical Engineer EI

Higher Education

### "The Stars Program and its team have become a necessity in Arkansas Welding Academy daily Operations"

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

October 9, 2020

I believe I am always pushing the STARS team for new reports or functions in the system. They take it like champs and always deliver. STARS is always the first thing I open on my computer in the morning to see what my day will entail. At first it was a lot to learn and implement, but now using the system has become second nature to all staff members at AWA.

Pros

In today\`s world, regulations and compliance requirements are ever changing and STARS has become invaluable in meeting these demands. We have been using the system for almost two years now and have seen vast improvements in many areas of operation such as; attendance, financial aid implementation, grading, student communication, lead conversion, compliance, annual reporting and much more. The two aspects about STARS that I like most are that the system can be tailored to an individual institutions needs and the team behind it.

Cons

If you are a school that has been operating for years before implementing STARS, then there will be a lot of groundwork to get everything set up. Do not let this concern you because the STARS team will assist and guide you the entire way. Sometimes it can be difficult to find a report or function in the system, however this could also be seen as a pro because STARS has so much to offer.

Reasons for choosing STARS

Simple, more bang for your buck!

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

AT

Angie T.

Campus Director

Education Management

### "Not what was promised"

2.0

Overall Rating

2.0

2.0

Ease of Use

1.0

1.0

Features

2.0

2.0

Customer Service

2.0

2.0

Likelihood to Recommend

0/10

October 10, 2017

It has allowed us a forum to leave notes on current students that are accessable to department heads. Tracking leads, storing student info, allowing students a place to check progress even though the attendance portion is never correct.

Pros

The ability to store and search leads easily. Adding notes and documents to student profiles. Student ID badges. Student supportal.

Cons

Not very user friendly - everything takes 10 steps to get to. Customer service is poor. Lots of promises to get things done quickly, but we've had to wait months for simple changes and were given attitude about it. Many of their functions are time consuming and ineffective (creating phases, adding and adjusting attendance, entering financial data, adding new users requires a helpdesk ticket every time as does resetting a password once locked out, etc.)

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

KB

Kasey B.

### "Worth a Try"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

0/10

February 8, 2017

This software really helps you over all aspects of what you need to get done from the admin prospective on a campus and provides your staff and users with many difference tools and resources. Great product and I would definitely recommend it to people.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

SM

Sherman M.

### "STARS Recommendation"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

0/10

January 4, 2017

My management team started using STARS last year after a compliance review disclosed areas of opportunity for improvement. That is when we decided to replace our former school management software with STARS. In our recent Title IV audit, all of our previous opportunities for improvement were addressed and the audit concluded in just one minor finding. I credit much of this success to my management team utilizing the experience of the Training Masters team and the tools provided by STARS. I highly recommend STARS to any educational institution looking for a system that provides simple day to day operations and reliable compliance and reporting.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

CL

Christine L.

Institutional Director

### "Loving STARS"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

0.0

0.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

0/10

March 15, 2016

They have outstanding support for any issues that may arise, or help with training. Their training was very thorough, and I felt like I understood quickly how to use the basic features. The system works for our small school, and has so many features that we can grow into. It would be great for any size school.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

GG

Gena G.

Campus Director

### "It is adaptable to various needs & easy to use."

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

0.0

0.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

0/10

June 4, 2015

query function is very helpful to build "customized" reports. Customer service has also been great to assist in building queries to fit the schools needs.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

PS

Patricia S.

Director of Admissions

### "I use STARS for a variety of reports I run weekly and monthly and for lead delivery. "

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

0.0

0.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

0/10

May 14, 2015

I am the Director of Admissions for three of five campuses affiliated with our school. I have had previous experiencing working in Campus Vue. I find that STARS is a very competitive alternative to Campus Vue without the higher cost attached. Customer service is prompt with strong follow up. I would like to see more reporting options available and queries easier to build.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

AD

April D.

Education Support Admin

### "STARS"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

0.0

0.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

0/10

December 10, 2014

STARS is extremely user friendly. I've been working in STARS for the past 4 years and I appreciate being able to navigate and understand how to get the information I'm looking for. The STARS team is always quick to respond when I have any questions or concerns. STARS is an all around great system with and even better customer service team!

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

KH

Karen H.

Exec. Director of Program Development and IT

### "Amazing Product!"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

0.0

0.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

0/10

November 17, 2014

STARS Campus Management System is reliable, efficient, and very user friendly. The reporting abilities of the system are outstanding and the customization options regarding querying the data are simple yet diverse and abundant. The customer support is amazing! I've worked in the field for over 15 years and this is the best Campus Management System I've worked with so far. Training Masters now offers an LMS that works directly with STARS and we cannot wait to begin using it.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

SK

Steve K.

IT Director

### "STARS"

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

0.0

0.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

0/10

November 14, 2014

We have used STARS for several years now and are very satisfied with it. Being a web based product it eliminates any costly server infrastructure. STARS is able to handle all our school processes from lead aggregation through career services/placement. Their customer service is second to none.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

[View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/132147/STARS-Campus-for-Career-Colleges/reviews/)

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