--- title: "Ellucian Student Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra" description: "With the help of Capterra, learn about Ellucian Student Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other School Accounting products and more." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/171158/Banner-Finance/" page_type: "product" language: "en" --- # Ellucian Student Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on September 16, 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)[FAQs](#faqs)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) Ellucian Student ## What is Ellucian Student? Ellucian Banner: The best-in-class student information system (SIS), ERP, and SaaS Solution for Higher Ed Ellucian Banner is a comprehensive Student Information System (SIS) and ERP designed for higher education. As part of the Ellucian SaaS Platform, it unifies student, academic, and administrative processes with integrated workflows and actionable insights. Banner’s modules cover student registration, financial aid, HR, and finance, delivering self-service capabilities and automation to improve efficiency. The SaaS platform ensures 99.9% uptime, security, and scalability, with automated updates for continuous innovation. Institutions have transformed operations, enhancing student success and institutional growth. With Banner, higher ed institutions achieve a unified, flexible, and future-ready system that supports student outcomes from enrollment to graduation. ## What is Ellucian Student used for? [School Accounting](https://www.capterra.com/school-accounting-software/)[Financial Management](https://www.capterra.com/financial-management-software/)[Higher Education](https://www.capterra.com/higher-education-software/) Overall rating Based on 39 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive 59% Neutral 33% Negative 8% ### Starting price Free trial not available Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for Ellucian Student?[Manage this product listing](https://www.g2.com/products/ellucian-student/claim_requests/new?auto=true) ## Ellucian Student Overview Updated September 2026 AI summary Ellucian Student is a cloud-based financial management and school accounting solution for organizations of all sizes, featuring general ledger, accounting, financial reporting, and budgeting. Notable capabilities include customizable reports, API access, predictive analytics, and third-party integrations. Users note the interface and navigation can be complex, particularly around fixed assets and report customization. ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### Ellucian Student 3.7 (39) VS. [### EPES Web Accounting](https://www.capterra.com/p/121753/EPES-Web-Accounting/) [4.7 (3)](https://www.capterra.com/p/121753/EPES-Web-Accounting/#reviews) Starting Price Contact vendor Starting Price Contact vendor Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 3.1 (39) Ease Of Use 5.0 (3) Value For Money 3.1 (22) Value For Money 5.0 (3) Customer Service 3.2 (25) Customer Service 5.0 (3) ## Ellucian Student alternatives [Frontline ERP](https://www.capterra.com/p/184958/K-12-ERP/) [4.1 (15)](https://www.capterra.com/p/184958/K-12-ERP/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 87% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/184958/K-12-ERP/) Highest Rated [Flinks Connectivity](https://www.capterra.com/p/265683/Flinks-Connectivity/) [5.0 (1)](https://www.capterra.com/p/265683/Flinks-Connectivity/#reviews) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 100% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/265683/Flinks-Connectivity/) [AlarmBiller](https://www.capterra.com/p/234357/AlarmBiller/) [3.0 (2)](https://www.capterra.com/p/234357/AlarmBiller/#reviews) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 50% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/234357/AlarmBiller/) [TASS](https://www.capterra.com/p/215745/TASS/) [5.0 (1)](https://www.capterra.com/p/215745/TASS/#reviews) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 100% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/215745/TASS/) ## FAQs about Ellucian Student Overview ### Which roles and teams benefit most from Ellucian Student? Ellucian Student is most used by higher education finance teams, academic staff, and administrative technology leaders. Accountants, payroll, and accounts payable teams manage financial operations and controls, while faculty and degree analysts support student records and academic processes. IT administrators, developers, and integration leaders maintain system performance, data flows, and campus-wide reporting. Answer based on 39 reviews Overview ### What company size and industries is Ellucian Student built for? Ellucian Student is built for higher education leadership at enterprise institutions, with 50% of reviewers from enterprises and 61% from Higher Education. It also serves midsize organizations at 36%, especially in Education Management at 28%, with lighter use in E-Learning at 3%, often for financial management. Answer based on 39 reviews Features and Usability ### What are the key features of Ellucian Student? Ellucian Student offers financial aid management, grant management, and billing and invoicing for higher education operations. Core finance features include general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, fund accounting, bank reconciliation, budgeting and forecasting, financial reporting, and dashboard creation, plus API access and data import/export. Integrations ### Which third-party tools and platforms does Ellucian Student integrate with? Ellucian Student integrates with Canvas, Slate, TouchNet Payment Systems, and WebTMA. These third-party connections cover learning management, CRM, student billing and payments, and campus facilities or work management workflows. Answer based on 9 reviews Getting Started and Support ### What training and onboarding options does Ellucian Student offer? Ellucian Student provides live online sessions and documentation to support team training. Live online sessions can guide users through setup and key features with instructor support, while documentation offers written reference material for self-paced learning and later review. Answer based on 3 reviews Getting Started and Support ### What customer support options does Ellucian Student offer? Ellucian Student provides email/help desk and phone support. Users have described support as mixed, with some subject matter experts seen as helpful and knowledgeable, while other teams are viewed as less familiar with how modules connect. Feedback also points to frustration with changing support structures and limited customer advocacy. Answer based on 2 reviews Features and Usability ### How user-friendly is the Ellucian Student interface? Ellucian Student feels dated and less intuitive for many campus users, especially without formal training. Staff in finance, administration, and IT often mention clunky navigation, code-heavy workflows, and too many steps, though newer versions improve search, dashboard access, and form organization for routine tasks. Answer based on 18 reviews Features and Usability ### Is Ellucian Student easy to learn and use? Ellucian Student takes time to learn and often requires training before daily work feels manageable. Higher education staff say shortcuts, familiar forms, and connected modules help once learned, but many still find searches, codes, reporting, and multi-step processes cumbersome, especially during upgrades or unfamiliar tasks. Answer based on 13 reviews ## Features AI summary Based on 1,574 School Accounting reviews Capterra data shows that buyers of Financial Management software rank the following features as their top priorities: - **General Ledger** (**59%** of reviewers rated this feature as critical) - **Financial Reporting** (**49%**) - **Accounting** (**61%**) Ellucian Student supports all three of the features reviewers identify as most important: **General Ledger**, **Financial Reporting**, and **Accounting**. Combined, these capabilities help businesses maintain accurate financial records, track performance through clear reporting, and manage core accounting processes more efficiently, allowing teams to make informed financial decisions and keep day-to-day operations on track. Activity Dashboard Dashboard to view the status of ongoing processes, identify current incidents and track past activities AI Copilot A virtual assistant that uses AI to pursue goals and complete tasks on behalf of users API Application programming interface that allows for integration with other systems/databases Communication Management Manage and track all internal and external communication conducted via calls, email, text, or chat Customizable Reports Alter the layout and content of reports Financial Aid Management Manage information and/or provide updates regarding student financial aid Ellucian Student 10 features ### All Features - Activity Dashboard: Dashboard to view the status of ongoing processes, identify current incidents and track past activities - AI Copilot: A virtual assistant that uses AI to pursue goals and complete tasks on behalf of users - API: Application programming interface that allows for integration with other systems/databases - Communication Management: Manage and track all internal and external communication conducted via calls, email, text, or chat - Customizable Reports: Alter the layout and content of reports - Financial Aid Management: Manage information and/or provide updates regarding student financial aid - For Higher Education: Software designed for higher education organizations - Generative AI: Use AI to generate content in the form of text, images, videos, etc. - Predictive Analytics: Predict future data based on historical data sets - Third-Party Integrations: Set up connections to third-party platforms to improve business processes --- Get Advice We can help you find the software with the features you need. Features 3.6 (39) 3.6 Based on 39 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 3.1 (22) ### Starting price Free trial not available Value for money 3.1 (22) 3.1 Based on 22 reviews Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs. ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 3.2 (25) 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 3.2 (25) 3.2 Based on 25 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 3.7 Based on 39 reviews Filter by rating 5(9) 4(14) 3(13) 2(1) 1(2) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent JK Joseph K. Instructional Designer Education Management ### "Tries to do more than it can" 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 2.0 2.0 Features 3.0 3.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 0/10 June 6, 2024 The people at Ellucian are professional and direct. Their systems are . . . neither. Their Course Catalog system lacks keyword searching - a problem they acknowledge but cannot solve. Their SIS will not provide real-time updates to our LMS - a problem they acknowledge but cannot solve, despite the existence of 3rd party solutions that do the job. Pros It brought together many disparate systems, saving a tremendous amount of time. Cons The company promises more than it can deliver, and attempts to integrate into multiple systems it should not. 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. CC Christian C. Talent Acquisition Specialist Outsourcing/Offshoring ### "The best platform to manage employees data." 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 10/10 February 19, 2024 Pros This program provides a centralized database for storing all employee-related information, including personal details, employment history, benefits, payroll information, and performance evaluations. This centralized approach streamlines HR processes and ensures data consistency across the institution. Cons The initial investment and ongoing costs associated with Ellucian Banner, including licensing fees, implementation services, maintenance, and support, can be significant. The fact that they don't provide a free trial can play against the small businesses. Switched from [Asset Panda](https://www.capterra.com/p/142562/Asset-Panda/) 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. TM Tasneem M. Associate professor Higher Education ### "Best administrative software application to store data and manage users." 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 November 14, 2023 Pros 1\. User friendly. 2. Easy to execute and navigate the dashboard. 3. Excellent student database management system. 4. Grade entry made easy and customized as per the specifications. 5. Ellucian Banner faculty has features like students attendance tracking, class list approval, academic profile and detailed schedule making it easy to follow-up under one roof. 6. All data is secure. Cons 1\. Report customization is difficult. 2. Restricted capabilities. 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. NC Nicole C. Degree Analyst Education Management ### "Degree evaluation" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 3.0 3.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 August 3, 2023 Pros Students degree evaluation - really my comment is to short. lol... I like pretty much everything with Ellucian Cons Our help guide isn't up to date with the new verse so sometimes going to the guide to figure out what you did wrong and why something will not save/update is a pain. But, I can usually figure out what I did. Reasons for choosing Ellucian Student I don't know 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. DK Demetris K. Senior Accountant Higher Education ### "Banner Review" 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 2.0 2.0 Features 2.0 2.0 Customer Service 3.0 3.0 Likelihood to Recommend 5/10 July 26, 2023 Pros I was not involved in that process or I guess I'm not sure what I like best. Well, the S.O.S. page is nice and it's easier to perform journal vouchers usinig S.O.S. Cons The fixed asset module is difficult to navigate and impute assets especially the accessories or parts that are less than $5K. There are too many steps involved to get these items capitalized and attached to the main asset. 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. CE Carl E. Director of Enterprise Integrations Education Management ### "Candid Review from a Prior Fan" 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 2/10 July 21, 2023 Pros Ellucian Banner was a single solution for all our primary university functions. At the pricing secured in 2005, it remains an incredibly high value product in the growing list of software tools used by Utah State University. Cons Ellucian's technology maturity has been an incredibly bumpy road. There have been incredible wins like the Banner 9 Student Registration system. There has also been some major let downs such as the Higher Education Data Model and nearly incomprehensible Ethos API offering. The loss of Ellucian Customer Service Managers who were assigned to look out for and advocate on behalf of customers has perhaps been the biggest loss experienced by any software by any vendor. The rate at which Ellucian has changed their online community platform has been mind boggling and the loss of access to previous efforts by customers on each platform is huge. Ideas has finally been replaced, but most customers are already of the mindset that it's just another tool where great recommendations for product enhancements go to die. Alternatives considered [Salesforce Sales Cloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/61368/Salesforce/) [ServiceNow](https://www.capterra.com/p/254088/ServiceNow/) [Workday HCM](https://www.capterra.com/p/66908/Workday-HCM/) Reasons for choosing Ellucian Student Ellucian (then SunGard HE) was first to address the needs specific needs of higher education at the time. It is no longer the only player and incessant pushes by Ellucian to adopt their SaaS offering is the greatest motivator to seriously consider other players in the space with significantly better Cloud offerings at similar if not cheaper rates. 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. AB April B. Purchasing Clerk Education Management ### "My Review" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 5/10 July 20, 2023 Pros Ease of use once learning Shortcuts and ability to quickly obtain information. Cons Having to log in multiple times on a daily basis. 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. AM Andrew M. Financial Aid Education Management ### "Was a great product, not so much anymore." 2.0 Overall Rating 2.0 2.0 Ease of Use 2.0 2.0 Features 3.0 3.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 3/10 July 19, 2023 Banner used to be great. Good support and a quality product but now there seem to be defects with every release and the move to the cloud has been a disaster. Things that used to take a few days now take weeks and we are constantly having to align with Ellucians timetables instead of them adapting to ours, the customer. Pros It does most of the financial aid processes we need it to do. Cons The customer service/support is awful. Maybe it's our cloud team but there are constant mistakes and delays to the point we are considering another SIS. 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. JN Jonathan N. Administrative Systems Support Technician Education Management ### "IBM for Higher Education" 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 3.0 3.0 Likelihood to Recommend 3/10 July 18, 2023 It is our system of record, the main database tied to everything on campus. Pros ERP software is never quick or easy to implement but most people in higher education use this package so it is very well known in the industry. Cons It is old and has the baggage of any old system and lots of training is needed for employees new to it. Reasons for choosing Ellucian Student Better features, better support, and better accepted by all decision-makers at the time (late 90s). Like IBM or HP, nobody gets fired for choosing the big, old standard. 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. NN Nick N. Director, Enterprise Applications Higher Education ### "Legacy Software That Has Not Been Modernized" 1.0 Overall Rating 1.0 1.0 Ease of Use 1.0 1.0 Features 1.0 1.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 0/10 July 18, 2023 Pros The only positive aspect of Banner is that it has a decent Student Information System. Cons Nearly everything. To begin, the interface has not been modernized to current application standards. The term "lipstick on a pig" applies more to Banner than almost any other application I have ever come across.They do not seem to care about making the ERP side of their product function well. They have focused most on the SIS side, which is understandable, but the lack of functionality on the ERP side means it is basically useless for a modern campus. It is only working for half of the business.Their reporting functionality is poor and bordering on non-existent.For IT, this product is a nightmare. The releases are extremely difficult to install and maintain. The codebase is locked in 20 years in the past. They still use 8 character table names!!! The amount of technical debt means if you even wanted to deploy it as a SaaS product, it is nearly impossible, let alone trying to put it up in the cloud.In short, the company seems to be resting on their laurels as the market leader and they are falling far behind the competition. 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/171158/Banner-Finance/reviews/) ## Top-rated software of 2026 ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.