Education administrators often juggle multiple managerial tasks—creating study materials, managing student records, and training the staff. Since these tasks ensure students have the best experience, executing them carefully is crucial. Fortunately, administrators can invest in project management (PM) software to reduce their workload.
Project management tools allow you to break your project down into smaller tasks and assign them to responsible team members. You can also track task statuses, team performance, and communicate with team members. However, you must thoroughly evaluate a PM tool before adopting it to ensure it’s right for your education management needs.
To help you make the right decision, this article highlights, in alphabetical order, the five top-rated project management software for education management based on user reviews. For each product, we include overall user ratings along with the highest-rated parameter, review excerpts from industry professionals, and product pricing. Read more.
1. Airtable
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from education management professionals who have used Airtable for project management:
"Airtable is an exceptional data management tool that combines the best aspects of spreadsheets and databases.With its intuitive interface, customization options, collaboration features, integration capabilities, and robust reporting functionalities, Airtable has transformed the way we handle and analyze data.It has become an invaluable asset for our team, enhancing efficiency, and enabling us to make data-driven decisions with confidence."
"I loved the colourful UI and simple UX of the Airtable with extended functionality of linking records into the table, column summaries and now the interface dashboard feature which makes it the leading software in the database management industry.The way it works with the relational database is amazing.I have been using it for more than a year now and introduced so many other people to airtable as well.Everyone was amazed to see this in motion.Highly recommended!"
"Airtable helped me a lot when I had to demonstrate to students on cloud storage functionalities when we were creating an app for storing, deleting, and updating data."
Read all Airtable reviews here.
2. Asana
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from education management professionals who have used Asana for project management:
"Asana is really easy to use and it took my recent assistant a few days to get the basic concepts of assigning tasks to themselves and collaborating with others.I love how systematic the process of a project is and feel comfortable entrusting using Asana to manage the whole process."
"Asana is very intuitive even if not using their existing templates -- whether it's a simple project for one person or one with many layers and multiple people to tack, organize, prioritize, and reshuffle tasks and progress, I've found it easy to use, easy to train, and helpful."
"Asana makes it really easy for managers/supervisors to assign tasks to team members and individuals to keep track of their own tasks and workflow.The little unicorn and narwhal animations that appear when you complete a task are also fun and satisfying."
3. ClickUp
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from education management professionals who have used ClickUp for project management:
"Team coordination becomes easy as i can see what my colleagues are working on also it gives insight into the progress of the task.It actually increase the productivity of the team."
"Easy to use and customize to your needs.Great price point for what you get.Visually appealing.Easy to onboard.Customer Support is superb.New features being added all the time.Feature request system is great.Getting better everyday!"
"It's easy to use and simple interface makes working in the app very efficient.I love how it tracks my progress, shows me all the tasks that need to be done, allows me to collaborate with my team members as well as track each task on every project individually which is very helpful in keeping track of everything that needs to be done by everyone involved."
Read all ClickUp reviews here.
4. Evernote Teams
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from education management professionals who have used Evernote Teams for project management:
"Evernote Team is very useful app for taking notes, create to-do list, set reminder, and share files.The most important feature of this software is that it is connected to cloud so you can use it with any device like mobile, desktop and tablet without losing your data."
"I been using this software for the past 6 months for school related tasks/assignment and I absolutely love it!it’s a easy to use and clean platform that allows you to title and arrange notes to your liking.I especially love the organizational feature that allows you to access specific notes with ease, which is not possible with other platforms, like google drive where arranging your docs takes more of an effort."
"I like how easy it is to transfer and share notes with the team, how fast and reliable it is.To be honest, the teacher is told to take notes in class without realizing it. It helps you track items and their completion, integrate well with Slack, Outlook, share information better, and get reminders. It works on so many levels for me and I'm glad I've been a longtime user.I love them constantly making amazing changes to make the software even better."
Read all Evernote Teams reviews here.
5. GanttPRO
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from education management professionals who have used GanttPRO for project management:
"GanttPro is an exceptional project management tool that has truly revolutionized the way I handle my projects.Its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features make planning and tracking tasks a breeze.The Gantt chart view provides a clear visualization of project timelines, dependencies, and milestones, enabling efficient resource allocation.The collaboration capabilities allow seamless communication with team members, ensuring everyone is on the same page.I particularly appreciate the real-time updates and notifications, keeping me informed of any changes or progress.GanttPro's integration with other tools further enhances productivity.Overall, GanttPro is a powerful and indispensable tool for any project manager, delivering outstanding results."
"This was really most intresting software i used.It was a life saver as I was preping a gantt chart for a presentation about to happen in a few hours.I completed the chart well before time.I absolutely loved its ease of access.The UI was so simple and easy to enter the tasks.I am planning to go pro soon."
"An intuitive product, easy to use, with a great features well coordinated between variables like time, human effort, costs and very versatile regarding the visualization coding for deliverables, milestones, dependencies, etc."
Read all GanttPRO reviews here.
What features do project management tools offer?
Project management tools offer core features such as:
Collaboration tools: | Share files and communicate with the team members in real time to collaborate on projects. This feature enhances transparency, reduces communication gaps, and promotes successful project outcomes. |
Reporting and project tracking: | Monitor and assess project progress and performance by generating various reports. These reports include task status summaries, resource allocation, and financial data that help you identify bottlenecks and measure team productivity. |
Task management: | Create, assign, track, and organize tasks throughout the project lifecycle. It allows you to break down complex projects into manageable tasks, set deadlines, and allocate resources. |
All products listed in this report include the features mentioned above. Besides the core features, project management tools also commonly tend to offer:
Budget management
Customizable templates
File sharing
Timeline view
Idea management
Kanban board
Project planning and scheduling
Resource management
How to choose the right project management software for education management
Here are some factors to consider while you look for the best project management software for education:
Check the number of supported projects: Project management tools may have a limit on the number of projects they support. As this limit can hamper your productivity, it’s crucial to check it in advance. Also, remember to cross-check this limit with the number of projects you may need to work on to check whether the PM tool you’re considering can handle your workload.
Assess available project views: Project views, such as Gantt charts, Kanban boards, or task lists, offer unique perspectives on project progress and resource allocation. Having the option to switch between views adds flexibility and allows the teams to visualize and organize tasks in a manner that suits them best, which enhances collaboration and efficiency.
Evaluate third-party integration options: Integration with other tools, such as communication platforms, document management tools, or time-tracking applications, simplifies data sharing and eliminates the need for manual data entry. This improves workflow, enhances team communication, and optimizes resource utilization. By assessing integration possibilities, you can tailor PM software to your specific needs.
Common questions to ask software vendors before purchasing project management software for education management
Consider asking your vendor the following questions so that you find the best project management software for education:
Does the tool have access control and permission management features?
Educational institutions handle sensitive and confidential data that should only be accessed by authorized individuals. With multiple teams, departments, and external stakeholders, it is important to have features that help control access to this data. These features ensure that only authorized stakeholders can access specific project information, protecting it from unauthorized access. These features also allow you to assign different levels of access and permissions to individuals or groups based on their roles and responsibilities.
Can the tool visualize data into interactive graphics?
Data visualization features present complex data in a visually appealing format, such as charts, graphs, and diagrams, which makes the data easier to read and understand. It enables education managers to analyze project progress, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions. Visualizing data also aids in communicating project updates and performance to stakeholders, fostering transparency and facilitating effective communication within the educational institution.
Does the tool support alerts and notifications?
Alerts and notifications help education managers and team members stay updated on project deadlines, milestones, and task assignments. They provide reminders for upcoming events, overdue tasks, or important project updates. This feature promotes accountability, prevents delays, and facilitates efficient project coordination. By receiving real-time notifications, users can promptly respond to changes, resolve issues, and maintain smooth project progress within the educational institution.