What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for student information systems (colleges) on 2026-09-10

Claude (Anthropic) with web search claude-opus-5 asked 2026-09-10

Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

The question asked, verbatim: best student information systems for colleges

Brands named, in the order the engine gave

1. Large mentioned
   Large and mid-size universities
2. Ellucian mentioned
   Ellucian Banner Student.
3. Jenzabar mentioned
   This is the modern cloud option that's gaining ground, pulling customers away from Banner, Colleague, PeopleSoft and Jenzabar.
4. Oracle mentioned
   Oracle PeopleSoft Campus Solutions.
5. Oracle PeopleSoft Campus Solutions mentioned
   Oracle PeopleSoft Campus Solutions.
6. Ellucian Colleague mentioned
   Ellucian Colleague.
7. Jenzabar One mentioned
   Jenzabar One.
8. Populi mentioned
   Populi.
9. Thesis Elements mentioned
   Thesis Elements.
10. Infinite Campus mentioned
    Leave off your list: PowerSchool, Infinite Campus and Skyward.
11. Skyward mentioned
    Leave off your list: PowerSchool, Infinite Campus and Skyward.

Sources the engine cited

The answer, as recorded

Here are the student information systems I'd name for colleges, grouped by the kind of school they suit best. **Large and mid-size universities** 1. **Ellucian Banner Student.** This is the default choice for big schools. It's the most widely reported higher-ed SIS in North America, at about 37% of reported products. It's mature, fits almost any process, and there are lots of consultants and peer schools to learn from. The downsides are that it's complex and needs a lot of IT staff. ([ListEdTech](https://listedtech.com/blog/north-american-sis-highered-market-share-january-2025-update/)) 2. **Workday Student.** This is the modern cloud option that's gaining ground, pulling customers away from Banner, Colleague, PeopleSoft and Jenzabar. It's the strongest choice if you already run Workday for HR and finance. About 85 schools are live, including WashU, LSU and Dallas College. Rollouts take 18-30 months, and some have slipped: Miami University pushed its go-live back a year. ([Workday newsroom](https://newsroom.workday.com/2025-10-15-Workdays-Higher-Education-Momentum-Accelerates-as-Over-650-Institutions-Worldwide-Turn-to-AI-to-Navigate-Uncertainty-and-Transform-the-Student-Experience), [David Kent Consulting](https://davidkentconsulting.com/blog/what-is-workday-student/), [Miami University](https://miamioh.edu/workday-info/overview.html)) 3. **Oracle PeopleSoft Campus Solutions.** This is the second-largest install base, around 21%, and a safe choice if you're already on Oracle. Oracle says it has no end-of-life date and is supported through at least 2037. Its cloud replacement, Oracle Student, isn't ready yet: the first schools are due to go live in fall 2027. ([Quest Oracle Community](https://questoraclecommunity.org/learn/blogs/bp4d26-how-oracle-is-evolving-psft-campus-solutions/), [ERP Today](https://erp.today/higher-education-erp-cloud-student-system-workday-oracle)) **Mid-size colleges** 4. **Ellucian Colleague.** This is Ellucian's system for mid-size schools, with about 16% of reported products. It's lighter than Banner and very common at community colleges and regional universities. ([ListEdTech](https://listedtech.com/blog/north-american-sis-highered-market-share-january-2025-update/)) 5. **Anthology Student (formerly Campus Management).** It's used a lot by online, for-profit and multi-campus schools, and it's been winning larger institutions. One note: according to one of my search results, Ellucian bought Anthology's SIS/ERP business at the end of 2025. Ask about the product's future before you commit. ([ListEdTech](https://listedtech.com/blog/north-american-sis-highered-market-share-january-2025-update/), [Full Fabric](https://www.fullfabric.com/articles/ellucian-alternatives-competitors-2026)) **Small colleges** 6. **Jenzabar One.** This is the long-standing choice for small and mid-size private colleges. It covers admissions, registration, finance, HR and more in one system. Some recent reviews complain that it's gotten slower. ([Capterra](https://www.capterra.com/p/132292/Jenzabar-ERP/reviews/)) 7. **Populi.** I'd pick this for very small colleges, like seminaries and specialty schools. It's cloud-based, affordable and easy to use, and it bundles the SIS, billing, a basic LMS and a CRM. Its support gets good reviews. ([Full Fabric](https://www.fullfabric.com/articles/top-student-information-systems-2026), [Capterra](https://www.capterra.com/p/89408/Populi/reviews/)) 8. **Thesis Elements.** This is a newer cloud SIS built for small and mid-size schools, and it's quick to set up. It's worth a look if you're leaving an older system. I only found it through the vendor's own comparison page, so treat that page as marketing. ([SIS Elements](https://www.siselements.com/best-student-information-systems-small-colleges-2026)) **Leave off your list:** PowerSchool, Infinite Campus and Skyward. They show up in a lot of "best SIS" roundups, but they're built for K-12 schools, not colleges. **Short version:** For big schools, choose between Banner and Workday Student, or PeopleSoft if you're already on Oracle. For mid-size schools, look at Colleague or Anthology. For small schools, look at Jenzabar or Populi. For side-by-side user reviews, see [Gartner Peer Insights](https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/higher-education-student-information-system-software-as-a-service) and [G2](https://www.g2.com/categories/higher-education-student-information-systems). Sources: - [ListEdTech - North American SIS HigherEd Market Share](https://listedtech.com/blog/north-american-sis-highered-market-share-january-2025-update/) - [Workday newsroom - Higher Education Momentum](https://newsroom.workday.com/2025-10-15-Workdays-Higher-Education-Momentum-Accelerates-as-Over-650-Institutions-Worldwide-Turn-to-AI-to-Navigate-Uncertainty-and-Transform-the-Student-Experience) - [David Kent Consulting - What is Workday Student?](https://davidkentconsulting.com/blog/what-is-workday-student/) - [Miami University - Workday Overview](https://miamioh.edu/workday-info/overview.html) - [Quest Oracle Community - Evolving PeopleSoft Campus Solutions](https://questoraclecommunity.org/learn/blogs/bp4d26-how-oracle-is-evolving-psft-campus-solutions/) - [ERP Today - Higher Ed's Cloud ERP Shift Is Stuck on the Student System](https://erp.today/higher-education-erp-cloud-student-system-workday-oracle) - [Full Fabric - Top 15 SIS for 2026](https://www.fullfabric.com/articles/top-student-information-systems-2026) - [Full Fabric - Ellucian Alternatives 2026](https://www.fullfabric.com/articles/ellucian-alternatives-competitors-2026) - [Capterra - Jenzabar One Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/132292/Jenzabar-ERP/reviews/) - [Capterra - Populi Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/89408/Populi/reviews/) - [SIS Elements - Best SIS for Small and Midsize Colleges 2026](https://www.siselements.com/best-student-information-systems-small-colleges-2026) - [Gartner Peer Insights - Higher Ed SIS SaaS](https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/higher-education-student-information-system-software-as-a-service) - [G2 - Higher Education Student Information Systems](https://www.g2.com/categories/higher-education-student-information-systems)

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Answer Watch records what one AI answer engine said on one date, nothing more. Each page names the engine and the model, carries the date the question was asked, and lists the brands that appeared in the answer in the order the engine gave them, with the sources it cited. It is a measurement, not a ranking, not a recommendation and not a claim about the world. Brands that did not appear in an answer are not named on any public page. Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.