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Ellucian's Impressive ROI for Higher Education Institutions

Ellucian, a leader in higher education technology solutions, has recently released findings from a critical study conducted by Forrester Consulting, which evaluates the Total Economic Impact (TEI) of its Colleague Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution. The results are striking—higher education institutions utilizing Ellucian's cloud-based Student Information System (SIS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) have reported an astonishing return on investment (ROI) of 133%. Over a span of three years, these institutions can expect to see a net present value (NPV) of approximately $4.11 million.

Key Findings of the Forrester Study

Forrester collected data through interviews with eight anonymized Ellucian clients, developing a composite profile based on a private college with 2,500 students. This comprehensive framework allows a detailed analysis of costs, benefits, and potential risks involved in migrating to the Colleague SaaS platform. Key benefits identified include:

1. Productivity Gains: Higher education institutions realized nearly $3 million in value thanks to increased staff productivity. This allowed teams to concentrate on more strategic initiatives while enhancing overall scalability and flexibility to adapt to evolving educational needs.

2. Operational Efficiency: Institutions benefited from reduced IT maintenance efforts, which generated approximately $2.8 million in savings. This efficiency was facilitated by vendor-managed services that alleviated the burden of legacy infrastructure costs.

3. Reliability and Security: The study noted $1.4 million in improved system performance attributed to optimized reliability and overall system efficiency, ensuring that institutions can depend on their technology without interruptions.

4. Enhanced Student Retention: Advanced analytics capabilities led to profitability of around $152,600. This improvement resulted from the development of new courses driven by enhanced academic advising and class registration options that ultimately reduced dropout rates.

Laura Ipsen, President and CEO of Ellucian, emphasized the importance of these findings. "This evaluation by Forrester underscores the transformative capabilities of Colleague SaaS, especially during times when educational institutions face immense pressures to innovate and accomplish more with limited resources."

Ipsen further stated that institutions leveraging their platform save over 35,000 hours in administrative tasks and 9,400 hours in IT efforts each year. These savings not only improve the user experience but also contribute to better student retention rates through advanced data analytics.

Real Experiences from Institutions

Anonymized feedback from clients interviewed by Forrester highlighted the substantial value that Ellucian's SaaS model provides:

• - A Vice President of IT at a higher education institution expressed satisfaction with the platform's stability and reliability over five years, noting that this assurance was worth the investment.
• - Another Vice President of IT commented on the necessity of working with a partner skilled in higher education, stressing that generic ERP systems couldn't meet the unique needs of students and faculty.
• - A Chief Information Officer pointed out the proactive support provided by a dedicated team ensuring the systems remain current, coupled with an engaging and easy-to-navigate student registration experience.

Overall, clients echoed the sentiment that the transition to Colleague SaaS not only met their operational needs but also positioned them favorably for future growth and reliability.

About Ellucian

Ellucian continues to champion innovation in the educational sector, partnering with over 2,900 institutions across 50 countries, impacting more than 20 million students globally. Their AI-powered platform, which is structured around the unique demands of learning institutions, facilitates personalized experiences and operational efficiency. The wide-ranging capabilities of Ellucian's services span the entire student lifecycle, creating valuable insights for recruitment, enrollment, and retention efforts.

In conclusion, the findings from this independent study reinforce the vital role of Ellucian's Colleague SaaS in modernizing higher education institutions. As they face increasing challenges, the benefits gleaned from this system not only justify the investment but also pave the way for lasting success and improved student outcomes.