Ellucian Degree Works review
A broad degree audit and planning suite for institutions using Ellucian and SIS systems.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026
Ellucian Degree Works is academic advising software for colleges and universities that need structured degree audits, academic planning, and progress tracking. Students and advisors can review degree requirements, create semester-by-semester plans, explore what-if scenarios, assess transfer-credit applicability, and monitor progress toward completion. The platform also supports templatized academic pathways, proactive alerts, and interventions when students move off track. Student-facing views are delivered through Ellucian Experience, with access across web, iOS, and Android.
Pricing follows a contact-sales model, so institutions evaluate the product through an institutional purchasing process rather than selecting from published tiers. Its ecosystem fit is a central consideration: Degree Works integrates with Ellucian Experience, Ellucian Banner, Banner Workflow, Ellucian CRM Advise, and student information systems through APIs. That combination suits institutions already working with Ellucian products or planning integrations with ERP and SIS environments. Buyers should assess how those connections align with their existing student-record and advising workflows.
The standout capability is the connection between auditing, planning, and intervention. A student can see degree progress and an academic plan, while advisors can examine alternative scenarios, account for transfer-credit applicability, and receive alerts tied to requirements and progress. This gives Degree Works a broad institutional role rather than limiting it to a static audit report. Choose it when enterprise degree planning, student-facing progress views, mobile access, and Ellucian ecosystem connections are priorities. Institutions seeking a general-purpose advising product outside higher education, open-source software, or self-service published pricing should consider a different fit.
Ellucian Degree Works pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Audits requirements and builds semester-by-semester academic plans
- Supports what-if scenarios and transfer-credit equivalency mapping
- Connects alerts, interventions, student views, and mobile access
- Where it doesn't
- Pricing requires contacting sales rather than selecting a published plan
- Its primary audience is colleges and universities
- It is proprietary rather than open source
Ellucian Degree Works fact sheet, pricing and score →
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