Starfish
Starfish: A broad student-success platform for coordinating alerts, advising, planning, and interventions. Ranked #4 of 21 in Academic Advising Software by our editors (8.2/10); pricing: Pricing on request; best for teams needing practical student-success workflows.
At a glance
- Editor score8.2 / 10
- PricingPricing on request
- Best forTeams needing practical student-success workflows
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Combines early alerts, appointments, cases, cohorts, and referrals
- Supports degree planning, success plans, and off-track notifications
- Adds workflow automation, analytics, kiosk support, and student access
Where it doesn't
- Pricing is handled through contact-sales engagement
- Designed for institutional partnerships rather than self-serve adoption
- Web access may not suit teams seeking a dedicated mobile experience
Our verdict on Starfish
Starfish is EAB’s higher-education student-success platform for colleges and universities. It brings together early alerts, progress surveys, appointment scheduling, case and cohort management, analytics, degree planning, success plans, referrals, and workflow automation. The product is intended for institutions coordinating support across advisors, faculty, staff, and students, with tools for identifying students who need help and guiding academic progress. Its scope makes it a fit for teams seeking practical student-success workflows across multiple stages of the student journey.
The feature set spans both frontline advising and institutional coordination. Early alerts, progress surveys, off-track notifications, student profiles, and referrals support intervention workflows, while appointment scheduling and kiosk support address access to services. Degree planning and personalized success plans add structured academic guidance, and operational and strategic analytics provide views for day-to-day activity and broader planning. Student portal access extends parts of the experience beyond staff-facing workflows, giving students a role in their support journey.
According to the published commercial approach, Starfish is sold through an institutional partnership and demo-led engagement, with prospective customers directed to contact an expert or request a demo. That model suits colleges and universities evaluating a coordinated platform rather than teams looking for a self-serve tool. Starfish should appeal to institutions that want alerts, advising operations, planning, referrals, and analytics in one web-based environment. Organizations prioritizing a dedicated mobile experience, public self-serve purchasing, or a narrower scheduling-only product may prefer a different type of solution.
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Starfish pricing
Starfish fact sheet
| Free plan | Not verified |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Degree audit | Not verified |
| Degree planning | Yes |
| Early alerts | Yes |
| Intervention workflows | Yes |
| Student planning portal | Yes |
| Mobile access | Web |
| Deployment | Cloud |
| Platforms | Web |
| Support | Live chat, Phone, Docs |
| Built for | Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Pricing on request |
| Website | eab.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to Starfish
- EAB Navigate360A comprehensive advising and care platform for institutions coordinating student success.8.8
- Civitas AdvisingA connected advising workspace for institutions coordinating planning, alerts, outreach, and support.8.6
- Watermark Student Success & EngagementA broad advising and engagement suite for institutions prioritizing mobile student support.8.4
See all Starfish alternatives →
Starfish vs the competition
- Starfish vs EAB Navigate360
- Starfish vs Civitas Advising
- Starfish vs Watermark Student Success & Engagement
- Starfish vs Ellucian Smart Plan
- Starfish vs Ellucian Advising
- Starfish vs Stellic
Compare Starfish with any tool side by side →
Also Ranked In
Starfish is ranked in 3 of our directories.
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Featured on iTechGuides
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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