Best Student Information System: 11 SIS Options

A student information system is the record your whole school leans on: attendance, grades, timetables, contacts and health notes. Choosing one is a long commitment, so it pays to shortlist carefully.

The eleven systems below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order. Each description comes from the vendor's own site, read this week. If your teachers are also looking for planning help, my collection of ChatGPT prompts for lesson plans is a quick win.

Student information systems at a glance

In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site names a free plan, a free version or an open source edition. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Alma	K-12 SIS	Schools wanting AI views of student data	Not stated
Arbor	UK school MIS	UK schools and trusts	Not stated
Classter	SIS plus LMS	Schools wanting SIS and LMS together	Not stated
Fedena	School management	Schools wanting a mobile app included	Not stated
Gradelink	SIS	Smaller private schools switching systems	Not stated
Infinite Campus	District SIS	Large public school districts	Not stated
openSIS	SIS	Schools wanting modules from admissions on	Trial only
PowerSchool SIS	District SIS	Districts tracking graduation progress	Not stated
Skyward	SIS and ERP	Districts wanting SIS and finance together	Not stated
Sycamore	School management	Private schools wanting one simple system	Not stated
Veracross	Private school SIS	Independent schools with many offices	Not stated

Eleven student information systems to consider

Alma

Best for: K-12 schools that want a cloud SIS with built-in AI views of attendance and other student data their teams already use.

Arbor

Best for: UK schools, multi-academy trusts and local authorities that want a school MIS from a provider with separate versions for each.

Classter

Best for: Institutions that want a student information system, school management and a learning management system on one platform instead of three.

Fedena

Best for: Colleges and schools, including multi-school groups, that want school management software with a mobile app and custom ERP work.

Gradelink

Best for: Teams moving off an older system who want a student information system with transition assistance and logins for parents and students.

Infinite Campus

Best for: US public school districts that want an established SIS with portals for parents, students and district staff.

openSIS

Best for: Schools that want student information and school management modules covering the journey from admissions through to graduation.

PowerSchool SIS

Best for: School districts that want one student record covering health, graduation progress and demographics, with privacy principles set out up front.

Skyward

Best for: Districts that want the student system and the business office ERP from the same vendor instead of two separate contracts.

Sycamore

Best for: Independent K-12 and international schools, or groups running several sites, that want school management plus payments and a parent app.

Veracross

Best for: Private and independent K-12 schools where admissions, development, the business office and health office all share one database.

The 45-day rule your SIS has to support

Here's a detail that matters more than any feature list. Under the FERPA regulations published by the US Department of Education, a school must comply with a parent's or eligible student's request to inspect education records within a reasonable period of time, and no later than 45 days after the request.

Your SIS is where most of those records sit. In every demo, ask how quickly the system can pull together one student's complete record, and who in your school can do it without calling the vendor.

District system, private school SIS or UK MIS?

District systems are built for large public school networks, with portals for parents, students and staff across many schools. Private school systems bring admissions, the business office, fundraising and health records into one database. UK systems, usually called an MIS, are shaped around English school and trust structures.

Start with the group that matches your setting, then compare within it. A small independent school rarely needs district-scale tools, and a district can't run on a system built for one campus.

What to check before you switch

1. Which data will migrate, and how far back?
2. How will parents and students log in, and is there a mobile app?
3. Which state or national reports can it produce?
4. Who owns the data if you leave?
5. What training does the vendor include for office staff?
6. Who do you call when something breaks during term?

Features parents and staff notice first

• Parent portal. Grades, attendance and messages in one place.
• Mobile app. Quick access for families who don't use a laptop.
• Attendance tools. Fast registers and alerts for absences.
• Report builder. Reports the office can run without help.

Privacy and student data

Student records are some of the most sensitive data a school holds. Ask each vendor where data is stored, who at the company can see it and how they handle requests to correct a record. In the US, the Department of Education's student privacy pages explain the rules schools work under.

Student information systems for small private schools

If you're a small private school, an all-in-one system that combines records, admissions and parent communication will save your office the most time. Large district systems can be more than you need.

Do you make student information system software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on choosing a student information system

Involve the people who use the system every day, not only leadership. The office staff, teachers and the person who runs reports will spot problems in a demo that a feature list never shows.

Ask every vendor for a reference school that looks like yours, then call them. Their experience of support during a busy term tells you more than any brochure. For schools that also run courses online, my roundup of online course platforms covers that side.

Frequently asked questions

What is a student information system?

A student information system, or SIS, stores and manages student records such as enrolment, attendance, grades, timetables and contacts.

What's the difference between an SIS and an MIS?

They do much the same job. MIS is the term most UK schools use, while SIS is more common in the US.

How long does a school have to show parents a student's records?

Under the FERPA regulations, a school must comply within a reasonable period of time and no later than 45 days after the request.

Is there a free student information system?

None of the systems on this list names a free plan on the pages I read. At least one offers a free trial.

Can a student information system include a learning platform?

Some do. At least one system on this list combines an SIS with a learning management system.

How long does it take to switch SIS?

It varies by school size and data. Plan the move for a quiet period and ask the vendor for a clear migration timeline.