The Best CRM for Schools and K-12 Education to Manage Students

  • Choose the best CRM for your organisation
  • Manage admission process and documents effectively
  • Assess student performance through analytics
crm for schools
Table Of Contents

If you are here, that means you are struggling to keep student information, teacher details and financial matters organised and up-to-date. Or perhaps you want to simplify communication with parents, improve data management, generate accurate reports and streamline admission processes.

Then you’re at the right place for the right solution.

In this blog, we’ll be discussing

  • What is a School CRM and its role in Schools?
  • Challenges you are currently facing and how CRM helps you overcome them.
  • Key Metrics to evaluate before buying a CRM for schools.
  • and details about The Best CRM for your School.

Let’s get you familiar with CRM

CRM for Schools

What is a CRM for schools?

School CRM (Customer Relationship Management) or CRM for education software is a tool designed especially for schools. It helps in managing your data, improving communication in the school and with parents, streamlining admissions processes and helps you in generating accurate reports.

Now that you have gotten an idea about what a school CRM is, let’s show you how it works in Schools in brief.

Understanding the role of CRM for schools

Schools have a lot of operations that need to be smooth to maintain their image and attract students. Apart from the teaching faculty and infrastructure, parents closely observe how easy is the admission process and whether the school is effective with its communications and operations.

If they see or hear about any mismanagement or flaw from parents of already enrolled students from your school, they might start looking for other options or worse, get their child enrolled in your competitor’s school. You need to make sure everything is working fine and processes are trouble-free.

To ensure this doesn’t happen with your school, you need a CRM for education!

Role of CRM in Schools

CRM is the helping hand you need to streamline the functioning of your school. It allows you to send personalised messages and automated notifications and ensure vital information reaches the right people at the right time. This will completely change the internal and external communications in your school.

School CRM systems not only improve communications but also simplify the often complex admissions process. With CRM, you can perform tasks like application submission, document verification and fee payments, reducing administrative burdens and errors automatically without requiring a lot of manual labour.

This way you will have a smoother enrollment process for your school, students and their parents.

Additionally, school CRM software helps you with reporting. It collects data about students’ performance, attendance, inventory and how effective your messages are, etc. Then, it neatly summarises everything in easy-to-read reports.

These reports help you understand what is going on and how to make things better and saves a lot of time and effort that you would’ve otherwise spent on making these reports.

With the right CRM, “you’re not just managing a school; you’re using data to make it better.”

Challenges faced by schools and how CRM helps overcome them

In your school, everything works together like pieces of a puzzle. If one piece isn’t right, it can mess up the whole picture. For instance, if your data isn’t stored properly and easily accessible, you can’t use it when you really need it, especially during emergencies. This will lead to communication problems and harm your school’s reputation.

You deal with challenges like this in performing various operations of your school. To move forward and not get stuck in the same spot year after year, it’s crucial to understand what’s going wrong and find solutions.

In this section, we’ll talk about the common challenges that schools like yours face every day and how CRM for educational institutions or Schools can help you overcome them.

Data management

You’re facing a real problem when it comes to keeping your students, staff and teacher records organised. Your data is all over the place and it’s a headache when you need it. The methods you’re using, like paper registers, copies or Excel spreadsheets, need a lot of manual work and it’s just not working.

This not only leads to lost or inaccurate data but also affects the other school operations. For instance, if you want to reach out to the parents of a particular student, you need to access his/her records, but you are not able to do so because you have to go through multiple pages to get the can’t locate the specific register in which their records are.

Problems in data management and CRM is the solution

Frustrating right?

This is where CRM software helps. It keeps all the data in a single application, easily accessible at all times. You just need to search for the name of the student and you’ll be able to access every single detail about them.

From contact details to attendance and performance records, even the communication history between the school and the parents of that student.

With a CRM platform, you will have proper and seamless operations in your school. Not only that, it will boost your school’s reputation and will get you more prospective parents, who’ll be more than willing to enrol their child in your school.

Admission process management

You receive a ton of applications during the school admission season. Your admission team works tirelessly to make the process smoother by checking documents, reviewing applications, scheduling interviews/tests and publishing results.

But is it really as smooth as it should be?

Your team sorts applications based on students’ marks, grades and other factors. This means hours of manual work, which often leads to mistakes when entering details. This error-prone process can be frustrating for parents and make them question their decision to choose your school.

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With a CRM, you can simplify the admission process. All necessary documents are stored in one place, making evaluation a breeze. No more manual segmentation – just input your criteria and the CRM automatically organises applications the way you want.

You have a smoother, error-free enrollment process that parents will appreciate.

Communications

Communicating information every day to everyone can get pretty overwhelming. It could be about all sorts of things – reminders about fees, updates on the timetable, exam schedules or even changes in school timings. But here’s the catch – there are so many people to reach and each one needs different details.

Sounds hectic, right?

CRM for schools helps in communications.

Making sure that the right information reaches the right person timely is crucial. If, by mistake, you send one student’s details to another, it could turn into a big mess.

Imagine sending a suspension letter to the wrong kid in your school. Embarrassing!

This is where a CRM platform can help. CRM software makes it easy to communicate with everyone in the school while ensuring that each person gets the correct information. No more mix-ups or embarrassing moments. You can now send out messages and updates with confidence, knowing they’ll reach the right people every time.

This means effective communications, a better reputation and more scaling opportunities.

Pro Tip: Have an education consultancy department in your school. To guide students in choosing the best university or college, helping them out with the admission process, etc. To do this effectively, get a CRM for Education Consultancy.

Reporting

To see how the school is doing you need reports to analyse. These reports help in understanding important metrics like budget, revenue, etc. These metrics are important for you because, on the basis of these, you can evaluate the functioning and progress of your school

In order to make these reports, you have to put in a lot of manual work, like accessing data from multiple sources, carefully analysing and entering it and then cross-checking and generating reports.

This routine seems all too familiar, doesn’t it?

CRM for schools helps in Generating Reports

Manually generating reports will take a lot of time and is prone to error, as the data is too much and you would at times enter the wrong details. Let’s say you need to report on monthly/quarterly revenue generated by fees. You need to know this so you can understand how much profit you are making.

Without the report, you’ll have no idea about the revenue your school is generating. This results in a significant blind spot, making it impossible to track how well the school is financially performing and what is going wrong or right. You are unable to make calculated decisions to improve your school

Not knowing details about your school is frustrating and humiliating.

By implementing a school CRM, you will be making the tedious process of report creation a smoother experience. CRM will change things for the better. It automates the whole process, saving time and reducing errors. Plus, you can access important reports instantly, like revenue, etc.

CRM makes your school more efficient, saves time and keeps things running smoothly.

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Key features to look for in a CRM for schools

Customisation options

When you’re in the market for a school CRM, there’s a crucial factor that can’t be overlooked – customisation. Every school operates differently, with its unique processes and needs. Therefore, the CRM software you opt for must offer flexibility, allowing you to tweak it to precisely align with your school’s specific requirements.

CRM should have customisability feature

Picture yourself in charge of admissions at your school, where every student’s journey is different. There’s a sequence of complicated steps, from handling applications to verifying documents and publishing results.

To add to the complexity, you often find yourself manually sorting through applications based on factors like grades, the desired class or performance in entrance tests or interviews. It’s a real headache.

But with a customisable CRM, you can configure each step exactly as needed.

As students progress through the admission process, the CRM software allows you to update their status, track their documents and perform various other tasks effortlessly. You can do this and so much more with customisable CRM software.

Integration capabilities

Your school probably uses multiple software to gather information about applications, students and staff records. If you’re thinking about getting a CRM, here’s something important to consider: It should work well with other software you use.

If your school CRM doesn’t connect smoothly with the tools you already have. It will create problems. You’ll be getting applications from one software, you need to get information about fee payments from another payment gateway and you need to access Excel sheets to check student information. You are spending a lot of time getting all this information and then storing it in the CRM software.

Integration feature is a must in a CRM

This takes up a significant amount of your time, time that could have been better spent on more productive tasks. After all, no one enjoys doing things manually when there’s a smarter alternative available.

So, what you need to get is a school CRM that has 3rd party integration capabilities with other software commonly used in education. This includes student information systems, email or messaging tools, data management systems and more. When your CRM software integrates with other tools, it makes sharing information easier and gets rid of duplication. No more double work.

You won’t have to fetch data from different systems or websites manually. The CRM does it automatically. This saves you time, effort and money.

User-friendly

When you’re exploring a CRM for your school, there’s another crucial aspect to keep in mind: it should be easy to use. This means the CRM should be user-friendly, without requiring extensive training. Its appearance should be straightforward, with clear menus, icons and labels.

CRM for schools should be User-Friendly

Think about this – if the CRM is too complicated, it becomes a headache for school administrators and managers to figure out. Everyone on your team would need training to fully grasp it and even then, there’s no guarantee they’ll use it effectively. It’s not practical to have a complex CRM where most of your team’s time is spent talking to customer support just to perform simple tasks. You need something that’s friendly and straightforward for everyone in your school administration to use.

So, when you’re in the process of selecting a CRM, opt for one that’s user-friendly. This means it’s easy enough for everyone in the administration to comprehend and operate without any hassle.

Low-cost

You need to choose wisely. Don’t go for one that’s super cheap but doesn’t have what you need. And don’t get a really expensive one with too many things that confuse you.

Not everything that is expensive is GOOD.

Look for a Low-Cost CRM for schools.

A CRM that’s not right for your school will cause problems. Maybe it’s too expensive to maintain or it doesn’t have the features you need. You don’t want to waste your money.

Going over budget or getting a CRM that your competitors are using will not solve your problems.

Seek out an affordably priced school CRM solution that meets your requirements while ensuring transparency with no hidden charges. Consider not only the initial cost but also the ongoing maintenance expenses.

Opting for a budget-friendly CRM allows you to allocate your resources towards other critical priorities within your school, making it a wise decision.

Mobile accessibility

Think about not being able to access important records or details when you’re on the move. It can be a hassle. When you’re away for school trips, camps or even vacations, it’s important to stay connected and get things done.

Mobile Accessibility is must for any CRM

In the event of emergencies, it is essential to have immediate access to information about both students and staff, regardless of your location and without the need for a laptop or PC to retrieve the details.

But here’s a solution that can improve things: Mobile CRM. It’s all about having flexibility and accessibility for running your school from anywhere and anytime.

With mobile accessibility in a CRM, you can access documents, records or student info without the need for a computer system. You can view reports, monitor staff performance, etc. It keeps you connected and allows the flexibility to work from anywhere.

Another plus is that when in the office, your team won’t need lots of computers; they can use their mobiles and work. It will save money and space.

Pro Tip: When you have finally scaled your school to the next level and started a college to boost your education business, get a CRM for Higher Education to streamline all the processes just the way you did with CRM for Schools.

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The Best CRM for Schools

1.Telecrm

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Quick Setup and Customisability:

  • The Telecrm system is designed to be quick and straightforward. It takes less than a day to set it up, without disrupting your ongoing operations.
  • Its user-friendliness means even those with no CRM experience can adapt easily.
  • Customisation options allow you to create custom lead fields, statuses, workflows, templates and more to suit your school’s processes.

Cost-Effective Pricing:

  • Telecrm offers a single, affordable plan, providing all features and customisations.
  • Pricing options include quarterly and annual plans, catering to different budget preferences.
  • Custom plans are available for larger teams, ensuring scalability.

Education-Focused Features:

WhatsApp CRM integration

Telecrm makes WhatsApp an essential tool for managing school communication. It seamlessly integrates with WhatsApp to enhance your interactions with parents, teachers and students.

  • Automated WhatsApp chat capture: All WhatsApp chats with students are captured automatically, centralising chat history within the CRM. This ensures that important conversations are neatly organised and easily accessible.
  • Personalised bulk WhatsApp messaging: With a single click, you can send personalised WhatsApp messages to students, parents, teachers and staff simultaneously, without the need to save their numbers in your phone book. This feature simplifies mass communication, such as sending important updates to parents or students.

Follow-up reminders

Follow-up reminders helps in converting prospects into customers.

Telecrm ensures that your admissions team never misses essential follow-up calls. You can set reminders within the CRM and it will prompt your team when it’s time to make follow-up calls.

This feature enhances your team’s ability to stay in touch with prospective students’ parents effectively.

Leaderboard

The Leaderboard feature serves as a comprehensive team performance tracking tool. You can monitor your team’s performance, track their daily and monthly activities and gain insights into how they interact with students and their parents. This data helps in identifying areas of improvement and refining strategies to target prospective students.

Leaderboard helps in tracking team performance.

Automatic lead distribution

Telecrm streamlines distribution by automatically assigning new students to your admission team based on roles you have set. This eliminates manual allocation, ensuring that prospective students are efficiently distributed among your team members.

Excel upload

It simplifies data transfer by enabling you to import your data from Excel into the CRM without disrupting your existing working methods. This feature ensures a smooth transition, allowing you to continue your work seamlessly.

Integrations

TeleCRM offers integrations from 25 plus apps.

Telecrm offers integrations with over 25 applications, including WooCommerce, Razorpay, Mailchimp, WhatsApp Cloud API and Custom Integrations as well. Custom integration allows you to connect with any 3rd party app and bring data from it into the Telecrm system. These integrations provide a unified data management solution, ensuring that you have access to all your data in one place, saving time and effort.

Ease of use and mobile access:

  • Telecrm is a user-friendly, mobile-accessible Customer Relationship Management software. You don’t need to be tech-savvy. It’s as simple as plug-and-play!
  • It provides essential features on a mobile app, it allows you to make calls, send emails, texts and WhatsApp messages to communicate with your students and parents through your smartphone from any location.

Exceptional customer support:

TeleCRM has excellent, 24/7 customer support
  • Telecrm offers dedicated support through Phone calls, WhatsApp groups, Zoom Calls and WhatsApp Chatbot (24/7 support), providing timely resolutions.
  • Support teams have access to all the interactions you have ever had with them. This helps them understand the problem and provide you with the right assistance.

Telecrm is the top choice for schools, offering easy setup, customisation and cost-effectiveness and is loaded with features that are designed especially for schools to streamline communication and effective management.

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The Best CRM for Schools and K-12 Education to Manage Students 37

2. Salesforce Education Cloud

salesforce logo crm

If you’re running a large educational organisation like a university or chain of colleges, Salesforce Education Cloud can help you manage the entire student journey, from lead generation to enrollment and even student retention tracking.

Key features:

  • Student journey tracking
  • Personalised communication across channels
  • CRM reporting dashboards
  • Integration with marketing and data tools

Best for: Universities with a dedicated tech and marketing team focusing on large-scale admissions processes.

3. HubSpot CRM

hubspot crm software

If your college or institute invests heavily in digital campaigns and personalised marketing, HubSpot can help streamline your recruitment process and manage admission processes more effectively.

Key features:

  • Marketing automation
  • Email marketing templates
  • Contact management
  • Lead nurturing workflows

Best for: Schools and colleges focusing on inbound marketing to engage prospective and current students.

4. Zoho CRM for Education

zoho crm

For schools looking for affordable CRM solutions, Zoho CRM offers lead generation, contact management and basic workflow automation to manage leads during the admission process.

Key features:

  • Lead tracking and scoring
  • Customisable lead stages
  • Workflow automation
  • Basic reporting dashboards

Best for: Budget-friendly option for Indian schools managing simple enrollment processes.

5. LeadSquared CRM

leadsquared

If your team’s day revolves around lead generation, follow-ups and tracking the student lifecycle, LeadSquared is built for you.

It helps you manage admission processes, run communication campaigns and track prospective students across different communication channels (email, SMS).

Key features:

  • Lead management with scoring
  • Email and SMS campaign tools
  • Student lifecycle tracking
  • Marketing automation

Best for: High-volume admissions teams that rely heavily on communication tools.

6. Element451

element451

Element451 US-based CRM platform designed for higher education institutions that want to run data-driven, personalised marketing campaigns across the entire student journey—from awareness to application to student progress tracking.

Key features:

  • AI-driven personalised campaigns
  • Behaviour-based student segmentation
  • Marketing automation
  • Progress and engagement dashboards

Best for: Universities looking for AI-driven student engagement and CRM reporting dashboards.

7. SchoolMint

schoolmint logo full

If you’re from a K-12 background or a school management software user focusing on admission processes, SchoolMint helps automate applications, parent communications and enrollment management.

Key features:

  • Application management
  • Parent communication tools
  • Enrollment dashboards
  • Student progress tracking

Best for: K-12 schools looking to improve admission processes and student success tracking.

8. Creatio

creatio crm

Creatio offers a no-code platform ideal for institutions aiming to manage relationships across the entire student lifecycle. It provides automated workflows for admissions, lead tracking and timely communication, all within dedicated dashboards. This setup aids in efficient data analysis and enhances lead conversion rates.

Key features:

  • Drag-and-drop workflow automation
  • Lead tracking and management
  • Timely communication triggers
  • Customisable dashboards

Best for: Universities seeking customisable CRM solutions with strong automation features.

9. Ellucian CRM

ellucian

Ellucian CRM is tailored for higher education, focusing on enrollment management and student success. It facilitates digital communication strategies, ensuring timely communication with both prospective and current students. The platform’s data analysis tools help institutions refine their marketing activities for better outcomes.

Key features:

  • Enrollment management tools
  • Digital communication workflows
  • Marketing activity tracking
  • Data analysis and reporting

Best for: Institutions looking for a CRM that integrates academic and administrative functions seamlessly.

10. Meritto CRM

meritto crm

Meritto is designed to manage relationships effectively within educational organisations. It streamlines the admissions journey through automated workflows, enhancing lead tracking and ensuring timely communication. The platform’s dedicated dashboards provide insights into marketing activities, aiding in strategic decision-making.

Key features:

  • Automated admission workflows
  • Lead tracking dashboards
  • Marketing activity insights
  • Communication management tools

Best for: Educational institutions aiming for a CRM that aligns with their unique enrollment processes.

11. Bitrix24

bitrix24 crm

Bitrix24 combines CRM functionalities with project management tools, making it suitable for educational institutions. It supports contact management, email marketing and lead tracking, all within a collaborative environment. The platform’s automated workflows and dedicated dashboards assist in managing marketing activities efficiently.

Key features:

  • Lead and contact management
  • Email marketing campaigns
  • Team collaboration tools
  • Automated workflows

Best for: Schools and colleges seeking an all-in-one platform for CRM and project management needs.

12. OpenSIS

opensis

OpenSIS is a student information system that also offers CRM capabilities. It aids in contact management, lead tracking and facilitates timely communication with students and parents. The system’s dedicated dashboards provide a comprehensive view of student data, enhancing the admissions journey.

Key features:

  • Student information tracking
  • Contact management tools
  • Lead tracking modules
  • Admission dashboards

Best for: Educational institutions looking for an integrated student information and CRM system.

13. OpenEMIS

OpenEMIS Logo

OpenEMIS is an open-source platform designed for education management. It supports data analysis, contact management and timely communication strategies. The system’s flexibility allows institutions to customise their marketing activities and improve the admissions journey.

Key features:

  • Open-source data management
  • Contact and lead management
  • Timely communication scheduling
  • Custom marketing activity reporting

Best for: Organisations seeking a customisable, open-source CRM solution for education management.

14. Edsby

edsby-

Edsby is a learning management system that incorporates CRM features, facilitating personal relationships between educators and students. It enables timely communication, supports email marketing and provides dedicated dashboards for tracking student progress throughout the admissions journey.

Key features:

  • Student progress tracking
  • Timely parent-teacher communication
  • Email marketing tools
  • Relationship management features

Best for: K-12 schools aiming to integrate learning management with CRM functionalities.

15. Odoo

odoo crm

Odoo offers a suite of business applications, including CRM, suitable for educational institutions. It supports contact management, email marketing and automated workflows, aiding in efficient lead tracking and timely communication.

Key features:

  • Customisable contact management
  • Email marketing templates
  • Automated workflow engine
  • Marketing activity dashboards

Best for: Institutions seeking a modular CRM solution that can be tailored to specific needs

16. CiviCRM

civi crm

CiviCRM is an open-source CRM designed for non-profits and educational organisations. It facilitates contact management, email marketing and automated workflows, ensuring timely communication with stakeholders.

Key features:

  • Contact and relationship management
  • Bulk email marketing
  • Automated task scheduling
  • Marketing and admission dashboards

Best for: Educational institutions seeking a cost-effective, open-source CRM solution.

How to choose the best CRM for higher education

With so many CRM systems and CRM platforms available, how do you decide which one fits your educational organisation?

Simple. Answer these 4 questions first:

1. How complex is your admission process?

Do you just need basic lead generation and follow-up tracking or full-blown enrollment management with student lifecycle automation, team management and CRM reporting?

2. What’s your budget?

Some CRM solutions like Salesforce and HubSpot offer powerful features, but are priced in USD. If you’re an Indian school looking for an affordable management software, a tool like Telecrm or Zoho CRM makes more sense.

3. Which communication channels does your team use?

Is your admissions team mostly calling leads? Using WhatsApp? Sending bulk emails? Your CRM should match your primary communication tools.

4. Do you want a quick setup or long-term customisation?

Some CRMs take months to implement. Others like Telecrm offer ready-to-use workflows for the education industry.

Conclusion

In this blog, we have discussed,

  • Understanding the Role of Customer Relationship Management in Schools.
  • What challenges are you facing and how does CRM help you overcome them?
  • What metric do you need to keep in mind before getting a CRM?

You know why choosing the right school CRM is important for you; it will transform your school’s operations, making data management efficient, communication effective and admissions hassle-free.

Here’s the deal: You can either invest time in researching and evaluating multiple CRM solutions or you can simply choose Telecrm, the best CRM for schools. 

I have already told you what it can do and how efficient it is. Now is the time for you to get it and take your school to the next level.

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead, book a demo now and get Telecrm.

Now, you can solely focus on what matters most: providing quality education and encouraging students to reach their full potential.

Article Author

Fahad Abdullah

Fahad Abdullah is a marketing executive and content writer at Telecrm and has been involved in writing blogs, marketing content, SEO, and social media marketing. As a mass media graduate, Fahad has over 3 years of experience working as a content writer and social media marketer for varied B2B and B2C companies in India.

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