Workday Named a Leader in 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Higher Education Student Information Systems
Institutions Across the Globe are Using Workday Student to Manage More Than 5.8 Million Student Records, Helping Improve Student Engagement and Adapt to Changing Industry Needs
PLEASANTON, Calif., April 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Workday, Inc. (NASDAQ:WDAY), the AI platform for managing people, money, and agents today announced it has again been named a Leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Student Information Systems1. A complimentary copy of the 2026 report is available here.
The higher education mission is to support students by providing them the best possible experience while empowering faculty and staff to keep campuses moving forward. Workday Student integrates seamlessly with Workday Human Capital Management (HCM), Workday Financial Management, Workday Adaptive Planning, and Workday Grants Management, letting schools manage the entire student lifecycle in one place.
Workday's AI capabilities are built directly into the same trusted platform that powers HR, finance, and student operations, giving institutions intelligence that's grounded in real institutional data and business rules. By combining deterministic, auditable workflows with AI that understands campus context, Workday Student helps automate routine tasks, surface smarter insights, and deliver a more intuitive experience for students, faculty, and staff.
"We are honored to be recognized as a Leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Higher Education Student Information Systems for the second year in a row, but the true measure of our success is the success of our customers," said Michael Hofherr, senior vice president state, local, and higher education products, Workday. "With more than 200 institutions now on this journey with us, Workday Student has proven that a unified, AI-powered platform is what will enable institutions to become future-ready."
Since the first higher education institution deployed Workday Student in 2018, the solution has seen unparalleled momentum with nearly 100 institutions going live, including Louisiana State University, Tallahassee State College, University of British Columbia, Southern Oregon University, Washington University in St. Louis and more.
Customer Support for Workday Student
"Dallas College serves over 130,000 students across seven campuses with a singular goal: to become a 22nd century institution of higher learning," said Russ Pearlman, chief information officer, Dallas College. "That demands enterprise-grade reliability and the flexibility to innovate - Workday Student delivers on both. Workday is our true transformation partner, giving us the infrastructure to operate at scale without ever losing sight of the individual student. That's a rare combination."
"Workday has emerged as one of the leaders in enterprise, people-centric AI. This very much aligns with our institutional values. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in enterprise systems and in our institutional processes, Workday has helped us propel forward and get us ready," said Mur Muchane, vice president and chief information officer, Wake Forest University.
"Pensacola State College has benefited from the technology advancements Workday's unified platform offers," said Michael Johnston, associate vice president, institutional research and enterprise solutions, Pensacola State College. "The combination of a streamlined student experience, improved insights across the institution, and the strategic use of financial aid has driven a remarkable 43% enrollment growth over the last two years. All of this is possible thanks to the talented staff that support our students' success."
For More Information
- Download a complimentary copy of the report here.
- Santa Clara University thrives with Workday Student
- The Future-Ready Campus with Workday Student
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About Workday
Workday is the enterprise AI platform for managing people, money, and agents. Workday unifies HR and Finance on one intelligent platform with AI at the core to empower people at every level with the clarity, confidence, and insights they need to adapt quickly, make better decisions, and deliver outcomes that matter. Workday is used by more than 11,500 organizations around the world and across industries – from medium-sized businesses to more than 65% of the Fortune 500. For more information about Workday, visit workday.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements including, among other things, statements regarding Workday's plans, beliefs, and expectations. These forward-looking statements are based only on currently available information and our current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. If the risks materialize, assumptions prove incorrect, or we experience unexpected changes in circumstances, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements, and therefore you should not rely on any forward-looking statements. Risks include, but are not limited to, risks described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including our most recent report on Form 10-Q or Form 10-K and other reports that we have filed and will file with the SEC from time to time, which could cause actual results to vary from expectations. Workday assumes no obligation to, and does not currently intend to, update any such forward-looking statements after the date of this release, except as required by law.
Any unreleased services, features, or functions referenced in this document, our website, or other press releases or public statements that are not currently available are subject to change at Workday's discretion and may not be delivered as planned or at all. Customers who purchase Workday services should make their purchase decisions based upon services, features, and functions that are currently available.
1Gartner Magic Quadrant for Higher Education SaaS Student Information Systems, Grace Farrell, Robert Yanckello, 31 March 2026.
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