Ellucian Announces Partnership with MortarCAPS to Advance Global Higher Education Data Standards

Key Highlights:

• Ellucian has joined MortarCAPS as a Founding Partner of the Higher Learning Data Standard.
• The collaboration supports global data interoperability and sector-led innovation.
• The partnership expands momentum across APAC and international higher education ecosystems.

SYDNEY and RESTON, Va., June 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ellucian, the leading higher education technology solutions provider, announced a new partnership with MortarCAPS, joining as a Founding Partner of the MortarCAPS Higher Learning Data Standard (MCDS), a sector-led not-for-profit charity focused on standardising and sharing data structures across higher education systems globally. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to advancing data interoperability, improving data governance and enabling institutions to connect systems more effectively in support of student and institutional success.

"Higher education is at a pivotal moment where data connectivity and interoperability are essential to innovation," said Jeff Dinski, Chief Strategy and Corporate Development Officer, Ellucian. "Our partnership with MortarCAPS reflects a shared vision to bring the sector together around common standards that simplify complexity, improve data quality, and enable institutions to deliver better outcomes for students."

"Welcoming Ellucian as a Founding Partner is a significant milestone for the Higher Learning Data Standard," said Charlsey Pearce, CEO, MortarCAPS. "Institutions everywhere are grappling with fragmented systems and inconsistent data, and no single provider can solve that alone. Ellucian's global scale and deep sector expertise strengthen our mission to build a collaborative, shared standard — one created by the sector, for the sector — so institutions can spend less time wrestling with data and more time improving outcomes for students."

Advancing a shared standard for higher education data

As a Founding Partner, Ellucian will work alongside MortarCAPS and leading institutions to help shape and accelerate adoption of the Higher Learning Data Standard, ensuring it reflects real-world institutional needs and scales globally.

The initiative, developed through collaboration with higher education institutions and sector organizations across multiple regions, establishes a common framework for structuring and sharing data across higher education systems.

Delivering impact through partnership

Through this collaboration, Ellucian is helping drive a more connected and interoperable ecosystem, enabling institutions to:

• simplify how systems connect and share data
• improve data consistency and governance
• expand access to reporting & analytics and actionable insights
• reduce complexity across technology environments

By contributing expertise in cloud, data, and AI, Ellucian is supporting a sector-led approach to innovation that empowers institutions to move faster, operate more efficiently and deliver better outcomes for students.

To learn more about MortarCAPS, visit: https://mortarcaps.org/. To learn more about Ellucian, visit: www.ellucian.com.

WHAT IS MORTARCAPS
The MortarCAPS Higher Learning Data Standard (MCDS) is a not-for-profit initiative designed to streamline data interoperability for the global post-secondary education sector. Founded in 2025, MCDS is developed through CAUDIT and CUCCIO working groups, representing 150+ institutions globally. MCDS provides a future-ready framework that empowers institutions to pivot towards skills-based learning and enhances reporting capabilities, and ecosystem-wide interoperability.

WHAT IS ELLUCIAN
Ellucian powers innovation for higher education, partnering with approximately 3,000 customers across 50 countries, serving more than 21 million students. Ellucian's AI-powered platform, trained on the richest dataset available in higher education, drives efficiency, personalized experiences, and strengthened engagement for all students, faculty and staff. Fueled by decades of experience with a singular focus on the unique needs of learning institutions, the Ellucian platform features best-in-class SaaS capabilities and delivers insights needed now and into the future. These solutions and services span the entire student lifecycle, including data-rich tools for student recruitment, enrollment, and retention to workforce analytics, fundraising, and alumni engagement. Ellucian's innovative solutions, vast ecosystem of partners and user community of more than 45,000 provides best practices leading to greater institutional success and achieving better student outcomes.

Media Contacts:
Greg Giangrande, Chief Communications Officer
[email protected]

Jess Weston, Manager, Communications
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SOURCE Ellucian