Ellucian Wins 2026 Stratus Award for Cloud Computing for Third Consecutive Year

Key Highlights:

• Ellucian was recognized in the Education category for advancing AI-powered cloud innovation in higher education.
• Ellucian Student unifies Student, HCM, and Finance on one AI-native, SaaS platform designed to support the end-to-end student lifecycle.
• Ellucian AI uses the Ellucian Higher Ed Knowledge Graph to power trusted intelligence, automation, and action across nearly 10,000 higher education processes.

RESTON, Va., Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ellucian, the leading higher education technology solutions provider, today announced it has been named a winner in the 2026 Stratus Awards for Cloud Computing, in the Education category, marking the third consecutive year Ellucian has received a Stratus Award. Presented by the Business Intelligence Group, the annual award recognizes companies, products, and individuals delivering cloud offerings that are truly differentiated in the market.

Purpose-Built Innovation for Higher Education

Ellucian was recognized for Ellucian Student, higher education's complete solution that powers the end-to-end student lifecycle. Built SaaS-native and powered by the Ellucian Platform, Ellucian Student brings Student, HCM, and Finance together in one AI-native environment, connecting people, resources, data, and decisions around student success.

"We're honored to receive the Stratus Award for Cloud Computing for the third consecutive year, because it reflects the success of our customers and, most of all, their students," said Laura Ipsen, president and CEO, Ellucian. "Institutions are asking AI to do something genuinely difficult, from understanding how a financial aid cycle actually runs to how a registrar's office handles the exceptions, and then turning those insights into meaningful action. Ellucian Student is built to support the entire student lifecycle, responding to students faster while reducing the administrative burden so that the teams doing this work can focus on what matters most. We're grateful to our customers, whose partnership and expertise continue to shape how we innovate for higher education."

AI Built for How Higher Education Works

At the foundation of Ellucian AI is the Ellucian Higher Ed Knowledge Graph, a living catalog of nearly 10,000 higher education processes built on more than 50 years of expertise working alongside colleges and universities. It gives Ellucian AI the institutional context to operate within the business logic, regulations, policies, and workflows unique to higher education.

Through Ellucian Student, institutions can:

• Automate complex work: Agents coordinate actions across institutional workflows.
• Move from insight to action: Embedded intelligence helps institutions identify needs and respond sooner.
• Operate with confidence: AI works within institutional policies, roles, and governance.
• Reduce fragmentation: A unified SaaS foundation connects data, processes, and experiences.

Advancing the Next Generation of Cloud Computing

The Stratus Awards celebrate the organizations and individuals defining the next phase of cloud computing, where success is measured by what a system delivers rather than where it happens to run. Winners are selected based on how effectively they are advancing cloud innovation, delivering measurable value, and moving their industries forward.

"For a decade, the cloud question was 'where does this run?' This year, every serious submission answered a different one: 'what does it do without us?'" said Russ Fordyce, Chief Recognition Officer, Business Intelligence Group. "Ellucian earned this recognition in the Education category because it could say what its technology finished, not just what it promises. That is the standard the cloud is being held to now, and this is a team meeting it."

To see the full list of winners, visit: https://www.bintelligence.com/posts/24-stratus-award-winners-show-the-cloud-has-stopped-storing-the-work-and-started-doing-it 

WHAT ARE THE STRATUS AWARDS
The Stratus Awards for Cloud Computing honor the companies, products, and individuals innovating in the cloud and delivering offerings that are truly differentiated in the market. Since 2014, the program has recognized organizations that add measurable value through cloud-based solutions, from infrastructure and platform services to security, edge computing, and the AI systems now running on top of them. Every nomination is reviewed against objective scoring benchmarks by a panel of experienced business professionals, identifying the work that is genuinely pushing the boundaries of the cloud.

WHAT IS BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE GROUP
Business Intelligence Group (BIG) is an independent awards organization that has been recognizing outstanding achievement in business since 2012. Now in its 14th awards season, BIG operates 12 annual programs spanning innovation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, customer service, cloud computing, sustainability, sales and marketing, workplace culture, and women's leadership. Business award programs include the BIG Innovation Awards, AI Excellence Awards, Fortress Cyber Security Awards, Excellence in Customer Service Awards, Stratus Awards for Cloud Computing, Sustainability Awards, SAMMY Awards for Sales and Marketing, Best Places to Work Awards, Herizon Awards, We Love Tech Awards, NAA Top Employers Award, and BIG Awards for Business.

Unlike popularity contests, BIG programs use professional judging panels and objective scoring benchmarks to identify organizations, products, and individuals making real, measurable impact. Winners receive a complete promotional toolkit, including blockchain-verified credentials, press release support, social media assets, and featured placement across BIG's global community of more than one million business professionals.

For more information about BIG award programs, nomination deadlines, and judging criteria, visit bintelligence.com 

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, enrolment, 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
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SOURCE Ellucian