Liaison and Niche Partner to Connect Graduate Program Discovery with Centralized Applications

New pathways help graduate programs reach best-fit students and streamline the path from interest to application.

BOSTON, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Liaison, the leader in higher education application and enrollment solutions, and Niche, the market leader in connecting students and families with their ideal schools, today announced a strategic partnership designed to help graduate programs generate more qualified interest and convert that interest into completed applications.

The partnership focuses on strengthening the connection between graduate program discovery and application submission by creating pathways between Niche and Liaison's Centralized Application Services (CAS), such as GradCAS, BusinessCAS, and EngineeringCAS.

The collaboration enables institutions to expand reach, attract more best-fit prospective students, and drive application growth—while providing students with clearer guidance and fewer barriers as they move toward applying. Institutions benefit from scalable demand generation without adding new systems, operational burden, or technical complexity.

"Graduate programs are under increasing pressure to grow, yet too often student interest doesn't translate into completed applications," said Todd Abbott, Vice President of Business Development at Liaison. "This partnership with Niche is designed to close that gap by helping institutions reach more qualified prospects and making it easier for students to move from discovery to applying through Liaison's graduate application services."

 What participating graduate programs receive at launch:

• Complimentary Niche Premium Profiles for Liaison graduate programs.
• The waiver of implementation and annual CAS membership fees for current Niche graduate program clients that join a CAS.

These initiatives aim to deliver qualified student engagement without operational complexity or technical dependencies for enrollment teams.

"Niche helps students find graduate programs where they can thrive, while helping institutions connect with students who are genuinely interested," said Mark Eshelman, EVP of Sales at Niche. "Partnering with Liaison ensures that interest is met with clarity and momentum—so students know what to do next, and institutions engage earlier with applicants who are ready to apply."

This partnership reflects Liaison's and Niche's shared commitment to supporting graduate institutions with practical, scalable solutions that help students move confidently from interest to action.

About Liaison
Liaison is a higher education technology leader and strategic partner, supporting more than 1,500 institutions nationwide and internationally. For over 35 years, Liaison has delivered purpose-built technology and consultative expertise to help colleges and universities drive sustainable enrollment success—backed by white-glove support from planning through go-live and beyond.

About Niche 
Niche is modernizing the way students and families choose their best-fit schools and colleges. More than 70 million people annually use Niche's school profiles, reviews, rankings, and search tools to inform decisions. Niche also operates a nationally recognized Direct Admissions program, enabling colleges to offer acceptance and scholarship opportunities based on a student's Niche Profile.

Media Contact: 
Erin Kennedy
Marketing Communications Specialist at Liaison
[email protected]

SOURCE Liaison