20 Best Academic Scheduling Software for 2025

One of the most common problems in academic scheduling is ensuring that all students have access to the courses they need in order to graduate. This can be a challenge, especially for larger schools, where there may be hundreds of students, all trying to get into the same popular course.

Another common problem is timing. Many students struggle to balance their course loads with extracurricular activities, work, and family obligations. As a result, they may find themselves having to choose between attending class and missing out on important life experiences.

To address these issues, schools need technology. They can turn to the best student scheduling software.

In this guide, we present the best college scheduling software. Many of them are fully integrated into a student information system or school administration software. A few though are standalone academic scheduling tools, while some solutions are part of an LMS. Similarly, education scheduling software may cater to schools and corporate training alike. We hope you find the most-fitting software below.

Student Population Continues to Grow

The need to streamline the academic scheduling process will only get more important in the coming years as the United States student population continues to grow despite the rising cost of college. Public college enrollment in 2022 stands at 14.77 million. It is expected to increase to 15.1 million by 2030.

Meanwhile, private college enrollment will increase from 5.26 million students in 2022 to 5.38 million in 2030.

Over 80 Bachelor Degree Programs to Choose From

The U.S. Department of Education recognizes more than 80 bachelor degree programs. They are spread across myriad types of colleges and universities in the U.S.

In 2020, the most number of degrees were conferred in Business with 387,900 graduates (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022). Overall, more than half (58%) of bachelor’s degrees conferred in 2020 were concentrated in six fields, namely: business, health, social sciences and history, engineering, biological and biomedical sciences and psychology.

Time Spent by Students Taking Classes

In the United States, the academic year typically runs from late August or early September to mid-May. Most colleges and universities follow a semester system, with two terms of around four months each. However, some schools operate on a trimester system, with three terms of around three months each. In addition, a growing number of schools are adopting a quarter system, with four terms of around three months each.

Regardless of the specific schedule, 55% of students spend 15 hours per week to prepare for class, with 4% spending five or less hours (National Survey of Student Engagement, 2011). The same survey found out that 49% of freshmen study harder than they thought to meet faculty expectations.

This includes time spent in class as well as time spent on homework and other assignments. In addition, many students also participate in extracurricular activities, such as sports or clubs. As a result, the average student has a very busy schedule.

Broken down into the types of thinking they do for assignments, most freshmen spend the most time analyzing basic concept elements (89%) and least on memorizing (64%).

In recent years, there has been a trend towards more flexible academic scheduling, primarily online education. Abetted by the pandemic in the spring of 2020, the number of students having enrolled in at least one online course increased by 97% (NCES, 2021).

In 2019, there were 6.0 million students enrolled in at least one distance education course. By the fall of 2020, 75% or 11.8 million college students were enrolled in at least one distance education course, with 44% or 7.0 million exclusively enrolling in online course.

In addition, many schools are now allowing students to choose from a variety of courses in order to create a schedule that fits their individual interests and needs. Oxford reported that, “Online learning is the fastest-growing market in the education industry with a 900% growth rate globally since the year 2000" (Oxford, n.d.).

As a result of these changes, students have more control than ever over when and how they complete their coursework.

The academic scheduling process is a complex and vital part of every school year. It involves many stakeholders, including administrators, faculty, students, and parents. The goals of the scheduling process are to create a balanced and challenging curriculum that meets the needs of all students.

With the best scheduling software for schools, the entire process is streamlined and parts of it are automated, similar to how the best POS system for restaurants streamline dining operations. It begins with an analysis of student enrollment data. This data is used to determine the number of sections needed for each course. Once the number of sections is determined, administrators work with faculty to create a schedule that meets the needs and preferences of both groups. Next, administrators develop a master schedule that includes all courses and sections. Finally, students are placed into courses based on their preferences and course requirements.

The entire process abetted by this type of online scheduling software is designed to ensure that every student has access to quality education.

What tools can enhance the academic scheduling process?

In addition to academic scheduling software, there are other tools that can enhance the academic scheduling process. For instance, LMS tools can help educators manage course materials, assignments, and grades, while also providing students with a centralized platform to access their coursework. By utilizing these tools in conjunction with academic scheduling software, educators can streamline their workflow and improve the overall student experience. Furthermore, integrating these tools with other educational software can help create a more cohesive and efficient academic environment.

What role does artificial intelligence play in academic scheduling?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the academic scheduling process in various ways, offering several advantages for educational institutions:

• Automated scheduling: AI algorithms can analyze large datasets, predict student demand for courses, and automatically generate optimal schedules that minimize conflicts and ensure resources are used efficiently.
• Predictive analytics: AI can predict trends in course enrollment and student preferences, allowing institutions to better plan course offerings and faculty assignments ahead of time.
• Conflict resolution: AI-powered systems can identify and resolve scheduling conflicts in real-time, ensuring that students’ course selections align with available resources such as classrooms and instructors.
• Personalized scheduling: AI tools can help students personalize their schedules based on their academic history, preferences, and other commitments, ensuring a more balanced workload.
• Data-driven decision-making: AI can provide administrators with insights into course popularity, faculty utilization, and classroom usage, leading to more informed decisions about course offerings and staffing.

By leveraging AI, schools can significantly streamline the academic scheduling process, reducing the administrative burden and enhancing the student experience.

Optimizing Resource Allocation in Academic Institutions

Efficient academic scheduling involves organizing classes and holistically managing institutional resources. Schools and universities must ensure that their facilities, faculty, and equipment align with the demands of their academic calendars. Leveraging integrated tools within a robust scheduling platform, such as capability assessments and automated allocation features, can significantly streamline the process.

However, academic institutions can face unexpected challenges, such as equipment maintenance delays that disrupt class schedules. To mitigate such delays, incorporating a reliable maintenance management system software ensures that essential resources like labs, IT equipment, and physical infrastructure remain operational and accessible for teaching or training purposes.

Institutions that prioritize resource management as part of their scheduling strategy stand a better chance at maintaining seamless operations, enhancing student experiences, and optimizing the use of their assets. By taking proactive steps in ensuring resource availability, they contribute to both the academic and operational excellence of their campus ecosystems.

List of Best Academic Scheduling Software

1. ConexED Appointment Scheduling System for Higher Education

ConexED is a scalable and adaptable class scheduling software that can be used for one-to-one and group meetings, large virtual or on-campus events, and equipment reservations. One of the features that sets ConexED apart is its ability to create safe pathways and increase engagement through its comprehensive reporting system. This system provides data-driven insights that can help educators make better decisions about their students’ support needs. Additionally, ConexED’s automated SMS system ensures that students receive timely and student-centered support.

Key Features

• Online and on-campus appointment scheduler
• Scheduler and virtual meeting integration
• SAML2 Single Sign On and OAuth 2.0 guest registration options
• Automated email and SMS reminders
• Communication templates
• Business Intelligence visualizations

Pricing

• By quote

2. OpenEduCat Online Appointment Scheduling Platform Dedicated to Education

OpenEduCat is a higher education scheduling software that is dedicated to education. It allows students to book and cancel appointments online with their tutors, professors or teachers in a safe environment. Once an appointment is booked, users will get their confirmation through their registered email or contact details. All online appointment-related alerts and notifications can be sent via users’ contact details. In addition, OpenEduCat adapts to different time zones, making it easier for students to schedule appointments no matter where they are located.

Key Features

• Online booking
• Email or contact no. confirmation
• Alerts and notifications
• Time zones
• Calendar synchronization

Pricing

Pricing will depend on your inclusions:

• By package such as small school, high school, or university
• By no. of apps such as admission, campus, alumni, LMS
• By no. of users from 500 to unlimited users

3. Alma SIS-Integrated Advanced Scheduling

Alma is a cloud-based classroom scheduling software that offers advanced scheduling capabilities to help streamline the class registration process. Alma’s integrated approach to scheduling allows students to easily search for and enroll in classes, view their schedules, and receive reminders about upcoming assignments and exams. In addition, Alma’s walk-in scheduling feature makes it easy for students to schedule last-minute appointments with their advisors or professors.

As a fully-integrated school system, Alma integrates with student information systems (SIS) to import student data and course catalogs. This data can then be used to generate class schedules that take into account student preferences, teacher availability, and classroom capacity. Alma also offers a number of features that makes it easy to track classroom utilization, identify scheduling bottlenecks, and resolve conflicts.

Key Features

• Fully SIS-integrated features
• Advanced scheduling
• Walk-in scheduling

Pricing

• By quotescheduling features are part of the core SIS module.

4. EMS Campus Streamlines and Automates Your On-campus Class, Meeting and Exam Scheduling

EMS Campus is a university scheduling software that offers a comprehensive solution for on-campus scheduling that streamlines the process and helps you save time. The software allows you to auto-assign courses based on various factors, ensure equipment availability, view time block availability for class schedules, and quickly identify violations. In addition, EMS Campus helps you to improve space utilization by providing a detailed view of how your space is being used. With EMS Campus, you can easily see where there are opportunities to increase efficiency and make better use of your resources.

Key Features

• Wizard and drag-and-drop functionality to add classes and exams quickly
• Replicate course preferences and requirements each semester
• SIS-integration for room assignments
• Track space usage, cleaning schedules, overcrowding signals

Pricing

• By price quotation.

5. symphonyX Comprehensive Automated Calendar and Notification System

symphonyX is a powerful and comprehensive course scheduling system. It generates an automated schedule of all course events and activities based on the syllabus. It also features a seamless interface for interactions between the faculty and students of each course. All academic activities such as labs and tutorials are managed by symphonyX, ensuring that everyone is always aware of what is happening and when. The system also provides reminders for upcoming deadlines and events, so that nothing is ever forgotten or missed.

Key Features

• End-to-end suite for course management
• Faculty interface
• Student interface
• Admin interface

Pricing

• By price quote.

6. Omnify Automate Class Scheduling

Omnify is the best scheduling software with regard to freeing users from repetitive operational tasks and conducting online classes by integrating their Zoom accounts. Additionally, it helps businesses automate communication, reminders, follow-ups, and reporting for performance analysis. Omnify also provides a customized website where businesses can list their classes. This makes it easy for customers to search and find the right class for them.

Key Features

• Online classes
• Service store
• Client portal
• Discount management
• Custom forms
• Reports & analytics

Pricing

• Solopreneur $39 per month for 1 staff
• Starter $99 per month for 5 staff
• Plus $199 per month for 20 staff
• Pro $499 per month for 50 staff

7. Destiny One Proctoring and Exam Scheduling

Destiny One‘s scheduling software for higher education allows you to centrally manage the process, automate administration, and cut down on repetitive tasks. The student-friendly workflows make it easy for students to find and schedule exams, while the auditable process ensures academic integrity. With Destiny One, you can streamline the proctoring and exam scheduling process while ensuring that all students have fair and equal access to exams.

Key Features

• Recruitment and enrollment
• Communication and engagement
• Student engagement and development
• Continuing education and workforce development

Pricing

• By price quotation.

8. Creatrix Campus Helps Higher Education Institutions to Manage Classes Remotely

Higher education institutions face many challenges when it comes to managing classes remotely. Creatrix Campus is a course scheduling software that helps to overcome these challenges by providing a platform that automates faculty preferences and giving students more control over their schedules. The software also provides personalized schedule management for students, making it easier for them to find the right classes for their needs. In addition, the platform offers schedule flexibility, allowing institutions to adjust their class schedules as needed.

Key Features

• Collaboration tools
• Reports and analytics
• Customization options

Pricing

• By quote

9. Ad Astra Higher Education Space and Event Scheduling Tool

Ad Astra is a room scheduling software for colleges that offers a number of benefits to academic and event schedulers. It provides visibility into schedules, allowing schedulers to see what rooms are available and when. This can be helpful in optimizing resources and ensuring that events are held in appropriate locations. Additionally, Ad Astra provides centralized key schedule information, such as room capacity and type, which can be helpful in planning events. Likewise, Ad Astra offers custom reporting features, which can be used to generate reports on event attendance or space utilization.

Key Features

• Schedule preferences
• Visibility into all scheduled space
• Resource scheduling
• Room and section details
• Custom reporting

Pricing

• By price quotation.

10. Setmore Free School Scheduling Software for Teachers

For teachers, the school class scheduling software offered by Setmore can help to save time and energy when booking appointments. With features like 24/7 self-booking and automatic reminders, teachers can spend less time managing their schedules and more time focusing on providing a learning experience to their students. Likewise, Setmore’s social media integration makes it easy for parents and guardians to enroll their children in classes, keeping them informed of upcoming appointments and events. And for those who teach online, the software’s video class feature is a valuable tool for delivering lectures and other information to students in a format that is convenient and easy to use.

Key Features

• Booking page
• Website widget
• Calendar
• Desktop app
• Payments

Pricing

• Free up to 4 users
• Premium $5 per user/month for up to 2 users
• Pro $5 per user/month for 3 and more users

11. aSc Timetables School Scheduling Timetabling Software

aSc Timetables is a school scheduling software that can evaluate over 5,000,000 possibilities to come up with a balanced schedule. This is the best school scheduling software in respect of automatically rescheduling and accommodating changes in an instant. You can customize fonts, layouts, and logos, and export schedules to pdf, Excel, or share online. Likewise, the software can handle different class types.

Key Features

• Automatic schedule generation
• Manual input
• Simple data entry
• Mobile
• Data import
• Customizable
• Electronic class register

Pricing

• Primary schools $399 one-time payment
• Standard $499 one-time payment
• Premium $995 one-time payment
• Pro $3,995 one-time payment

12. Udio Time-Saving School Management Software

Udio is a time-saving scheduling software for colleges that streamlines your processes and frees up your resources. It integrates your bookings, lessons and customer data, and the customer portal gives your customers full control over their bookings and payments. Udio also provides data-driven reports for business insights.

Key Features

• Membership management
• Built-in email platform
• SMS integration
• Booking and scheduling
• Powerful reporting
• Integrated payments
• Customer portal
• POS
• Self check-in

Pricing

• Base module $75 per month

13. Appointy Made Simple with a 3-Step Setup

Appointy is an educational scheduling software that makes it easy to get started with a three-step setup. You can use Appointy to book classes, create class and staff rosters, and schedule classes on your mobile device. Appointy also allows you to accept payments, manage your student database, and market your business. Appointy is ideal for educational institutions, online and in-person tutoring services, sport classes, fitness classes, wellness institutes, online webinars and workshops and coaching businesses.

Key Features

• 24×7 online booking system
• Class and staff rosters
• Scheduling mobile app
• Attendee database management
• No-show protection
• Virtual class scheduling
• Reporting and analytics

Pricing

• Free 1 staff, 5 services
• Growth $19.99 per month
• Professional $49.99 per month
• Enterprise $79.99 per month

14. Oasis for Health Science and Professional Schools

Oasis is a central hub for student and faculty information in health science and professional schools. This college course scheduling software’s features include academic history, course requirements, grades (including a GradeBook and GPAs), notices, and surveys. Additional modules offer evaluation and calendaring capabilities. Oasis can be configured to share information with data management systems. This allows for seamless data exchange between different departments and schools.

Key Features

• Point-and-click admin interface
• Access control
• Real-time reports
• Email automation
• Electronic checklists
• Survey builder
• Configurable

Pricing

• By quote

15. Campus Cafe Room and Course Scheduling for Postsecondary Schools

Campus Cafe has room and course scheduling features for postsecondary schools. They are integrated into a Student Information System that allows you to schedule classes and manage student attendance and class rosters. Additionally, you can use Campus Cafe to manage marketing, recruitment, applications, course registration, billing, transcripts, financial aid, and reporting. The software is available in both cloud-based and on-premise versions.

Key Features

• Document management
• CRM and activities
• Portals for students, parents, faculty and alumni
• Integration

Pricing

• By quote

16. College Scheduler by Civitas Learning for Academic Planning and Registration

College Scheduler is a platform that helps streamline the process of academic planning and registration for students. It unifies the various steps involved in these processes and makes it easier for students to monitor their progress and plan their schedules. The platform also includes features to help institutions accommodate their unique processes and student pathways. College Scheduler is designed to equip students with the tools they need to build conflict-free schedules and to collaborate with their advisors to build their ideal schedule. The platform also provides integrated advising analytics to help institutions better understand and support their students.

Key Features

• Academic planning and registration
• Student success pathways
• Course scheduling
• Individualized academic planning
• Schedule options

Pricing

• By quote

17. Schedule25 Fully Integrated Event Scheduling System

Schedule25 is a fully integrated event scheduling system that streamlines every scheduling task from basic, online room requests to detailed event and resource management. It determines the optimal space allocation for your campus, maximizes utilization and class placement satisfaction, and custom designs integration. Schedule25 also has a built-in event management system that makes it easy to manage events and resources. With Schedule25, you can easily schedule courses, events, publish calendars, or manage events and resources.

Key Features

• Facilities scheduling
• Resource management
• Mobile-accessible
• What-if scenarios
• Automated workflows
• Custom-branding
• Data integration

Pricing

• By quote

18. ProClass Customizable Class Management

ProClass is a versatile, customizable class management tool that can be used for scheduling classes and events. It offers many features to help you keep track of your schedule, including recurring dates and times, scheduled registration open dates and times, and specific date scheduling for classes without a standard or recurring schedule. You can also use ProClass to schedule make-up dates for missed or canceled classes or events, and to blackout dates for holidays, weather cancellations, or other interruptions. Plus, you can assign locations and rooms for your classes and events using ProClass.

Key Features

• Fully integrated into a class management system
• Recurring or irregular schedules
• Registration scheduling
• Emergency and blackout scheduling

Pricing

• By price quotation.

19. Classpro Coaching Classes Management Software

Classpro is a coaching classes management software that helps you manage your coaching class, and get a fully functional website. With Classpro, you can send and receive homework online, send 1,000+ automated personal reminders, track fees transactions, and enjoy other key features.

Key Features

• Biometric attendance
• Student performance diagnosis
• Real-time reports
• Student/parent app
• Inquiry management

Pricing

• By quote

20. MAESTRO SIS Faculty Conference Scheduling

MAESTRO SIS helps manage faculty conference scheduling, course enrollment, grades, attendance, and student test data. It also allows for academic pacing and gradebook management. The software makes it easy to view the real-time academic progress of each student and track their attendance. The grading scale feature ensures that all students are graded fairly and consistently.

Key Features

• SIS-integrated
• School administration
• Student and parent portals
• Tuition and billing

Pricing

• By price quotation.

Finding the Best Academic Scheduling Software

The best academic scheduling software is the one that best meets the needs of the user. There are a variety of features and tools available, and it is important to carefully consider all options before making a decision. These include integration, for instance, ensuring that the scheduling software integrates with your learning platform.

With so many choices available, it can be helpful to consult with others who have used various scheduling software programs to get their opinion on which ones are the most effective.

Ultimately, the goal is to find a program that is easy to use and that provides the features and flexibility that are most important to the user. By taking the time to research all of the available options, starting with our list above, it is possible to find an academic scheduling software program that will be an invaluable tool for success.

As with many organizations, academic institutions find their need for solutions grow more complex with time. Aside from academic scheduling, they have to think about admissions and scholarship management software to accommodate the various needs of their students from all economic backgrounds.

If they also welcome special-needs students, they will find that the best special education software solutions are key to facilitating the process seamlessly.

Key Insights

• Growing Student Population: The U.S. student population is expected to grow, with public college enrollment projected to rise from 14.77 million in 2022 to 15.1 million by 2030. Private college enrollment is also expected to increase.
• Flexible Academic Scheduling: Online education has fueled a trend towards more flexible academic scheduling, with a significant increase in the number of students enrolling in online courses.
• Time Management Challenges: Students face challenges balancing course loads with extracurricular activities, work, and family obligations, highlighting the need for effective scheduling software.
• Increase in Online Course Enrollment: The number of students enrolling in online courses surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 75% of college students taking at least one distance education course by the fall of 2020.
• Diverse Scheduling Needs: Schools require scheduling software that can handle the complexity of academic scheduling, taking into account student preferences, teacher availability, and classroom capacity.

FAQ

1. What are the main challenges in academic scheduling for schools? The main challenges in academic scheduling include ensuring that all students have access to the necessary courses for graduation, balancing course loads with extracurricular activities and other obligations, and accommodating the growing student population.
2. How has the student population in the U.S. changed, and what are the projections? The student population in the U.S. is expected to grow despite the rising cost of college. Public college enrollment is projected to increase from 14.77 million in 2022 to 15.1 million by 2030, and private college enrollment will rise from 5.26 million to 5.38 million in the same period.
3. How does flexible academic scheduling benefit students? Flexible academic scheduling allows students to balance their course loads with extracurricular activities, work, and family obligations. It also provides more control over when and how they complete their coursework, which is especially beneficial for students with varying schedules and commitments.
4. What impact did the COVID-19 pandemic have on online learning? The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated the adoption of online learning. By the fall of 2020, 75% of college students were enrolled in at least one distance education course, with 44% exclusively enrolling in online courses.
5. What are the key features of effective academic scheduling software? Effective academic scheduling software should offer features such as integration with student information systems, automated scheduling processes, flexible scheduling options, conflict resolution, and tools for managing student preferences, teacher availability, and classroom capacity.
6. Why is it important for schools to invest in academic scheduling software? Investing in academic scheduling software helps schools streamline the scheduling process, ensure that all students have access to necessary courses, manage faculty and classroom resources efficiently, and improve overall administrative efficiency.
7. What are some examples of academic scheduling software mentioned in the article? Examples of academic scheduling software include ConexED, OpenEduCat, Alma, EMS Campus, symphonyX, Omnify, Destiny One, Creatrix Campus, Ad Astra, and Setmore. Each offers unique features tailored to the needs of different educational institutions.
8. How does online learning influence academic scheduling? Online learning has made academic scheduling more flexible, allowing students to enroll in courses that fit their individual needs and schedules. It also supports the growing trend of hybrid learning models, where students can combine online and in-person courses.
9. What are the benefits of using academic scheduling software for administrators and faculty? Academic scheduling software helps administrators and faculty by automating repetitive tasks, optimizing resource allocation, reducing scheduling conflicts, improving communication, and providing data-driven insights for better decision-making.
10. How do academic scheduling software solutions address the issue of time management for students? These solutions offer features such as personalized scheduling, automated reminders, and tools for balancing course loads with other commitments, helping students manage their time more effectively and reduce stress related to scheduling conflicts.

References:

• National Center for Education Statistics. (2021). Fast Facts: Distance learning. NCES.Ed.Org. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=80
• National Center for Education Statistics. (2022, May). Postsecondary Education: Undergraduate Degree Fields. NCES.Ed.Gov. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cta/undergrad-degree-fields
• Oxford Learning College. (n.d.). Online Education & E-Learning Statistics UK. OxfordCollege.Ac. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www.oxfordcollege.ac/news/online-education-statistics/
• Schaeffer, K. (2022, April 12). 10 facts about today’s college graduates. PewResearch.Org. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/04/12/10-facts-about-todays-college-graduates/
• Smalley, S. (2021, October 13). Half of All College Students Take Online Courses. InsideHigerEd.Com. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/10/13/new-us-data-show-jump-college-students-learning-online
• Statista. (2021, November). College enrollment in the United States from 1965 to 2020 and projections up to 2030 for public and private colleges. Statista.Com. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/183995/us-college-enrollment-and-projections-in-public-and-private-institutions/