Workday's Higher Education Momentum Accelerates as Over 650 Institutions Worldwide Turn to AI to Navigate Uncertainty and Transform the Student Experience

Rhea-AI Summary

Workday (NASDAQ: WDAY) announced that more than 650 institutions across 19 countries have selected its AI-powered HCM, Financial Management, and Student solutions as of Oct 15, 2025. Workday Student now has 85 live customers supporting 3 million student records and over 140 customers representing 190 institutions globally. The release highlights new U.S. wins (Loyola University Chicago, Macalester, Swarthmore) and global go-lives (University of Melbourne, Auckland, Hull).

Workday emphasized AI agents for transcript and credit evaluations, Data Cloud integrations, and cited research showing institutional demand to improve retention, streamline operations, and unify academic, HR, and financial data. Workday was named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Higher Education SIS SaaS.

Positive

• 650+ institutions selected Workday across 19 countries
• 85 live Workday Student customers supporting 3M student records
• 140 customers representing 190 institutions worldwide
• Workday named Leader in 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant

Negative

• None.

Insights

Higher Education SaaS Strategist

Workday reports broad higher-education adoption: 650+ selections and growing live deployments for Workday Student.

Workday combines HCM, Financial Management, and Workday Student on an AI-enabled platform to unify people, finance, and student data across institutions. The release cites more than 650 institutions across 19 countries selecting Workday, over 85 live Workday Student customers supporting over 3 million student records, and over 140 customers representing more than 190 institutions for the Student product line.

Dependencies and risks are clear from the content: successful value realization depends on go-live execution and integration with campus systems such as learning management and alumni systems, which the company says it will unify via Workday Data Cloud. The announcement highlights recent go-lives and regional availability moves (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, planned U.K. and Ireland), which matter for regional adoption but require careful implementation to deliver the claimed benefits.

Watch for near-term milestones that will validate operational impact: additional go-live counts and expansion of live student record totals in the next 6–12 months, any disclosed metrics tying deployments to retention or cost outcomes (for example the 71,000 student registrations and $279,000,000 in aid disbursed this fall cited by a customer), and broader adoption outside the U.S. over the next year.

Financial Enterprise SaaS Analyst

Customer momentum and product go-lives suggest positive commercial traction for Workday in higher education.

The company reports meaningful commercial wins: over 650 institutions selected Workday and Workday Student now has > 85 live customers covering > 3 million student records, supported by recent named wins and go-lives in multiple countries. The release also cites industry recognition (Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader, IDC, Tambellini) that can reduce sales friction for large education deals.

Key dependencies include actual conversion of signings to successful go-lives and measurable operational outcomes. The text provides a few operational data points from customers but no consolidated financial or margin figures tied to these wins, so direct revenue impact remains undefined in the disclosure. Implementation cadence and international rollouts will determine how quickly these customer wins translate into recurring revenue growth.

Concrete items to monitor over the next 3–12 months are: announced incremental live customer counts and student-record growth, any disclosure linking deployments to recurring subscription revenue or ARR, and reported case-study metrics that quantify cost savings or retention improvements.

Over 85 Institutions Now Live on Workday Student, Supporting 3 Million Student Records Worldwide

PLEASANTON, Calif., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Workday, Inc. (NASDAQ: WDAY), the enterprise AI platform for managing people, money, and agents, today announced significant global momentum in the higher education industry, with more than 650 institutions across 19 countries having selected Workday to drive their transformations. This milestone underscores the growing demand for Workday Human Capital Management (HCM), Workday Financial Management, and Workday Student, as institutions leverage these AI-powered solutions to support student and employee success.

The surge in new customers comes at a time of intense change for higher education institutions. Declining enrollment, rising costs, increased regulations, decreased funding, and rising student expectations are driving institutions to adopt AI to improve student outcomes, streamline operations, control costs, and sustain their missions. Workday helps institutions navigate these changes by combining HR, finance, and student data to offer a flexible and connected AI platform designed to support student progress, free staff to focus on strategic work, and align resources with institutional priorities.

Newly signed U.S. customers including Loyola University Chicago, Macalester College, and Swarthmore College, build on momentum Workday is seeing with Denison University, New York Institute of Technology, The College of William and Mary, and University of Wisconsin System, all of which went live in recent months.

Further adding to this momentum is Workday's growing global customer footprint with new wins such as Bow Valley College (Canada) and the University of York (England), and successful go-lives at the University of Melbourne (Australia), the University of Auckland (New Zealand), and the University of Hull (England). 

"Higher education is navigating rapid transformation, and our customers trust us to deliver the capabilities to support their future success," said Michael Hofherr, senior vice president and group general manager for industry, Workday. "From new customers to global go-lives, our focus remains on investments that equip the industry with modern tools to lead confidently into the future."

Leaders Are Building Future-Ready, AI-Powered Campuses

New Workday research reveals that 90% of higher education leaders aim to enhance the student experience to boost recruitment and retention. Additionally, 92% seek to streamline processes for faculty and staff, and 88% need a unified system to integrate academic, employee, and financial data for better decision-making. Workday answers that call through a range of innovations, all on one platform.

With Workday HCM, colleges and universities simplify HR processes so faculty and staff can easily manage tasks like time-off requests and payroll. Together with Workday Financial Management, leaders gain a unified, real-time view of people and financial data—empowering faster, more informed decisions.

Newly announced AI agents  – such as Academic Requirements Agent and Student Administration Agent – streamline time-consuming tasks like transcript processing and transfer credit evaluations, freeing up time and resources to support student success.

Through Workday Student, students receive AI-powered personalized guidance and real-time academic and financial information – all accessible via mobile device – to simplify their college journey and support career-readiness.

With Workday Data Cloud, customers will be able to unify their people, money, and student data with other institutional data, such as learning management systems and alumni management systems. This will help them improve student retention and success, optimize resource allocation, enhance research administration, and personalize the student experience. 

"Before Workday, multiple systems, fragmented data, and manual processes created a disjointed user experience and added significant administrative burden," said Lori Culp, associate chief information officer at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). "Workday has streamlined the user experience, automated critical workflows, and reduced administrative overhead—resulting in a more personalized, empowering employee experience and an increased ROI. We're already seeing a profound impact from Workday's AI capabilities and are committed to expanding their use to deliver even greater value to our people."

Workday Student's Continued Rise

Workday Student continues to gain momentum, with new customers including Center College, Drake University, Gannon University, and Minnesota State System. Through this solution, students experience a streamlined academic planning and registration process, with embedded communication tools that connect them to advisors and support staff.

With over 140 customers representing more than 190 institutions worldwide, Workday Student has also seen significant go-live momentum: over 20 institutions, including Washington University in St. Louis, Louisiana State University, and Dallas College, have gone live this year alone. This increases the total number of live customers to 85, supporting over 3 million student records since its launch in 2018. The solution also continues to expand globally, and is now available in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, with planned availability in the U.K. and Ireland recently announced.

"Workday Student has transformed how students and staff experience critical moments like registration and financial aid," said Steven Fulkerson, chief information officer, University of Arkansas System. "This fall alone, more than 71,000 students successfully registered and over $279 million in aid was disbursed. In a time when higher education faces mounting challenges, agility has become essential—and our partnership with Workday has never been more significant."

Workday Receives Recognition from Industry Experts

Workday's growing customer base and proven leadership in higher education have earned recognition from industry experts. In March, Workday was named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Higher Education Student Information System Software as a Service. Workday has also been named a leader in the IDC MarketScape: North America Higher Education SaaS and Cloud-Enabled Student Information Systems 2024 Vendor Assessment ¹, and the Tambellini Group StarChart^TM: 2025 Student Systems.

"Despite headwinds in higher education, Workday has continued to invest heavily in the sector and is maintaining market momentum," said Matt Leger, senior research manager, IDC Worldwide Education and EdTech Digital Strategies. "As colleges and universities experience significant change and external pressures, cloud-enabled and AI-powered platforms such as Workday will play an integral role in helping institutional leaders navigate uncertainty and remain future-ready."

1. IDC document #US51810524 (September 2024)

For More Information

• Discover why Workday was named a Leader in 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Higher Education Student Information System Software as a Service.
• Learn more about higher education solutions, insights, trends and customer successes on the Workday Higher Education webpage.
• Read more about higher education news, trends, and insights on the Workday blog.
• Learn why Workday Student has been positioned as a Commander in the Tambellini StarChart™: 2025 Student Systems.

Gartner Disclaimer
Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Higher Education Student Information System Software as a Service, by Robert Yanckello, Grace Farrell, 19 March 2025.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's Research & Advisory organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, Magic Quadrant is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

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 11,000 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.

© 2025 Workday, Inc. All rights reserved. Workday and the Workday logo are registered trademarks of Workday, Inc. All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

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.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/workdays-higher-education-momentum-accelerates-as-over-650-institutions-worldwide-turn-to-ai-to-navigate-uncertainty-and-transform-the-student-experience-302584174.html

SOURCE Workday Inc.

FAQ

How many institutions has Workday (WDAY) signed for higher education as of Oct 15, 2025?

Workday reported more than 650 institutions across 19 countries have selected its solutions.

How many students do Workday Student (WDAY) live deployments support?

Workday Student has 85 live customers supporting over 3 million student records.

Which notable U.S. colleges announced new Workday (WDAY) contracts in October 2025?

New U.S. customers highlighted include Loyola University Chicago, Macalester College, and Swarthmore College.

What AI features did Workday (WDAY) announce for higher education?

Workday introduced AI agents like Academic Requirements Agent and Student Administration Agent for transcript and transfer credit tasks.

Has Workday (WDAY) received industry recognition for its higher education products?

Yes; Workday was named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Higher Education SIS SaaS.