Top 50 Higher Education Consulting Companies

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Growing up on 2 college campuses, earning a doctorate in the study of universities, publishing and professionally presenting on universities over 100 times, and working for the past 30 years on 10 different campuses, I have developed a keen interest and experience in how universities work. In the words of Liam Neeson in Taken, “I have a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career.”

For the past 5 years I have been exploring putting those skills to use for an organization that helps universities expand their impact by improving their revenues, reducing their inefficiencies, strengthening their student success, and recognizing external forces on their missions. I am using what I have been learning about the various players in higher education consulting to create below, what could the first list of higher education consulting organizations in the U.S.

My hope is that others like me, who want to make a contribution to the management of universities such that they last another 400 years in our nation, will use this list to

1) shop for organizations that can offer demonstrable results in universities’ success,

2) read what these groups are publishing and writing about higher education, and/or

3) find people with whom they can build relationships and talk to about improving higher education.

Criteria for Selection

  1. Excludes companies that do not have higher education as one of their primary foci – Examples include Accenture, Bain, BCG, Deloitte, EY-Parthenon, KPMG, McKinsey, etc. Some of this list consult in a few other areas, but not more than a few (e.g. healthcare, non-profits)
  2. Excludes consulting groups that focus on just one aspect of higher ed including: executive search, admissions, financial aid, fundraising, research, marketing, housing, etc.
  3. The organization has at least 3 people doing work for them. Using their websites, I can’t discern if these people are full-time, but at least this reflects that these are more than 1-2 person outfits.
  4. This list was built by Googling “Higher Education Consulting” and using ChatGPT to provide a list and then I review the companies listed. There were a few not listed in top results that were either on my radar or employees of these companies reached out to me and brought them to my attention including – CAS, AASCU, Kennedy & Co., Doctums

This list was first published in summer 2024 and updated in summer 2025.

Top 50 Higher Education Consulting Companies (number of consultants, Careers Link)

  1. AASCU (American Assoc. State College & Univ.) (25)
  2. Academic Leadership Group (10)
  3. All Campus (10 on Leadership Team) (Careers)
  4. Anthology (10 on Leadership Team) (Careers)
  5. Aspen Leadership Group (125 Leaders, Associates, Advisors) (Career Network)
  6. Attain Partners (19 on Leadership Team) (Careers)
  7. Beyond Academics
  8. Campus Works (13 Leaders, Advisors) (Careers)
  9. Carnegie Higher Ed – Acquired Credo in Feb 2025) (61 Consultants, Staff Affiliates) (Careers)
  10. CAS (Council for the Advancement of Standards) (3)
  11. CFAR (Center for Applied Research) (40 Consultants, Staff & Advisors)
  12. Doctums (8) (Careers)
  13. EAB (Education Advisory Board) (20 on Leadership Team) (Careers)
  14. Education Dynamics (29 on Leadership Team) (Careers)
  15. ESG (Education Strategy Group) (50) (Careers)
  16. Encoura (includes Eduventures Research) (10 on Leadership Team) (Careers)
  17. Every Learner Everywhere (6)
  18. Ferrilli (7) (Careers)
  19. Focus Edu (19)
  20. Grand River Solutions (105) (Careers)
  21. Hanover Research (9 on Leadership Team) (Careers)
  22. HCM Strategists (Human Capital Management) (19) (Careers)
  23. HCRC (Human Capital Research Corporation) (51) (Careers)
  24. HEI (Higher Education Innovation) (8)
  25. Higher Education Strategy Associates (15) (Careers)
  26. Huron Consulting Group (Careers)
  27. Ian Symmonds & Associates (6)
  28. Kardia Group (9)
  29. Keeling & Associates (15)
  30. Kennedy & Company (17)
  31. Marketview Education (12) (Careers)
  32. MGT Consulting – purchased Tambellini Group in Feb 2025 (13) (Careers)
  33. MOR Associates (Maximizing Organization Resources) (40)
  34. NACUBO Consulting (Nat. Assoc. Coll. & Univ. Business Officers) (5)
  35. NASPA Advisory Services (8 on Steering Committee) (Honorariums)
  36. NCHEMS (Nat. Center for HEd. Mngmt. Systems) (17) (Careers)
  37. Public Consulting Group (133) (Careers)
  38. Registry (The) Consulting (21 Leaders)
  39. Risepoint (11) (Careers)
  40. RPK Group (8) (Careers)
  41. Ruffalo Noel Levitz (80) (Careers)
  42. SCUP (Society of College & Univ. Planning) (19)
  43. Segal (34 Leaders & Practice Leaders) (Careers)
  44. Sova Solutions (40)
  45. Stephens Strategy (21)
  46. SPH Consulting Group (Strategic Partnerships HEd.) (17)
  47. TRU Consulting (57) (Careers)
  48. TSI (Transforming Solutions Inc) (14) (Careers)
  49. Unizin (21) (Careers)
  50. Watermark Insights (9 on Leadership Team) (Careers)
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Published by Jeff Doyle

Thanks for finding me! Having grown up on two college campuses and studied or worked at places of learning most of my life, I have, in the words of Liam Neeson in Taken, “a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career.” I am a learner, analyzer, and action-oriented leader who best leads when I am improving organizational and personal effectiveness. Others have given me the knowledge and skills that have helped me guide hundreds of people to success in college and beyond. Over the past 30 years I have been teaching undergraduate and graduate courses on topics related to leadership and organizational behavior and the >90 written LI Recommendations on my profile reveal the impact I have had been blessed to offer. More about my journey in life can be found here - https://deepthoughtshed.com/why-jeff/

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