Jun 30, 2025
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6 mins
Student engagement has become a critical priority for higher education institutions across the country. With declining enrollment rates and increasing competition for student attention, colleges and universities are turning to specialized software platforms to foster meaningful connections, streamline event management, and create vibrant campus communities.
Whether you're evaluating alternatives to Engage or seeking to upgrade your current student engagement solution, the right platform can transform how your institution connects with students. After extensive research and analysis of the current market, we've identified the top four platforms that are making the biggest impact in higher education today.
1. Lounge: The Leading Student Engagement Platform for Universities in 2025
Key Features of Lounge Student Engagement Software:
Streamlined Event Management: Create, promote, and manage campus events with ease through an intuitive dashboard that handles everything from registration to attendance tracking
Dynamic Student Organizations Hub: Provide student groups with dedicated spaces to manage membership, communicate, and organize activities
Real-Time Analytics: Gain actionable insights into student participation patterns, event success metrics, and engagement trends
Mobile-First Design: Ensure students can access everything they need through a responsive, mobile-optimized interface
Integrated Communication Tools: Foster meaningful connections through built-in messaging, discussion forums, and announcement systems
Why Lounge Leads the Student Engagement Market:
Lounge excels in user experience design, making it incredibly easy for both administrators and students to navigate. The platform's modern interface feels familiar to digital natives, leading to higher adoption rates and sustained engagement. Student affairs professionals consistently praise Lounge for its robust reporting capabilities and the platform's ability to demonstrate clear ROI through detailed engagement metrics.
The platform's flexibility allows institutions to customize features based on their unique needs, whether they're a small liberal arts college or a large research university. Lounge's responsive customer support and continuous platform updates ensure institutions stay ahead of evolving student expectations.
2. Modern Campus Involve (formerly Presence)
Modern Campus Involve (formerly Presence) positions itself as a comprehensive platform designed to increase student engagement, support co-curricular learning, and improve retention rates. The platform targets institutions looking to centralize their student engagement efforts under a single system.
Key Features of Modern Campus Involve:
Co-Curricular Learning Management: The platform includes gamification elements and tracks student involvement with the stated goal of developing workforce-ready skills
Digital Engagement Portal: Provides a branded portal where students can discover organizations, find events, and submit forms through a centralized interface
Mobile Application: Includes a mobile app with Digital ID check-ins, event discovery, and calendar integration functionality
Administrative Tools: Centralizes registration, approval workflows, and administrative processes across campus departments
Considerations for Modern Campus Involve:
Modern Campus Involve appeals to institutions seeking an all-in-one solution for student engagement management. The company reports success in connecting engagement data with retention metrics, which may be valuable for institutions focused on improving completion rates.
However, the platform's broad feature set means it may include functionality that some institutions don't want, potentially making it more complex than necessary for organizations with simpler attendance tracking needs. Institutions should evaluate whether the comprehensive approach aligns with their specific engagement goals and technical requirements.
3. Ready Education CampusGroups
CampusGroups positions itself as a comprehensive campus community platform, emphasizing social connections and group management alongside traditional engagement features.
Key Features of CampusGroups Community Software:
Social Networking Elements: Facebook-like interface that encourages student-to-student connections
Group Management Tools: Comprehensive features for student organizations, including membership management and communication tools
Event Planning: Integrated event management with social sharing and promotion capabilities
Campus Directory: Searchable directory of students, staff, and organizations
CampusGroups Community-Focused Approach for Student Engagement:
CampusGroups takes a social media-inspired approach to student engagement, creating familiar touchpoints that encourage regular use. The platform's strength lies in building community connections and facilitating peer-to-peer interactions.
However, some institutions find the social media aesthetic less professional than desired, and the platform's broad focus sometimes means individual features may not be as robust as specialized competitors.
How to Choose the Best Student Engagement Software for Your Institution
When evaluating these alternatives to Engage, consider your institution's specific needs, technical requirements, and student demographics. Here are key factors to weigh:
Essential Factors for Selecting Student Engagement Platforms:
Budget and ROI: Assess not just the initial cost, but the long-term value each platform provides through improved engagement metrics and administrative efficiency.
User Experience: Prioritize platforms that both administrators and students find intuitive and engaging. High adoption rates are crucial for success.
Integration Needs: Consider how well each platform integrates with your existing campus systems, from student information systems to communication tools.
Support and Training: Evaluate the quality of customer support, training resources, and ongoing platform development.
Student Engagement Software Trends and Future Outlook for 2025
The student engagement software landscape continues to evolve rapidly, with new features and capabilities emerging regularly. While Anthology Engage remains a solid choice for many institutions, platforms like Lounge are setting new standards for user experience and engagement effectiveness.
Lounge emerges as the top choice for institutions seeking a modern, intuitive platform that delivers measurable results. Its combination of powerful features, excellent user experience, and responsive support makes it the ideal solution for forward-thinking colleges and universities.
Maximizing Student Success Through Digital Engagement Solutions
Regardless of which platform you choose, the investment in student engagement technology represents a crucial step toward building thriving campus communities and supporting student success. Take the time to evaluate your options thoroughly, involve key stakeholders in the decision-making process, and choose a platform that aligns with your institution's values and goals.
The future of student engagement is digital, and the institutions that embrace these tools today will be best positioned to serve tomorrow's students effectively.
