Comprehensive comparison for Student success and advising platforms
EAB Navigate and Hobsons Starfish are two of the most widely adopted student success and advising platforms in higher education. Both tools aim to improve retention, streamline advising workflows, and surface early alerts for at-risk students.
EAB Navigate is known for its data-rich analytics, predictive modeling, and strong research backing from EAB's advisory network. Starfish, now part of Anthology after Hobsons' acquisition, focuses on care networks, early alerts, and deep integration with existing campus systems.
Choosing between them depends on your institution's size, advising model, technical infrastructure, and appetite for data-driven decision-making. This comparison breaks down both platforms across key dimensions to help you make an informed choice.
by EAB
Student Successby Hobsons
Student Success| Criteria | EAB Navigate | Hobsons Starfish |
|---|---|---|
| Early Alert System | Robust flag-and-referral workflows with automated triggers and predictive risk scoring built in. | Strong care network model with faculty-initiated flags and structured follow-up workflows. |
| Appointment Scheduling | Integrated scheduling with calendar sync; works well for centralized advising centers. | Highly configurable scheduling with multi-service center support and walk-in queue management. |
| Advising Notes & Documentation | Structured note templates with tagging; searchable history tied to student profiles. | Flexible note-taking with care network visibility; supports multi-role documentation. |
| Care Network Collaboration | Advisor-centric model; cross-functional collaboration requires additional configuration. | Core strength — connects advisors, faculty, coaches, and support staff in a unified care network. |
| Criteria | EAB Navigate | Hobsons Starfish |
|---|---|---|
| Predictive Risk Modeling | Industry-leading predictive models trained on data from hundreds of institutions via EAB's network. | Basic risk indicators available; predictive depth is more limited compared to Navigate. |
| Institutional Dashboards | Comprehensive dashboards for advisors, directors, and executives with drill-down capability. | Reporting available but less visually rich; custom reporting requires additional effort. |
| Student-Facing Insights | Students can view their own risk indicators, degree progress, and recommended actions. | Student portal available with appointment history and flags; less emphasis on self-service analytics. |
| Benchmarking Across Institutions | EAB's research network enables cross-institutional benchmarking and best practice sharing. | Limited cross-institutional benchmarking; insights are primarily institution-specific. |
| Criteria | EAB Navigate | Hobsons Starfish |
|---|---|---|
| SIS Integration | Integrates with Banner, PeopleSoft, Colleague, and others; setup can require professional services. | Deep SIS integrations with broad connector library; Anthology ownership improves Banner alignment. |
| LMS Integration | LMS data ingestion available; Canvas and Blackboard supported with varying depth. | Stronger LMS integration history, especially with Blackboard given Anthology's portfolio. |
| API & Custom Integrations | API access available but documentation and flexibility can be limiting for complex use cases. | API available; customization possible but often requires vendor involvement for deeper work. |
| Mobile Experience | Dedicated mobile app for students with nudge notifications and appointment management. | Mobile-responsive web interface; native app experience is less developed than Navigate. |
| Criteria | EAB Navigate | Hobsons Starfish |
|---|---|---|
| Onboarding & Implementation | Implementation can be lengthy and resource-intensive; EAB provides dedicated support teams. | Structured implementation process with phased rollout options; generally faster time to value. |
| Training & Change Management | Strong training resources, webinars, and EAB advisory support for change management. | Good training materials and user community; Anthology support network is growing post-merger. |
| Customer Support Quality | Dedicated strategic advisors alongside technical support; highly rated by large institutions. | Support quality has been mixed post-Anthology acquisition; ticket response times vary. |
| Pricing Transparency | Pricing is not publicly listed; contracts are negotiated and can be significant for smaller schools. | Similarly opaque pricing; costs scale with enrollment and modules selected. |
EAB Navigate's most compelling differentiator is its predictive analytics engine. Backed by EAB's research network spanning hundreds of institutions, Navigate can surface at-risk students before they self-identify. Advisors receive prioritized caseloads based on risk scores, enabling proactive outreach at scale. The institutional dashboards give leadership real-time visibility into advising activity, retention trends, and equity gaps.
Starfish takes a more reactive, relationship-driven approach to analytics. Its strength lies in connecting the dots across a student's care network rather than predicting outcomes. Reporting capabilities exist but are less sophisticated out of the box. Institutions that want deep predictive modeling may find Starfish's analytics layer insufficient without supplemental BI tools.
EAB Navigate wins on analytics depth and predictive capability. Institutions prioritizing data-driven advising and executive reporting will find Navigate significantly more powerful in this dimension.
Navigate is primarily advisor-centric. While it supports multi-role access, its workflows are optimized for professional advisors managing large caseloads. Cross-functional collaboration — such as looping in financial aid, housing, or faculty — requires deliberate configuration and is not the platform's native strength.
Starfish was purpose-built around the care network model. Faculty, advisors, coaches, tutors, and support staff all operate within a shared visibility layer. This makes it exceptionally well-suited for institutions with distributed advising models or those that rely heavily on faculty engagement in student success efforts.
Starfish wins for care network collaboration. Institutions with decentralized advising structures or strong faculty involvement in student success will find Starfish's model more naturally aligned to their workflows.
Navigate integrates with major SIS platforms and LMSs, but implementations can be complex and time-consuming. The mobile app is a genuine strength, offering students a consumer-grade experience for scheduling and notifications. API flexibility is present but not a standout feature, and deep customizations often require EAB professional services.
Starfish benefits from Anthology's broader ecosystem, particularly for institutions already using Blackboard or Banner. Its integration library is extensive, and the phased implementation model makes it easier to go live incrementally. However, the mobile experience lags behind Navigate, and post-merger support consistency has been a concern for some customers.
Starfish has a slight edge for institutions in the Anthology ecosystem. Navigate is stronger for institutions prioritizing mobile student engagement and are willing to invest in a more intensive implementation.
EAB Navigate is a premium product with pricing that reflects its research-backed positioning. For large research universities and well-resourced institutions, the ROI from improved retention can justify the cost. Smaller institutions may find the investment harder to absorb, and the advisory services model means ongoing costs beyond the software license.
Starfish is similarly priced at the enterprise level, with costs scaling by enrollment and module selection. Post-Anthology acquisition, some institutions have reported pricing pressure and changes to contract terms. For institutions already in the Anthology suite, bundling may offer cost efficiencies.
Neither platform is budget-friendly. Navigate offers stronger ROI justification through analytics and benchmarking. Starfish may offer cost advantages for Anthology ecosystem customers through bundled pricing.
EAB Navigate's predictive analytics, executive dashboards, and cross-institutional benchmarking are well-suited for large institutions managing complex advising operations at scale.
Starfish's care network model and faculty engagement tools align well with community college advising structures, where faculty play a central role in student support and caseloads are high.
Institutions already using Blackboard LMS or Banner SIS will benefit from Starfish's native integrations and potential bundling discounts within the Anthology product suite.
Both platforms serve mid-size institutions well. Navigate is preferable if data analytics and retention modeling are strategic priorities; Starfish if collaborative care networks and faculty involvement are central to the advising model.
EAB Navigate's dedicated mobile app with push notifications and self-service scheduling provides a stronger student-facing digital experience than Starfish's mobile-responsive web approach.
Starfish's care network architecture is purpose-built for institutions where advising responsibilities are distributed across academic departments, student affairs, and faculty rather than centralized in one office.
Timeline: 6–12 months for full implementation; plan for a parallel-run period of at least one semester.
Timeline: 4–9 months depending on institutional complexity; Starfish's phased rollout model can accelerate initial go-live.
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