The verdict in three sentences
Custom management software for a private higher-education institution covering admissions, records, grades and fee billing costs between 50,000 and 130,000 EUR in 2026, over a 5 to 9 month timeline. Against a SaaS SIS billed at 15 to 40 EUR per student per year, custom becomes worthwhile beyond roughly 1,500 students or when your admissions processes are too specific for an off-the-shelf tool. The real gain is measured on the administrative time of enrolments and fee collection.
Price per module in 2026
| Module | Scope | 2026 cost (EUR) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admissions / applications | Online files, scoring, decisions | 10,000 - 24,000 | 6 - 9 wk |
| Records / student file | Pathways, academic enrolment | 12,000 - 26,000 | 7 - 11 wk |
| Grades and transcripts | Entry, boards, PDF transcripts | 9,000 - 20,000 | 5 - 8 wk |
| Fee billing + payment | Schedules, reminders, collection | 12,000 - 28,000 | 6 - 10 wk |
| Student / parent portal | Tracking, documents, payment | 8,000 - 18,000 | 5 - 8 wk |
| Timetables / rooms | Scheduling, constraints, conflicts | 9,000 - 22,000 | 6 - 9 wk |
An institution keeping admissions + records + grades + billing lands around 80,000 EUR.
Cost per student: custom vs SaaS SIS
| Enrolment | SaaS SIS at 28 EUR/student/yr | Custom 80,000 EUR over 4 yrs + 14,000/yr maintenance | Custom cost/student |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 students | 14,000 EUR/yr | 34,000 EUR/yr | 68 EUR |
| 1,000 students | 28,000 EUR/yr | 34,000 EUR/yr | 34 EUR |
| 1,500 students | 42,000 EUR/yr | 34,000 EUR/yr | 22.7 EUR |
| 2,500 students | 70,000 EUR/yr | 34,000 EUR/yr | 13.6 EUR |
| 4,000 students | 112,000 EUR/yr | 34,000 EUR/yr | 8.5 EUR |
The tipping point sits around 1,300 to 1,500 students: beyond it, custom costs less per head while fitting your processes. 2026 order of magnitude, excluding heavy integrations.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Mr. Berthier runs a private higher-education institution in Toronto, 1,800 students, average fees 7,500 EUR/yr, i.e. 13,500,000 EUR billed. The unpaid/late rate reaches 4%, i.e. 540,000 EUR outstanding. A billing module with schedules, automated reminders and online payment that cuts late payments to 2.5% frees 202,500 EUR of cash recovered faster. The full software at 80,000 EUR pays back in the first year on the collection improvement alone plus 1.5 FTE of admin redeployed to admissions.
FAQ
Can we integrate online fee payment? Yes: card, direct debit and instalment schedules. Budget 12,000 to 28,000 EUR for the billing-payment module, with automated reminders that often cut late payments by 1 to 2 points.
Does the software handle multiple years and pathways? Yes, the student file follows the whole program (years, options, repeats, transfers) with full history and exports for your regulatory obligations.
How long to a first usable version? An admissions + student-file core ships in 3 to 4 months; billing and grades follow, for a total of 5 to 9 months depending on scope.
Can we migrate our current data? Yes, migration from Excel or a legacy SIS is planned at scoping. Budget 5,000 to 12,000 EUR depending on data volume and quality.
Isn't a SaaS SIS enough? For fewer than 1,200 students with standard processes, often yes. Beyond that, or with specific admissions and billing, custom becomes cheaper per student and more flexible.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your enrolment, priority modules (admissions, billing, grades) and an indicative budget: we cost the core and the data migration. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
