The Education Cloud platform has proven effective for universities seeking digital advancement. More than 1,500 institutions across 77 countries now use Salesforce for various purposes, achieving significant improvements after implementation. From Edinburgh University, which remains in the UK top 10 and global top 30, to schools like Essex that climbed from position 41 to 38 in UK rankings, technology has become a key differentiator.
But what makes these implementations successful? Let’s examine eight UK universities that have improved student success through strategic Salesforce adoption.
London School of Economics
Renowned for academic excellence, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) educates students from over 200 countries, creating unique challenges for student engagement and service delivery. For Mike Page, Head of Enterprise CRM & SRS at LSE, implementing Salesforce was comparable to “running a city”, given the institution’s complexity and global reach.
LSE Salesforce implementation
LSE began its digital transformation by integrating student recruitment and marketing processes through Salesforce, effectively retiring slow and costly paper-based application systems. This initial step saved considerable time, allowing the institution to assess hundreds of additional applications received since moving to the platform. The implementation centred on Education Cloud with HEDA (Higher Education Data Architecture) as its foundation, creating an integrated platform for campus and alums services.
To strengthen system stability and boost productivity, LSE partnered with Salesforce experts to use the Change Intelligence Platform. The project focused on design best practices, intelligent change management, and scalable architecture. This approach allowed the university to make Salesforce updates quickly and safely, without risking system performance or data integrity.
Imperial College Business School
Imperial College Business School demonstrates how higher education institutions can harness technology to enhance candidate engagement and operational efficiency. This prestigious business school, part of Imperial College London, offers a comprehensive portfolio of executive education programs designed to develop leadership skills and innovative thinking in tomorrow’s business leaders.
Imperial College Salesforce implementation
In 2018, the Executive Education department at Imperial College Business School deployed Sales Cloud and Marketing Cloud Account Engagement as part of their digital advancement strategy. This implementation aligned strategically with the business school’s core values of innovation, technology, and stakeholder engagement.
“Imperial College Business School is about innovation, technology, and stakeholder engagement. That’s why the partnership with Salesforce is so perfect,” explained Joel McConnell, Executive Director of Marketing, Recruitment and Admissions.
The institution hired a dedicated Salesforce administrator to customise the platform, focusing on performance improvements, productivity enhancements, and user experience optimisation. This dedicated role has been instrumental in tailoring the CRM system to meet the specific needs of the business school’s executive education programs.
Queen Mary University of London
Queen Mary University stands out as a Russell Group institution with more than 20,000 students and a strong commitment to social justice and student diversity. The university faced unique challenges from its highly decentralised structure, where individual schools operate with considerable autonomy. Their adoption of customer relationship management technology addresses these operational complexities head-on.
Queen Mary Salesforce implementation
Queen Mary University implemented Salesforce, substantially improving the institution’s customer relationship management capabilities. This strategic collaboration aims to eventually deploy Salesforce functionality within their educational framework, marking a significant step in the university’s digital transformation journey.
The Customer Relationship Management system at Queen Mary helps manage customer data, supports sales management, delivers actionable insights, and facilitates marketing automation. As a cloud-based solution, their CRM system offers complete mobility and access to an ecosystem of bespoke applications tailored to their specific needs.
The implementation follows Salesforce EDA (Education Data Architecture) and primarily serves staff members who must request access through the Marketing and Communications CRM Team. This structured approach ensures proper system governance while allowing appropriate access across departments.
University of Cumbria
The University of Cumbria’s digital transformation journey represents a decisive shift from outdated systems to modern, cloud-based solutions. After recognising the limitations of their ageing on-site Microsoft Dynamics system, which had become “long in the tooth” and required extensive upgrades, the university conducted a comprehensive options appraisal to determine its future CRM direction.
University of Cumbria Salesforce implementation
The decision to adopt Salesforce emerged from a rigorous tender process where the university outlined stringent requirements for its ideal CRM system. The platform needed to encompass student support, business-to-business capabilities, and alumni engagement functions. Among all contenders, “Salesforce was by far and away the best product” that met these specifications.
Implementation began with setting up sandbox and live environments, preparing user licenses, and building data entity diagrams based on the university’s specific requirements. The technical team then migrated approximately four years of historic data from their previous system after performing initial cleansing.
The implementation included creating essential workflows and email templates to support various institutional processes. This groundwork prepared the University of Cumbria to officially launch its student marketing functionality in September 2018, with business-to-business capabilities following shortly thereafter.
University of Hull
The University of Hull faced a critical challenge that many institutions encountered: a fragmented infrastructure of 27 different systems and data sources creating operational silos across their operations. This complexity made it difficult to engage effectively with prospective students, current students, and alum. The university recognised the urgent need for a unified approach to managing these relationships.
University of Hull Salesforce implementation
The University of Hull began implementing Salesforce in Spring 2023, positioning itself as a “Trailblazer”, specifically using Education Cloud for fundraising and alumni engagement. Through collaboration with Deloitte and Salesforce, the university developed a custom system infrastructure called “OneCRM” designed to streamline its entire data landscape.
This implementation formed part of a broader digital transformation strategy aimed at enabling practical data-driven decision-making. The university utilised Student Connect technology to create a multi-functional tool linking every touchpoint of the student journey – from their first interaction with a campus brochure to securing their first job post-graduation.
University of York
The University of York exemplifies how higher education institutions can harness Salesforce to enhance operations and strengthen external partnerships. In Spring 2025, the university implemented Salesforce as part of its Building Industrial Engagement and Income Transformational Initiative. This strategic move marked a shift from previously fragmented systems toward a unified approach to relationship management.
University of York Salesforce implementation
The University of York adopted Salesforce as its cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) system to replace inefficient manual methods such as Google Sheets and email inboxes. The implementation initially focused on four key teams within Research, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (RIKE):
- Business Development Team
- Research and Innovation Development Team (RID)
- Consultancy
- Institute for Safe Autonomy
York’s commitment to enhancing its technological infrastructure shows through dedicated Salesforce administrators who work closely with stakeholders to support the platform and implement new functionality across various departments. These administrators execute day-to-day configuration, maintenance, and improvements as the system expands.
University of Portsmouth
The University of Portsmouth set ambitious targets: to become the top modern university in the UK and one of the top 100 young universities globally by 2030. Their fragmented data systems were holding them back from these goals. The strategic adoption of Salesforce has positioned them to achieve these aspirations through cohesive relationship management.
University of Portsmouth Salesforce implementation
The University of Portsmouth adopted a phased implementation approach to maximise Salesforce potential across various departments. The first phase concentrated on student recruitment, incorporating functionality for enquiry management, lead capture, nurture journeys, live chat, and a comprehensive events solution.
The second phase expanded Salesforce capabilities into business and research domains. This extension supported the Research and Innovation bidding process, B2B lead capture to after-sales, and business customer relationship management. This methodical rollout ensured each area received tailored attention.
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia (UEA) demonstrates how data-driven marketing can create meaningful connections with prospective students. Under the guidance of Sarah Cox, Head of Data, Systems, and Applicant Engagement, UEA has embraced an enterprise-wide implementation of Customer 360 for Education.
University of East Anglia Salesforce implementation
UEA’s Salesforce journey evolved systematically from a basic pre-registration form to a comprehensive CRM platform. Following the initial rollout during the pandemic, the university began to develop a more connected, omnichannel prospect experience.
The technical implementation connects Marketing Cloud with multiple touchpoints to gather critical information about prospects: who they are, their stage in the admissions process, and which courses interest them. This foundation allows for tailored communications at optimal times through preferred channels.
Future-Ready Universities in a Digital Era
These eight UK universities demonstrate how strategic Salesforce adoption creates measurable improvements in student engagement and operational efficiency. Each institution addressed distinct challenges through tailored implementations, producing concrete results that support their competitive positioning in global education rankings.
British universities face mounting competition in student recruitment, retention, and global rankings. These case studies demonstrate that strategic Salesforce implementation delivers measurable competitive advantages. By partnering with specialised Salesforce consultants, universities can optimise recruitment pipelines, personalise student engagement, and gain actionable insights across every touchpoint. Institutions adopting similar approaches position themselves to excel in an increasingly digital education landscape, offering enhanced experiences from first contact through alum relations.
FAQs
Which UK universities have successfully implemented Salesforce?
Eight notable UK universities that have improved student success with Salesforce include the University of York, Imperial College Business School, Queen Mary University of London, University of Cumbria, University of Hull, London School of Economics, University of Portsmouth, and University of East Anglia.
How has Salesforce benefited UK universities?
Salesforce has provided UK universities with enhanced student journey tracking, improved lead conversion, streamlined operations, personalised communication, and better data visibility. It has also enabled universities to make data-driven decisions and enhance collaboration between departments.
What unique features have UK universities implemented using Salesforce?
Some unique implementations include the University of York’s focus on research partnerships, Imperial College’s end-to-end hybrid education experience, University of Hull’s comprehensive “one-stop shop” approach, and the University of East Anglia’s personalised virtual applicant experience.
How has Salesforce improved student recruitment for UK universities?
Salesforce has enhanced student recruitment by enabling universities to create personalised communication, automate initial contacts, improve event effectiveness, and provide seamless experiences from inquiry to enrollment. For instance, the University of East Anglia achieved high conversion rates for virtual open days using Salesforce.
What challenges have UK universities addressed using Salesforce?
UK universities have used Salesforce to address challenges such as fragmented data systems, inefficient manual processes, decentralised structures, and the need for global student engagement. The platform has helped universities streamline operations, improve data integration, and enhance strategic decision-making.
