The top higher education consulting firms fall into two separate markets that buyers often confuse. Universities and systems hire global strategy houses such as McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, EY-Parthenon, and Bain & Company, or higher-ed specialists like EAB and Huron, for enrollment, finance, and operations work.
Families hire boutique admissions advisors such as CollegeCommit for student-level planning and selective college applications.