--- title: Watermark Planning & Self-Study Reviews meta\_title: 'Watermark Planning & Self-Study Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta\_description: Filter 71 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how Watermark Planning & Self-Study works for a business like yours. aggregate\_rating: rating\_value: 4.2 review\_count: 71 scale: '5' date\_modified: '2026-08-07' parent\_category: name: Education url: https://www.g2.com/categories/education --- ### Watermark Planning & Self-Study Pros and Cons: Top 5 Advantages and Disadvantages #### Quick AI Summary Based on G2 Reviews Generated from real user reviews Users find Watermark Planning & Self-Study to be **straightforward and user-friendly** , making collaboration and training seamless. [(4 mentions)](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1439043&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) Users appreciate the **organized workflow** for assessments, enabling easy data access and historical reference in one place. [(2 mentions)](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1439216&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) Users appreciate the **collaboration capabilities** of Watermark Planning & Self-Study, enhancing teamwork and resource sharing effectively. [(2 mentions)](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1438428&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) Users appreciate the **intuitive hierarchy and ease of collaboration** that enhance their experience with Watermark Planning & Self-Study. [(2 mentions)](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2022349&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) Users find the **affordability** of Watermark Planning & Self-Study appealing, making it an accessible option for many. [(1 mentions)](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1438386&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) Users face **internal adaptation challenges** with outdated processes, impacting the use of Watermark Planning & Self-Study. [(1 mentions)](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2022348&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) Users find the **assessment and planning functionalities too basic** , limiting their ability to track improvements effectively. [(1 mentions)](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1438442&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) Users find the **insufficient training** videos limit their ability to fully utilize Watermark Planning & Self-Study. [(1 mentions)](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1439066&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) Users find the **limited customization options** of Watermark Planning & Self-Study frustrating, requiring consultant assistance for changes. [(1 mentions)](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1438750&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) Users find the software **not intuitive** initially, especially compared to their previous experience with Taskstream. [(1 mentions)](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1438852&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) ### 5 Pros or Advantages of Watermark Planning & Self-Study ##### 1. Ease of Use Users find Watermark Planning & Self-Study to be **straightforward and user-friendly** , making collaboration and training seamless. [ See 4 mentions ](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1439043&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) See Related User Reviews ![Kristine W.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Kristine W.") KW Kristine W. Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 5.0/5 "Excellent Software for Managing Program Review Process" What do you like about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? It is straight-forward, easy to understand the hierarchy. Steps are easy to follow. Training new faculty on the software is much easier after obtainin PW Paul W. Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 4.0/5 "New User of Planning & Self-Study" What do you like about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? I am new to the system, but I feel like it has been easy to pick up more understanding of the system each day. It is user-friendly, and there is littl ##### 2. Assessments Users appreciate the **organized workflow** for assessments, enabling easy data access and historical reference in one place. [ See 2 mentions ](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1439216&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) See Related User Reviews ![Verified User](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User") A Verified User Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 3.5/5 "Piloting department annual review - on admin and faculty side" What do you like about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? Great workflow. I liked the organization of the system for annual program reviews. Documentation was easy to add and assessment marks easy to view. ![Kirstie D.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Kirstie D.") KD Kirstie D. Enterprise (\> 1000 emp.) 4.5/5 "Organized Institutional Data for Program and Accreditation Reviews" What do you like about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? The most helpful aspects are that all my program data live in one place for historical reference and access. Prior to the purchase of this resource, w ##### 3. Features Users appreciate the **collaboration capabilities** of Watermark Planning & Self-Study, enhancing teamwork and resource sharing effectively. [ See 2 mentions ](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1438428&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) See Related User Reviews PM Pamela M. Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 5.0/5 "Was a godsend for our reaffirmation process" What do you like about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? The ability to easily collaborate with colleagues across various areas on campus, share evidence items, and customize our compliance certificate. DC David C. Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 3.5/5 "Collaborative, Simple Self-Studies" What do you like about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? Compared my institutions accredito portals, dedicating three self-studies and writing committees to PSS greatly streamlined our work. Resources were e ##### 4. Tools Users appreciate the **intuitive hierarchy and ease of collaboration** that enhance their experience with Watermark Planning & Self-Study. [ See 2 mentions ](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2022349&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) See Related User Reviews ![Kristine W.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Kristine W.") KW Kristine W. Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 5.0/5 "Excellent Software for Managing Program Review Process" What do you like about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? It is straight-forward, easy to understand the hierarchy. Steps are easy to follow. Training new faculty on the software is much easier after obtainin PM Pamela M. Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 5.0/5 "Was a godsend for our reaffirmation process" What do you like about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? The ability to easily collaborate with colleagues across various areas on campus, share evidence items, and customize our compliance certificate. ##### 5. Affordable Users find the **affordability** of Watermark Planning & Self-Study appealing, making it an accessible option for many. [ See 1 mentions ](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1438386&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) See Related User Reviews PW Paul W. Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 4.0/5 "New User of Planning & Self-Study" What do you like about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? I am new to the system, but I feel like it has been easy to pick up more understanding of the system each day. It is user-friendly, and there is littl ### 5 Cons or Disadvantages of Watermark Planning & Self-Study ##### 1. Assessment Issues Users face **internal adaptation challenges** with outdated processes, impacting the use of Watermark Planning & Self-Study. [ See 1 mentions ](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2022348&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) See Related User Reviews ![Verified User](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User") A Verified User Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 3.5/5 "Piloting department annual review - on admin and faculty side" What do you dislike about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? The main downside was internal to my organization and the fact that we were still adapting to the new system with old processess and procedures. Next ##### 2. Difficulty Users find the **assessment and planning functionalities too basic** , limiting their ability to track improvements effectively. [ See 1 mentions ](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1438442&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) See Related User Reviews DC David C. Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 3.5/5 "Collaborative, Simple Self-Studies" What do you dislike about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? The assessment and strategic planning aspects are too rudimentary. Good for at a glance reporting but not for tracking improvements or deeper dives in ##### 3. Insufficient Training Users find the **insufficient training** videos limit their ability to fully utilize Watermark Planning & Self-Study. [ See 1 mentions ](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1439066&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) See Related User Reviews ![Verified User](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User") A Verified User Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 4.5/5 "User Friendly" What do you dislike about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? Not enough training videos for references. ##### 4. Limited Customization Users find the **limited customization options** of Watermark Planning & Self-Study frustrating, requiring consultant assistance for changes. [ See 1 mentions ](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1438750&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) See Related User Reviews ![Kirstie D.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Kirstie D.") KD Kirstie D. Enterprise (\> 1000 emp.) 4.5/5 "Organized Institutional Data for Program and Accreditation Reviews" What do you dislike about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? That we cannot customize features without having to work with our Watermark consultant. ##### 5. Not Intuitive Users find the software **not intuitive** initially, especially compared to their previous experience with Taskstream. [ See 1 mentions ](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1438852&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews) See Related User Reviews ![Kristine W.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Kristine W.") KW Kristine W. Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 5.0/5 "Excellent Software for Managing Program Review Process" What do you dislike about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? Initially it wasn't that intuitive. This had more to do with what we could do on our own as administrators in this software when most of our exposure ## Top-Rated Alternatives [ ![Canvas LMS](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/cc84f1e73e41e2494758227287a0c804/canvas-lms.svg "Canvas LMS") Canvas LMS 4.5/5(1,838) ](https://www.g2.com/products/canvas-lms/reviews) [ ![Blackboard](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/e7df945eee7eecf5a52bc1741b0edf8a/blackboard.svg "Blackboard") Blackboard 4/5(1,067) ](https://www.g2.com/products/blackboard/reviews) [ ![Anthology Portfolio](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/ec5a5e6bdf78614e411788dbcab168fc/anthology-portfolio.svg "Anthology Portfolio") Anthology Portfolio 4.1/5(14) ](https://www.g2.com/products/anthology-portfolio/reviews) [ View All Alternatives ](https://www.g2.com/products/watermark-planning-self-study/competitors/alternatives) ![Josh H.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Josh H.") JH Josh H. Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) 7/22/2025 "The system is good but some of the aspects are controlled at the local may not know how to modify." 4/5 What do you like best about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? Being able to have off-site access (separate login from the university single sign on) and data backup is really nice as the university IT is not stable but the offsite login allows me to keep working. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? I wish that it was not restrictive such as being able to add courses not on the map, I have to ask university support staff instead of being able to add it myself. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Watermark Planning & Self-Study solving and how is that benefiting you? Allows shared user use and we have a template word doc for the mass to submit and then the few submit on watermark Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Current UserValidated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite on behalf of seller ![Verified User in Higher Education](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User in Higher Education") UH Verified User in Higher Education Enterprise (\> 1000 emp.) 8/20/2024 "Helpful tool for SLO assessment tracking and organization" 4/5 What do you like best about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? Watermark planning and self study helped us to easily manage self-studies, program reviews, and ensured clarity on requirements. Data entry was relatively easy and straightforward. The power of the tool was bringing together assessment data in one place so that we could see what was accomplished or not and make decisions accordingly. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? The tool did require some training to get comfortable with it. Some users had a steeper learning curve than others. And, as with any off-the-shelf tool, sometimes the tool doesn't customize to fully meet your campus' needs. Integration did take some time - not all stakeholders were on board with the new approach / tool. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Watermark Planning & Self-Study solving and how is that benefiting you? It helped us to get organzied and streamline program review, track progress, and make actions for improvement visible. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More 7/24/2025 Current UserValidated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite on behalf of seller HH Holly H. Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Accreditation Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 7/22/2025 "Excellent planning software for university accreditation" 5/5 What do you like best about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? The user interface is easy to understand and implement across all members of a self-study team. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? We had significant issues with copying documents outside of watermark and pasting them into the system. Since we were using active links within the text of each section in watermark, we had to be able to edit pre-written documents in the system. Sometimes formattingwould have errors that were not easily fixed. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Watermark Planning & Self-Study solving and how is that benefiting you? I’m not sure if the formatting issues are being addressed, but overall that was the only serious issue we encountered. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Current UserValidated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite on behalf of seller PW Paul W. University Assessment Coordinator Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 2/18/2025 "New User of Planning & Self-Study" 4/5 What do you like best about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? I am new to the system, but I feel like it has been easy to pick up more understanding of the system each day. It is user-friendly, and there is little in the way to make me feel like I might mess something up. In sharing the system with colleague and introducing folks on how to enter their data for reports, the general response has been very positive. I think with more time, folks will become very comfortable with Planning & Self-Study for its ease-of-use. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? It can be a bit much to navigate sometimes. For programs at the bottom of the list, there tends to be a lot of scrolling within 'Organizational Management'. I know I can minimize drop-downs to prevent as much scrolling, but the drop-downs always return to being fully open when the page refrehses. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Watermark Planning & Self-Study solving and how is that benefiting you? It is centralizing the assessment process for our university, so the biggest challenge is making sure our users are comfortable with data entry and accessing system. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Current UserValidated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite on behalf of seller ![Verified User in Education Management](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User in Education Management") UE Verified User in Education Management Enterprise (\> 1000 emp.) 7/28/2025 "Using Watermark for Program Assessmemt" 5/5 What do you like best about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? The ability to have documents and data preloaded by others and that can be used as evidence in the assessment. I also like how easy it is to use - the interface is easily understood and navigated. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? I have not really found anything I dislike yet about the platform. I have used it for 2 annual assessments and now the big 4 year program review. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Watermark Planning & Self-Study solving and how is that benefiting you? A seamless platform in which program and department chairs can upload and develop evaluations and assessments for their programs and one in which administrators can also track and monitor progress. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Current UserValidated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite on behalf of seller ![Verified User in Higher Education](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User in Higher Education") UH Verified User in Higher Education Enterprise (\> 1000 emp.) 7/24/2025 "Assessment Coordination for Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics" 2/5 What do you like best about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? The ability to review previous years' materials and to start with data from prior year loaded into TaskStream Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? The degree to which it is disconnected from our BlackBoard LMS and from other Watermark products utilized by the university. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Watermark Planning & Self-Study solving and how is that benefiting you? TaskStream assessments result in each department on campus generating assessment reports that are sufficiently parallel to be easily comparable to other departments in the College and the University. The retention of prior years' assessment materials is a huge help both as a reference and as a starting point for current year's assessment. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Current UserValidated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite on behalf of seller ![Verified User in Education Management](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User in Education Management") AE Verified User in Education Management Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 7/28/2025 "Not very user friendly" 2/5 What do you like best about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? There is not much that I like about this. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? It's not user friendly; anytime i have questions, i cannot talk to a person, i only get sent emails with links to read information. i've asked for additional training and was told that for a fee we could have some training. the initial training was not all inclusive, it went too fast and was not enough. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Watermark Planning & Self-Study solving and how is that benefiting you? I don't feel they are solving anything for me. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Current UserValidated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite on behalf of seller ![Kirstie D.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Kirstie D.") KD Kirstie D. Provost Enterprise (\> 1000 emp.) 2/18/2025 "Organized Institutional Data for Program and Accreditation Reviews" 4.5/5 What do you like best about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? The most helpful aspects are that all my program data live in one place for historical reference and access. Prior to the purchase of this resource, we had data on personal computers, excel spreadsheets and in emails. Now all Deans update year for their programs and I can review it when needed. Also very helpful if a Dean leaves the university, I do not have to worry about where to find the Program Review and Assessment data. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? That we cannot customize features without having to work with our Watermark consultant. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Watermark Planning & Self-Study solving and how is that benefiting you? The organization and storing repository of all our Program data. is the biggest problem this resource solves for our institution. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Current UserValidated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite on behalf of seller ![Verified User in Higher Education](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User in Higher Education") AH Verified User in Higher Education Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 6/8/2025 "One Stop Reporting" 5/5 What do you like best about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? What I like best about Watermark Planning & Self-Study is its ability to centralize IE efforts in a user-friendly platform. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? What I dislike about Watermark Planning & Self-Study is that navigating between modules may require additional training or support. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Watermark Planning & Self-Study solving and how is that benefiting you? Watermark Planning & Self-Study is connecting planning, assessment, and accreditation processes by providing a centralized platform to align goals, track outcomes, and document continuous improvement. This benefits my university by saving time, increasing transparency, and making it easier to demonstrate IE and readiness for accreditation reviews. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Current UserValidated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite on behalf of seller ![Verified User in Higher Education](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User in Higher Education") AH Verified User in Higher Education Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 7/22/2025 "Watermark for Student Success" 5/5 What do you like best about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? Easy to use tool that helps to centralize all Academic Enterprise Information needed to make data-informed decisions. Customer support is phenomenal from implementation to integration. We use it for many of our academic operations. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Watermark Planning & Self-Study? I can not think of anything at this time. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Watermark Planning & Self-Study solving and how is that benefiting you? Course evaluations, program assessments, student licensure, and we are starting faculty evaluations and promotion and tenure. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. 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