Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore customer relationship management (CRM) in a higher education setting. Design/methodology/approach: The development and implementation of a CRM project in a state community college was examined as were the benefits realized by implementing CRM. As colleges increasingly embrace distance learning and e-business, CRM will become stronger and more pervasive. Viewing students as customers provides a competitive advantage for higher education and enhances a college's ability to attract, retain and serve its customers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals involved with the planning, development and implementation of a statewide CIS system. Student support personnel were additionally interviewed. Findings: The benefits of implementing CRM in a college setting include a student-centric focus, improved customer data and process management, increased student loyalty, retention and satisfaction with the college's programs and services. Research limitations/implications: The entire community college system has not implemented the project. Rather, only the phase one colleges have implemented at this juncture. Originality/value: Viewing students as customers provides a competitive advantage and enhances a college's ability to attract, retain and serve its customers. As colleges increasingly embrace distance learning and e-business, CRM will become more pervasive.