Sustainability Assessment of Higher Education Institutions: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are crucial social organizations that foster innovation, disseminate knowledge, and train future leaders in various fields. Higher education institutions are essential for implementing the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) plan. This review addresses HEIs’ attempts to evaluate sustainability in higher education. This study analyzes the literature available on the sustainability assessment of higher education institutions to provide a review of the practices incorporated by different HEIs around the globe. Using the Scopus database and Google Scholar, 88 articles were selected for this review. The analyzed literature provided information that helped compile an SAT list (Sustainability Assessment Tool). The SATs identified in these articles are categorized as qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method techniques. The utilization of these SATs in real-world case studies was also presented, and their results are highlighted. This analysis aids and contributes to current research on using these SATs and other methods for evaluating and implementing the sustainability of HEIs. This study also explains the difficulties and scope of utilizing these SATs in the actual world.