Marketing strategies in higher education institutions: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Marketing is essential for achieving relevant results in higher education institutions and fostering trusting relationships among all parties in an increasingly competitive educational environment. This research aims to conduct a systematic literature review to identify the conceptual and methodological aspects of marketing, as well as trends of marketing strategies applied in Higher Education Institutions. To reach this goal, a selection and analysis of 229 documents was conducted in the Scopus database. These documents were published from 1981 to September 2025 and selected according to the PRISMA 2020 methodology. The findings allowed the identification of 25 topics addressed in the marketing literature, highlighting the decision-making process, students’ behavior, branding, international positioning and digital marketing. Thus, the conceptual and methodological aspects, future areas of work and limitations of each identified topic were noted, which were related to the elements of the marketing mix used in Higher Education Institutions. In addition, the results of this study can guide governments, decision-makers, university managers and professors in understanding and applying marketing strategies more effectively to manage and optimize university resources.