Journal profile · EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
Higher Education
ISSN 0018-1560 · eISSN 1573-174X · Springer Nature · 12 issues per year
Higher Education: CAS Zone 1 · Education (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 4.01; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,290; median 204 days to acceptance (61 articles, last 24 months); 217 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Higher Education is published by Springer Nature and is in Zone 1 of Education in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Higher Education Governance and Development, Evaluation of Teaching Practices and Higher Education Research Studies, together about 40.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Education. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Higher Education is a leading international journal dedicated to advancing knowledge in the field of higher education studies. Established in 1972, the journal publishes twelve issues annually, reporting on educational developments in universities, polytechnics, colleges, and vocational institutions worldwide, encompassing both public and private sectors. Contributions are peer-reviewed and come from scholars around the globe, addressing the challenges faced by researchers, teachers, institutional leaders, and policymakers in the higher education sector.Our key criterion for publication is that submitted manuscripts must make a significant contribution to the body of knowledge in higher education studies and be situated clearly within the existing literature of the field. As an international journal, we aim to bridge insights from different educational systems and contexts, and encourage submissions that are relevant to an international audience or that promote cross-national dialogue.We particularly welcome the following types of contributions: Empirical research studies that are cross-national or cross-sectoral in scope, or that involve large datasets—such as data from multiple institutions and/or over extended time periods. Historical syntheses and policy studies, including secondary analyses of primary data that offer original interpretations of higher education systems, policies, or contexts. Smaller-scale empirical studies that offer significant conceptual or methodological advances in the international higher education literature. Conceptually based studies that are not primarily empirical, including theoretical discussions, explorations of methodological issues, reflective essays, and critical literature reviews that provide substantial original insights into higher education and its evolving context. Higher Education serves as a platform for the exchange of research findings, experiences, and perspectives, fostering ongoing dialogue among experts in the field. By publishing a diverse range of authoritative overview articles, comparative studies, and focused analyses, the journal aims to deepen our understanding of higher education across the world. Science is built on the shoulders of giants and the work of others that provides base knowledge for research should be properly acknowledged. Unfortunately, the use of fake referencing lists generated by AI, where the listed works have not only have played no part in the composition of the work but ofte
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
Editor-in-chief Hugo DuartePublisher website
Editorial board by country: 9 in mainland China (about 8%); most named United Kingdom 29, United States 14, Mainland China 9, Hong Kong, China 8, Australia 6 (110 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Higher Education Governance and DevelopmentSocial Sciences22.6%
- Evaluation of Teaching PracticesSocial Sciences9.8%
- Higher Education Research StudiesSocial Sciences8.5%
- Higher Education Learning PracticesSocial Sciences5.4%
- Higher Education and EmployabilitySocial Sciences5.2%
- Global Educational Policies and ReformsSocial Sciences4.8%
- International Student and Expatriate ChallengesSocial Sciences4.7%
- Higher Education Practises and EngagementSocial Sciences3.7%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Education Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Education | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Education & Educational Research | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Education Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Education | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Education & Educational Research | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Education Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Education | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Education & Educational Research | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
SCIEERICERIH PLUSCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 4.01LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 4.3Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 6.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 12.2LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 2.06LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 3.26LetPub ·
- h-index
- 201OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,922OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 5.08OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 11.6%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 59.23%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 206LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 2,200,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,718 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 172 | 88 | 79 |
| 2025 | 217 | 128 | 779 |
| 2024 | 221 | 145 | 2,239 |
| 2023 | 172 | 111 | 2,810 |
| 2022 | 193 | 144 | 6,005 |
| 2021 | 138 | 84 | 4,156 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
204 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 161 days – 330 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 19 days (108 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 234 days
- Sample
- 61 articles with submission and acceptance dates (462 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Submission to first decision
- 7 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 2,290 / EUR 3,190 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Colour charges
- Charged; see the journal's website for the amount
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted4
- articleManuscripts sent to Higher Education are expected to contribute to knowledge in the field of higher education studies, and to communicate effectively with a bro…Length not stated
- book reviewHigher Education publishes book reviews, review essays covering two or more books, rejoinders and other formats in the broader review genre.Length not stated
- editorialDouble-blind peer review This journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout p…Length not stated
- special issueNormally, a special issue contains six to eight articles.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
Word limit of 8,000 words Model summary
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
COPE member, integrity of scientific record Model summary
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Higher Education, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Double-blind peer review
Double-blind peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout peer review. It is the responsibility of the author to anonymize the manuscript and any associated materials. Author names, affiliations and any other potentially identifying information should be removed from the manuscript text and any accompanying files (such as …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Frequency
- 12 issues per year
- ISSN
- 0018-1560
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-174X
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 92, Issue 1 (July 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Higher Education
What CAS zone is Higher Education in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Higher Education is in Zone 1 of Education, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Education & Educational Research; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Education. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Higher Education?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.01; CiteScore 12.2, h-index 201.
How long does peer review take at Higher Education?
Based on the dates recorded on 61 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 204 days (interquartile range 161–330 days). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Higher Education?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Higher Education based?
Of the 110 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 9 (about 8%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (29), United States (14) and Mainland China (9). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Higher Education?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Higher Education is indexed in SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists SCIE, ERIC, ERIH PLUS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Higher Education open access, and what is the APC?
Higher Education is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,290.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .