Role Of Built Environment In Promoting Quality Of Higher Education – A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

The built campus of universities is one of the key factors in shaping educational experiences, yet its influence on the quality of higher education remains underexplored within Indian institutions. This study investigates how physical and spatial characteristics of campuses contribute to academic performance, student satisfaction, and institutional rankings. Guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, I have followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines and performed a systematic literature review using the Scopus database to identify peer-reviewed research published between 2000 and 2025. From an initial pool of 548 articles, 25 studies were selected for in-depth analysis, supplemented by manual reference checks. Key design parameters were categorized into six groups: pedestrian mobility, spatial layout, ecological significance, transportation, outdoor environmental quality, and social dynamics. These factors were examined in relation to parameters of student satisfaction such as student retention and graduation rates.  Findings are expected to show that integrated green spaces, efficient connectivity, and supportive social areas correlate positively with academic outcomes. By offering evidence-based recommendations, this research informs campus planners and policymakers on enhancing higher education through via built environment. This literature review examines papers in global context.

These recommendations also suggest the possibility of incorporating certain key effective physical attributes in NIRF while rating Indian institutions.