Impact of Cloud Computing on Higher Education Institutions

A Comprehensive Systematic Review

Abstract

In higher education institutions (HEIs), Cloud Computing has facilitated remote access to teaching and administrative resources, reducing costs and enhancing collaboration, although it requires robust connectivity infrastructure and rigorous management of security and privacy. The purpose of this study is to systematically evaluate both the positive and negative impacts of Cloud Computing on HEIs through an exhaustive search across multiple databases, integrating developments, applications, and authors’ perspectives on this technology. A total of 65 papers from major digital libraries—IEEE Xplore, Scopus, Springer Link, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate—were analyzed, applying a systematic review focused on Cloud Computing in HEIs. The analysis covered the period 2018–2024, exclusively using open-access sources, with the aim of identifying developments, applications, and authors’ perspectives on this technology. A total of 66 papers were obtained, and the results show that most publications on this topic appear in IEEE Xplore. Moreover, these papers predominantly originate from Malaysia and China. It is suggested to explore the identified gaps through new research questions, focusing on understudied regions. Additionally, it is important to systematize the use of technological tools and evaluate their impact across different educational contexts.