Purpose Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is an important quality management method used to define, prioritize, and transform the voice of the customer (VOC) into specific product/service requirements. This quantitative study with academics and service practitioners investigates the benefits, success factors and implementation challenges of QFD for the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Design/methodology/approach A survey questionnaire, run on a purposive sampling, was used as the instrument to collect academics and service practitioners’ feedback worldwide: the format was qualitative for the characterization variables and mainly Likert scale for variables: 41 answers were collected (with a 48.2% response rate) and the questionnaire yielded 0.94 Cronbach's Alpha. The pilot survey asked respondents to identify their level of awareness and training in QFD, the critical success factors, the most widely used QFD tools, and the areas in HEIs with the highest QFD implementation rate. Integration between Industry 4.0 technologies and QFD were also investigated. Findings The results show that the factors considered most important for the implementation of QFD were Leadership, QFD awareness and management commitment/support, with Voice of the Customer, House of Quality Matrix, and Affinity Diagram as the most frequently used QFD tools. Student services, Syllabus Design and Review, and Administrative were the HEIs focus areas, while Cloud Computing and Big Data and Analytics were the Industry 4.0 technologies most used in combination with QFD in HEI. Practical implications The identification of critical success factors and impact of QFD on Academic performances can assist HEIs in implementing QFD for Syllabus Design and Review, improving the Administrative and Student Services, and overall raising Academic performances. Originality/value Although there are a number of case studies of QFD applications to HEIs, this is the first quantitative study that aims to compile the critical success factors, HEIs areas with highest implementation rate, and Industry 4.0 technologies integration with QFD in HEIs.