Tuition fees are a crucial financial factor in higher education, significantly influencing students’ access to and choice of institutions. These fees are determined by institutional costs, government regulations, and consumer preferences for programs. This bibliometric paper aims to analyze global research trends, patterns, and key themes related to tuition fees in higher education. Using the Scopus database as a primary source of data, 193 total publications were retrieved from 1885 to 2024. Key findings are the rapid increase in the literature of tuition fees from 1885 until 2024. The most popular countries of origin are the United Kingdom, Germany, Indonesia, the United States and Canada, playing an active role in research and publication about tuition fees. Social Sciences, Economics, Econometrics and Finance, Medicine, Business, Management, and Accounting comprise the most frequently investigated subjects in tuition fee research. In conclusion, the bibliometric analysis of tuition fees research highlights a growing body of work across disciplines such as Social Sciences, Economics, Medicine, and Business, with significant contributions from countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, Indonesia, the United States and Canada, focusing on evolving themes of affordability, policy, and institutional strategies.