The study identified key aspects of emotional intelligence that are relevant to the digital learning environment. It was found that main components of emotional intelligence which are of particular importance in the context of digital education include self-regulation, empathy, emotion management, and stress tolerance. The results of empirical studies and student surveys were analyzed, which indicate a high level of awareness of the importance of emotional intelligence (69.2%), while only 15.4% of students indicated that they had real experience of developing EI during their studies. Main obstacles that limit the full-fledged formation of emotional competence in the digital environment were identified, in particular, the low level of integration of EI into formal educational programs, lack of teacher training, and ignoring age and gender differences. A set of pedagogical strategies, aimed at the targeted development of emotional intelligence is proposed, taking into account the features of online interaction, such as digital self-reflection, gamification, online simulations, trainings and emotional feedback. The results obtained indicate the need for institutional integration of the development of emotional intelligence into educational programs of higher education institutions. Further research should focus on assessing the long-term effects of the implemented strategies on the professional development of graduates.