Digital transformation has become a constant state for organisations, including higher education institutions. This research aimed to answer the following question: What digital transformation model components guide higher education decision-makers to the most relevant path to meet societal needs? The model’s research-based design method had three phases: 1) context analysis (SLR and mapping), 2) analysis of higher education digital transformation experiences, and 3) a proposal for a higher education digital transformation model. The findings were: (a) a philosophical component comprising quality, equity, solidarity-based education, inclusive digital worldview, a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, and collective construction of digital knowledge; (b) a theoretical component supported by the theories of complexity and sustainability, management of educational change, educational innovation, and experiential learning; (c) a policy component referring to digital participatory governance, digital ethics and privacy, open access and equity policies (Sustainable Development Goal 4 Quality education), cooperation, and strategic alliances to guide educational processes, and (d) an operational component integrating strategy, process, technology, people, implementation, and evaluation with inputs and outputs. The DIG-HE model is intended to be of value to academic communities and management interested in digital transformation initiatives.