Purpose – The study aims to measure the role of Quality 4.0 in higher education institutions to improve overall educational quality. Design/methodology/approach – There are 11 dimensions of Quality 4.0 (such as analytics, connectivity, collaboration, app development, scalability, management systems, compliance, quality culture, leadership, competency and data management), and their items are identified based on an experimental research approach by gathering data from 351 respondents from higher educational institutions in India. The study employed Smart-partial least square version 4.0 with structural equation modeling to analyze the data. Findings – The results of this study present the dimensions of Quality 4.0, which play a significant role in explaining the positive relationship with educational performance in the research model. Of these 11 dimensions, analytics, leadership and management systems do not support this study. Research limitations/implications – The findings of the study present a new lens (important parameters of the study) that can be used to analyze educational theories and adjust their applicability in the educational system. The decision-makers should also take into account the fact that the Quality4.0 characteristics are only beneficial when the outcomes are implemented in educational programs and activities. The practitioner also understands that while any criteria alone are not enough to achieve educational performance, all of them taken together are relevant to educational performance. Therefore, the organization may not always benefit from using a single parameter. Originality/value – All these dimensions are vital for the education institute in increasing the performance of the student and other related elements in the system. By raising educational standards, the Quality 4.0 parameters provide promise for bringing about comprehensive progress in the field of education. The study's findings may be useful for instructors, educational institutions and educators to implement in their daily work.