A Text Mining-Based Analysis of ESG Materiality and Disclosure Consistency in Higher Education

This study aims to analyze the consistency between the materiality and the disclosure level of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) management issues in higher education institutions, and to derive strategic implications for improving ESG management practices in universities. To this end, sustainability reports and University Innovation Support Project plans published by 21 major universities in South Korea were collected and analyzed. Using text mining techniques, the study quantified the disclosure level of each ESG issue based on the frequency of relevant keywords. The average disclosure level for each issue was then mapped against its materiality score, as identified in prior research, to assess the alignment and potential gaps between the two dimensions. The analysis revealed that governance-related issues generally demonstrated both high materiality and high levels of disclosure. In contrast, several issues in the environmental and social responsibility domains showed relatively low disclosure levels despite their recognized importance. This suggests a disconnect between strategic importance and reporting practices in certain ESG areas. The study offers a data-driven and systematic framework for evaluating ESG disclosure in higher education, which can be used to inform practical strategies and strengthen institutional ESG execution and reporting systems. The proposed framework is expected to contribute to the advancement of ESG management and sustainability reporting practices in the higher education sector.