Abstract
<jats:p>This study aims to examine the policy trends in the development of higher education in Mongolia based on policy documents adopted between 1995 and 2024. As a theoretical framework, the study employs three widely recognized strategies for developing university systems—upgrading, merging, and creating new institutions (Salmi, 2009; Altbach & Balán, 2007). The research applies a document analysis method (Bowen, 2009) and evaluates a total of ten selected policy documents. The findings reveal that higher education policy in Mongolia has been predominantly oriented toward the upgrading strategy, focusing on strengthening the capacity of existing universities. In contrast, the merging strategy has been implemented only to a limited extent, while the strategy of creating new institutions has not been realized in practice. These results indicate that higher education policy in Mongolia has largely focused on system consolidation, and they provide both theoretical and practical implications for shaping future development strategies.</jats:p>