Purpose – Higher education institutions’ (HEIs) responsibility to contribute to safe and just societies is increasingly emphasised, but attempts to advance sustainability at HEIs are often fragmented and little systematic knowledge is available on the interlinkage between (organisational) cultures and sustainability at HEIs. This study aims to contribute to closing this gap and enrich the discussion on culture(s) of sustainability at HEIs. Design/methodology/approach – To better understand the implicit and hidden facets of organisational changes towards sustainability, the authors systematically review the international literature on culture(s) of sustainability at HEIs. Through concept synthesis, they assess how culture of sustainability is conceptualised, operationalised and what pathways of change are considered. Findings – In the literature, culture of sustainability at HEIs is commonly understood as a coalescence of norms, attitudes, values and assumptions with sustainability as a normative orientation, which also refers to structures, routines and behaviours at HEIs. Concerning specific HEIs, this study finds a variety of approaches to conceptualise culture(s) of sustainability and a focus on pathways of change. The authors further identify a lack of differentiation between normative and descriptive approaches, challenges in assessing cultures of sustainability and the need for large-scale research on transformation pathways. Originality/value – Based on the review, the authors develop a refined conceptualisation, differentiating between culture of sustainability as a normative orientation and the description of current cultures that support or hinder sustainability. They argue that culture of sustainability pertains, above all, to the normality and the self-reproducing defaults at HEIs and within the system of science and higher education.