Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to focus on the comparative analysis of the Balanced Scorecards of four higher education institutions and aims to define the general framework of the Balanced Scorecard for the higher education institution which concerns: the structure and elements of the Balanced Scorecard; development of the Balanced Scorecards on the different levels of the management system of the higher education institution; definition of the main functions of the Balanced Scorecard which it performs in the process of the strategic management of the German higher education institutions. Balanced Scorecard is analyzed as a strategic management system that translates a higher education institution's strategy into a comprehensive set of performance measures that provides a framework for a strategic measurement and management system. Design/methodology/approach: The comparative content analysis of the Balanced Scorecards of one Austrian and three German higher education institutions--Johanes Gutenberg University Mainz, Münster University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule Münster), Cologne University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule Köln), Montan University Leoben. Findings: Using a comparative analysis of the Balanced Scorecards of four higher education institutions this paper argues that Balanced Scorecard provides a systemic view of the strategy of a higher education institution. It ensures a full complex framework for implementation and controlling of the strategy and sets a basis for further learning in the process of the strategic management of the higher education institution according to the scheme "plan-do-check-act". Research limitations/implications: This paper provides a basis for the substantial further work on the development of the general framework of the Balanced Scorecard for the higher education institution. Practical implications: The framework presented in this paper can be used as the basis for the development of general framework of the Balanced Scorecard of the higher education institution. Social implications: The framework presented in this paper can be used as the basis for the development of general framework of the Balanced Scorecard of the higher education institution. Originality/value: This paper indicates the particularities of the structure and elements of the Balanced Scorecard, its development in the different levels of the management system of the higher education institution.