Adoption of Robotic Process Automation Technology by Students to Support Academic Project and Research Efficiency

In this paper, we carried out a systematic literature review on students’ acquisition of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) in higher education. Kitchenham’s criteria and PRISMA framework were employed to review studies published between 2021 and 2025. The results indicate that adoptions are influenced by technological, individual, contextual, social and pedagogical influences. RPA promotes efficiency, accuracy, and productivity with automation of routine academic work along with it enables project-based learning and research. But there are obstacles including poor digital literacy, underfunded institutional support, and absent ethical and privacy guidelines. The review identifies opportunities and challenges, and provides recommendations for preparedness of institutions, appropriate training and governance frameworks. In general, RPA has great potential to change the academic routine and promote better educational outcomes if systematically incorporated in higher education.