This study provides a thorough bibliometric analysis of the research landscape concerning the application of soft computing in higher education. This study collects 5,140 pieces including books, book chapters, journal articles published in respected journals, and conference papers presented at notable international conferences that were published from 2010 to 2023. The research aims to map the intellectual contours of this dynamic field, identify seminal works, and elucidate the evolution of key themes and methodologies. Publication trends, key areas, influential articles, publication venues, and several noteworthy topics related to soft computing applications in higher education were explored and the extracted data was visualized with the help of VOSviewer. Keyword clustering and trend analysis provide insights into the predominant themes, revealing a transition from theoretical foundations to practical applications and integration into pedagogical practices. China has published the most papers and has the most productive authors in the field of Artificial Intelligence, Pattern Recognition, and Neural Networks. The analysis reveals a significant growth in the volume of research, indicating an increased recognition of soft computing as an essential facet of educational technology. The study provides researchers with a better understanding of the application of soft computing research in the field of higher education and existing knowledge gaps for further research. Practitioners may benefit from the bibliometric review to keep abreast of the current discussions and applications of soft computing in higher education. The current review is one of the few attempts to investigate soft computing applications in higher education using a comprehensive set of articles published during the past decade.