Sustainability reporting has gained popularity across various fields, and the higher education sector is no exception. Higher education institutions across the globe are voluntarily investing time and resources into showcasing their activities and progress in sustainable development. Are these efforts just superficial instances of following a trend or do they exemplify a path towards an in-depth transformation in the area of sustainability, as it is called for by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2030? This article aims to answer this question by studying public sustainability reports of the top 50 UK universities, focusing on their self-reflective elements and thematic comprehensiveness.