This research underscores the impact of university campuses, encompassing physical, economic, cultural, and social dimensions of their surroundings. Consequently, the selection of a suitable campus location should consider both the physical appropriateness and the preferences of key users, namely the students. This paper presents a suitability model employing the geographical information system (GIS) weighted overlay methodology to address this concern. The model employs criteria such as land use, land value, accessibility, and the mix of land uses to identify appropriate locations for university campuses in four Japanese cities. Findings reveal that suitable sites are predominantly found in the suburban areas of these cities, potentially leading to a studentification trend and social segregation between students and nonstudent residents. Additionally, placing campuses on city peripheries could strain university resources by incurring higher infrastructure costs. Therefore, decision-makers must carefully weigh location suitability against the ensuing social and economic implications to foster a successful campus-city relationship.