Strategic planning in higher education is an integral part of achieving goals and fulfilling multiple roles higher education institutions hold. This paper examines current state in strategic planning in Croatian higher education institutions considering a special case study. Further on, results of a nationwide survey on ICT and e-learning use in HEI are qualitatively analysed and the current state of e-learning application, as well as expected gains from e-learning on HEI level are presented. Finally, suggestions for further research are laid out, as this paper is only a foundation for further research in this area.