In the contemporary higher education landscape, institutions are increasingly required to develop sustainable brand orientations to remain competitive and socially relevant. This study investigates the relationships among brand image, brand alignment, and sustainable brand behavior, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of brand resilience within the context of Indian higher education institutions. Drawing on perspectives from Social Identity Theory, Brand Equity Theory, Resource-Based View, and Signaling Theory, the study proposes a structured model to understand how branding dimensions translate into sustainable institutional outcomes. Primary data were collected from 416 respondents using a structured questionnaire comprising four constructs: brand image, brand alignment, brand resilience, and sustainable brand behavior. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that both brand image (β = 0.251, p < 0.001) and brand alignment (β = 0.280, p < 0.001) have significant positive effects on brand resilience. In turn, brand resilience demonstrates a strong positive influence on sustainable brand behavior (β = 0.315, p < 0.001). While brand image also shows a significant direct effect on sustainable brand behavior (β = 0.168, p = 0.001), brand alignment does not exhibit a significant direct relationship (β = −0.006, p > 0.05). However, both brand image (β = 0.079, p < 0.001) and brand alignment (β = 0.088, p < 0.001) exert significant indirect effects on sustainable brand behavior through brand resilience, indicating partial mediation in the former and full mediation in the latter. The model explains 17.7% of the variance in brand resilience and 15.9% in sustainable brand behavior. The results highlight brand resilience as a crucial mechanism through which institutional branding efforts are translated into sustainable outcomes. The study contributes to the higher education branding literature by demonstrating that alignment-driven strategies alone are insufficient unless supported by resilience-building capabilities. The findings offer important implications for institutional leaders seeking to design sustainable and resilient brand strategies in an increasingly dynamic educational environment.