Students should play more prominent roles as partners rather than merely as receivers in medical education. Therefore, engaging students in collaborative work in curriculum development (CD) is fundamental. This scoping review aimed to explore the extent of research on student engagement in CD. The data was extracted from 50 included articles based on the important components of student engagement (i.e., role, format, recruitment methods, impacts and recommendations). We found that the scope of student engagement in CD-related studies was confined into specific geographical areas. Expanding further studies to establish a more culturally sensitive student engagement in CD is strongly recommended. © The Author(s) under exclusive licence to International Association of Medical Science Educators 2025.