The paradoxical reports about the prognostic value of the CD30 expression in extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) have restricted its further applications in clinical practice. To identify the common effects and the variation, we conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis. PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science were searched between January 1975 and 31 January 2017. The pooled hazard ratio was used to estimate the effect of the CD30 expression on overall survival. Bias was assessed by prespecified criteria referring to Reporting Recommendations for Tumor Marker Prognostic Studies and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Ten retrospective cohort studies with 310 patients are included. CD30 is associated with better overall survival significantly (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.99, I2 = 0%). A greater effect is observed among studies including participants predominant in regional involvement (HR 0.31, 95%CI 0.13 to 0.76, I2 = 0%) compared with those in systemic involvement. This study indicates that the CD30 expression is significantly associated with better prognosis in ENKTL, especially for patients with regional lymphoma involvement.