Locked Out of The Ivory Tower: The Case for Institutional Reform in Refugee Access to Elite U.S. Higher Education

Abstract

This thesis investigates the systemic barriers that refugee students face in accessing higher education at elite U.S. universities, with a particular focus on the top 50 universities as ranked by U.S World & News. Despite growing national commitments to refugee resettlement and education, such as the Welcome Corps on Campus initiative, most elite universities lack dedicated programs or policies that actively recruit, support, or retain refugee students. This research asks: Why have top U.S. universities failed to create robust access pathways for refugee students, and what institutional reforms are needed to close this gap? To answer this question, the thesis employs a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative analysis is conducted through the creation of a comparative index measuring each university’s engagement with refugee access based on factors such as participation in federal partnerships (e.g. Welcome Corps), existence of independent refugee support programs, availability of enrollment data, and targeted financial aid. Qualitative methods include a review of university public communications, policies, and diversity initiatives. Through this analysis, the thesis identifies recurring themes: the invisibility of refugee students in university discourse and the decentralization of refugee-related efforts. The findings reveal that the vast majority of top universities lack clear access pipelines for refugee students. Moreover, refugee students often remain statistically and administratively invisible, limiting their ability to advocate for support. The thesis concludes with several policy recommendations, including: expanding federal and state partnerships to elite institutions, conducting more research on refugee students' pathways to higher education, encouraging philanthropic investment in refugee access, and finally building institutional programs and frameworks that embed refugee inclusion into long-term diversity and access planning. Ultimately, the thesis argues that elite universities must recognize refugee students as a distinct and valuable group whose educational access must be prioritized.