<p>Since 2019, Lebanon has experienced multiple unprecedented, interconnected crises affecting all sectors and social groups. Additionally, the country hosted the world’s highest number of Syrian refugees in 2023. While access to primary education for refugees globally has improved over the years, access to higher education remains limited, with enrolment rates significantly lower than those of their non-refugee peers. This limited access is not caused by lack of interest; rather, it stems from the de-prioritisation of higher education in international and national refugee crisis responses. Lebanon represents a complex refugee educational governance landscape, involving domestic, regional and international public and private stakeholders. This article discusses the politics surrounding higher education for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with six stakeholders in the educational and humanitarian network and a focus group discussion with five Syrian refugee youth, the article addresses two questions: (1) How do international and local stakeholders respond to structural, financial and political challenges in shaping the higher education response for Syrian refugees in Lebanon? and (2) How do Syrian refugee students experience and navigate the challenges of accessing higher education in Lebanon? Findings reveal that stakeholders should integrate higher education into a long-term emergency response, while accounting for the broader sociopolitical, legal and cultural environment of displacement. A holistic approach is necessary to ensure that refugee youth can pursue a socially just and transformative learning journey, wherever they reside.</p>