The United Nations agency, in its annual education report, found that nearly half (44%) of the 13.1 million out-of-school refugee children worldwide are not attending school. This situation jeopardizes years of progress in refugee education.
The document, titled 'Paths to the Future: Education, Opportunities and Self-Reliance,' points to a growing reduction in funding and strongly urges the international community and development partners to ensure education financing and invest in the national systems of host countries.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Barham Salih, commented on the importance of education, noting that it provided him with opportunities that might have been unavailable due to displacement. He stated that education helped him rebuild his life and shape his own future.
Salih emphasized that education is a form of protection, as well as a path to opportunities and self-reliance. He warned that cuts in education amid strong pressure on humanitarian and development funding could reverse decades of collective investment and close off opportunities for an entire generation of youth.
According to the agency's research, transitioning to secondary education remains one of the most serious challenges for refugee students. In 2025, two out of three (65%) primary school-aged refugee children were enrolled in primary school, but only one out of three (32%) was enrolled in secondary school.
The situation is exacerbated for girls, for whom the transition to secondary education is near a 'critical point.' Although girls and boys attend primary school in roughly equal numbers, the gap widens sharply in secondary school, as poverty, early marriage, and other factors lead more adolescent girls to drop out.
In higher education, researchers note that the situation demonstrates the potential of continuous investment. Refugee enrollment in universities reached a record 11% in 2025, up from 9% recorded in 2024. Over 450,000 refugees enrolled in college for the first time, marking the highest level ever recorded.
This growth supports UNHCR and its partners' hopes of achieving the goal of 15% refugee enrollment in higher education by 2030. They say this can be achieved by expanding access to universities, vocational training, integrated learning opportunities, scholarships, or educational programs in third countries.
The report particularly highlights that higher education can be especially transformative for refugee women and girls, providing them with access to skills, qualifications, employment, and potentially greater economic independence, although access remains 'deeply unequal.'
The study shows that in over 80% of the countries that provided data, refugee enrollment in higher education last year remained below the national average. In low-income and conflict-affected countries, only 2% of refugees were enrolled in universities compared to 13% of their citizens.
Furthermore, the UN agency notes that investing in refugee education requires strengthening national education systems, as schools need teachers, classrooms, learning materials, and sufficient funding to practically implement inclusion.
The High Commissioner stated that ambitions must go beyond simply keeping children in classrooms. He concluded that displacement should not define the limits of a child's life, as a child who can learn today is better equipped to contribute and provide for themselves tomorrow, regardless of whether they return home, build their future in the host country, or seek opportunities elsewhere.