The scholarship discussing educational responses for refugees and other displaced persons focuses mainly on compulsory education, whereas research about displaced persons' interrupted pathways to higher education is limited. This article presents a systematic review of recent international evidence on pathways to higher education for refugees and other displaced populations published in peer-refereed journals between 2010 and 2020. The review aimed to answer the following three questions: (1) What are the main government reception policies that have enabled refugees to access higher education? (2) Which barriers hinder refugees' access pathways to higher education institutions? (3) What are the main challenges facing refugee students in higher education institutions in different countries? The bulk of the article presents evidence from 44 studies organised around the following three identified central main topical areas (a) reception policies, both national and institutional, (b) access pathways to higher education, and (c) refugee students' challenges. The paper concludes with theoretical and methodological conclusions concerning current research features and recommendations for the opening of access pathways to widen refugees' inclusion in higher education, providing outlines for future research, policy and interventions that can better address refugees' needs.