The role of higher education institutions in refugee integration: Evidence from Norway

Type of the article: Research ArticleAbstractThis study examines whether participation in targeted higher education courses is associated with differences in perceived social integration among refugees. Using survey data from 255 Ukrainian refugees in Norway (93 program participants and 162 non-participants), the study applies one-way ANOVA to compare value orientations, perceived well-being, and integration barriers and facilitators across groups. The findings indicate that participants report significantly higher levels of well-being and more positive assessments of education-related integration supports compared to non-participants. Differences in civic value priorities, including freedom, human rights, and equality, are positive but not consistently statistically significant, while dignity remains uniformly high across both groups. The results suggest that participation in structured higher education courses enhances refugees’ perceptions of professional development opportunities and future prospects. The expanding access to higher education and reducing institutional barriers may enhance long-term integration outcomes beyond immediate labor market activation. Overall, the study highlights the role of higher education institutions as institutional contributors to integration and suggests that educational initiatives can complement traditional language-based integration policies.