Abstract Inclusive higher education extends beyond access to ensure that students with disabilities (SWDs) are supported in their participation, persistence, and successful graduation. This review examines enrolment and retention pathways through a conceptual and policy-informed review of disability inclusion in higher education. Drawing on the social model of disability, the capability approach, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and international frameworks such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG 4), the article explores how structural, institutional, pedagogical, psychosocial, and digital factors influence student experiences. Particular attention is given to the relationship between access, participation, and completion, highlighting the need for systemic approaches that move beyond accommodation toward inclusive design and institutional transformation.