Young people who have experience of the care system have among the lowest educational outcomes of any group, in part due to disruption in their schooling and the impact of childhood trauma. Nevertheless, a growing proportion are participating in higher education, with around 7,000 currently estimated to be studying in English universities. This seminar will bring together the findings of several research projects to explore the routes that care-experienced students take and their outcomes in higher education – and how these compare to their peers. It will draw on both quantitative and qualitative data to describe how their pathways are often delayed, punctuated and fragile, as well as how the legacy of their care experiences continues to exert an influence into adulthood.