Educational access is the condition in which individuals or groups have the effective opportunity to enter, participate in, and benefit from education at different levels and types of provision, without unjustifiable barriers related to cost, location, timing, social status, or other contextual factors ^[1][2][3][4]. It refers to the availability and reach of educational opportunities—such as schools, programmes, and learning resources—together with the practical and normative conditions that enable learners to enrol, attend, and progress, including legal entitlements, admission policies, physical and digital infrastructure, and support services ^[1][2]. Educational access is characterized by dimensions such as physical access (proximity and facilities), economic access (affordability), social and cultural access (non‑discrimination, language, and inclusion), and informational access (awareness of opportunities), which jointly determine who can realistically participate in education ^[2][3][4]. Within equity‑focused educational research and policy, educational access denotes the aspect of educational justice concerned with ensuring that all individuals, particularly those from vulnerable or marginalized groups, can enter and remain in education under fair conditions, distinguishing access from subsequent issues of quality, achievement, and outcomes ^[1][2][3][4].