North Korean refugees face myriad challenges in China which makes it difficult to obtain access to formal education. The Chinese classifies them as ilegal, economic migrants. If they are caught by authorities in China, they face deportation to North Korea, which can result in torture, incarceation, and even execuation. It is important to learn more about the educational experiences, both formal and informal, of Nortjh Korean refugees in China so that aid organizations can better assist them by providing quality educational programs while concealing the refugees identities. Paticipants in the study were North Korean refugees in their twenties who live South Korean and had travelled through China or lived in China prior to againing asylum through a South Korean consultateThe study was conducted with North Korean refugess in South Korea since North Korean refugees in China are sirk being sent back to North Korea if expposed. Several types of data wre colleted including a demographic survey, a timeline of primary life events, standardixed open-ended interviews, and journal entries. This article discusses primary themes that emerged related to the educational experiences of North Korean refugees in China in light of their exposure to human rights violations.