This study examined how dyslexia affects students’ ability to benefit from higher education, the strategies that successful students with these problems use, and the support offered by the higher education institutions. Results from interviews, self-reports and testing of 53 university students and 42 lecturers from 3 Swedish universities showed that students with dyslexia have problems with a number of skills and academic tasks, e.g. note taking and expressing ideas in writing. Many of the students described that their difficulties were long-standing and had been experienced already in elementary school. The students seemed to compensate via additional time for examinations, access to dyslexia tutors and support by information technology. The results indicate that there are significant knowledge gaps in the educational institutions regarding students who have dyslexia.