In efforts to support students’ belonging in higher education, universities continue to cultivate and promote diversity and inclusion in their academic communities. Despite this endeavour, students from underrepresented backgrounds can still often encounter barriers to belonging at university. Existing research has identified multiple domains of student belonging in higher education, although there has been limited qualitative analysis of how belonging is experienced by minority ethnic students, especially at elite institutions. This paper draws on 72 in-depth interviews with minority ethnic STEM university students in the UK. Drawing on the sociological concept of <jats:italic>conditional belonging</jats:italic>, which is mostly used in migration studies, our findings indicate that students’ construction and negotiation of belonging can be ‘conditional’ and ‘conditioned’ based on their prior educational experiences, perceptions of being a minority within their institutional contexts and social and academic interaction with others. We argue that <jats:italic>conditional belonging</jats:italic> can shape how students participate, engage, and develop belonging in higher education. We conclude with practical implications for learning and teaching that can foster a diverse and inclusive academic community for all.