This article examines the concept and role of cosmopolitanism in studies that theorize cosmopolitan nationalism (CN) in educational policy. First, it articulates a spectrum of diverse views that can be held under the labels of cosmopolitan, nationalism, and patriotism. Next, it assesses how cosmopolitanism is invoked in educational policy studies of CN. While the global and the national can intersect in various distinctive ways in educational theory and practice, in typical discussions of CN in educational policy more critical global, or cosmopolitan, positions are ignored or neglected. In response, the article provides recommendations for enhancing the use and impact of CN as an explanatory tool. It advocates for an understanding of cosmopolitanism that diverges from neoliberal globalist approaches to educational policy. In addition, it calls for scholars to assess nationalistic processes and interests in educational policy studies more reflectively, generating more explicitly normative assessments of different actors' activities and statements, in contrast to apparently neutral descriptions of policies and trends.