Key findings from the 2024 Higher Education Student Statistics

_Notes:

<sub>1. Data for overseas students split by residing onshore or offshore is available in above table. Onshore overseas students include those in Australia on a student visa (subclass 500) as well as other temporary entry permits which allow study. 
2. Given irregularity of 2020 and 2021, caution should be used when interpreting short term trends</sub>

The number of students enrolled in higher education had been in a state of flux in recent years due to instability caused by the pandemic, as well as the strong labour market conditions and cost of living pressures. These external factors have had a strong influence on domestic student enrolments in higher education over the past 4 years. In 2024, student enrolments appear to be recovering after this period of volatility, with domestic enrolments increasing to 2019 levels and overseas students at the highest number of enrolments on record.

The total number of students (domestic and overseas) enrolled at higher education providers has increased by 4.7 per cent from 1,600,563 in 2023 to 1,676,077 in 2024. This is driven by a 17.7 per cent increase in onshore overseas students from 409,249 in 2023 to 481,851 in 2024. Onshore overseas students comprise a larger share of all onshore students (i.e. domestic and onshore overseas), increasing to 31 per cent in 2024 from 28 per cent in 2023. 

Domestic student enrolments increased between 2015 and 2021, peaking during the pandemic in 2021, likely as a result of border closures during the Australian Government emergency response. After a period of decline following the unusually high enrolments of 2021, in 2024 domestic enrolments have returned to growth. The number of domestic enrolments increased by 1.0 per cent from 1,076,027 in 2023 to 1,086,789 in 2024, reaching similar levels to 2019 (1,087,850), which encompasses a 6.8 per cent increase in the number of commencing students in Commonwealth supported places (CSP). 

Total onshore overseas commencements increased from 217,838 in 2023 to 232,425 in 2024. More students have commenced in recent years than have completed or discontinued higher education. For domestic students, the increase in commencements has been offset by near-balanced completions and/or attrition, which has kept student numbers steady and slowed growth.
 

_{Note: Given irregularity of 2020 and 2021, caution should be used when interpreting short term trends}

Higher levels of unemployment and underemployment coupled with limited social and travel activities likely resulted in an increase of domestic students choosing to enrol in higher education during the early pandemic years (2020 and 2021). Besides this anomaly, the proportion of commencing domestic students by course type has remained relatively stable over the past 10 years.

In 2024, domestic commencements are beginning to trend up across all course types, with a healthy increase in domestic commencing students of 4.3 per cent from 2023 (396,122 in 2023 to 413,133 in 2024). Total domestic commencements are now above pre-pandemic levels.

Domestic postgraduate commencements have dropped from pandemic peaks but have continued to grow in recent years and are above pre-pandemic commencements (102,698 in 2019 compared with 118,607 in 2024). This includes a 5.2 per cent increase from 112,705 in 2023 to 118,607 in 2024. A notable part of this growth is a dramatic increase in students studying post-graduate education courses, up by 31.5 per cent from 2023 to 2024 (accounting for 7,659 extra commencements).

By comparison, the growth in domestic undergraduate commencements has been slower and student numbers have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels (276,095 in 2019). Nevertheless, domestic undergraduate commencements recorded an increase of 3.0 per cent from 262,390 in 2023 to 270,283 in 2024.

Enabling programs offer alternative entry pathways to higher education, providing students with preparatory studies to gain the skills they need to get into university. Domestic enabling course commencements (not including non-award courses or micro credentials) increased by 14.6 per cent from 14,585 in 2023 to 16,718 in 2024. In 2025, the government invested additional Commonwealth Grant Scheme funding to deliver FEE-FREE Uni Ready courses – enrolments in enabling courses as a result of this new program are not yet reflected in the 2024 data.

Non-award courses provide alternative pathways for higher education that build on skills and knowledge without committing to a full-time degree program, providing an alternative option for people wanting to upskill. These courses offer increased flexibility to students in terms of course content, delivery method and study duration, allowing students to tailor their education according to their needs. Domestic non-award commencements increased by 16.8 per cent from 6,442 in 2023 to 7,525 in 2024.

<sub>Notes: 
1. In 2025, the Department of Education updated the categories of gender to align with the ABS statistical standard for sex and gender. The new categories collected are Non-binary, Different term, and prefer not to say in place of indeterminate/intersex which is retired. This has resulted in a small number of 2024 records being reported as the updated values. In 2024, all new categories will be reported as indeterminate/intersex/other. In 2025, we expect all records to be reported against the new categories.
2. Given irregularity of 2020 and 2021 (highlighted), caution should be used when interpreting short term trends</sub>

Since around the mid-1980s, females have accounted for more 50 per cent of higher education students in Australia, with the proportion slowly increasing to 55% by the year 2000. This shift has been widely attributed to the removal of financial barriers to studying by the Whitlam government from 1974 as well as changes to societal expectations for women, professionalisation of certain occupations (e.g. nursing and teaching) and broader economic factors.

Over the past decade, the gender make-up of commencing domestic students has changed further, with the number of female domestic commencing students increasing 7.3 per cent from 2015 – 2024, while the number of male domestic commencing students has decreased by 5.9 per cent. These changes have resulted in females increasing to 62 per cent of the commencing domestic cohort in 2024, up from 58 per cent in 2015, while the male share of commencing domestic students decreased from 42 per cent in 2015 to 38 per cent in 2024. The changes occurred gradually over the last decade with no clear turning points. However, the unusual patterns of domestic enrolments during, and following, the COVID pandemic appear to have played a part. In 2020, when overall domestic commencements swelled considerably, this was not gender balanced – female commencing domestic students increased by 11 per cent, while males only increased by 8 per cent. In the overall student declines that followed in 2021 and 2022, males were overrepresented - decreasing 13 per cent, while females decreased 10 per cent. 

There are many factors which may be contributing to less males commencing higher education over the last decade, such as increasing VET entry among males, and/or changes in secondary school completion/retention rates by gender.

^{Note: Given irregularity of 2020 and 2021 (highlighted), caution should be used when interpreting short term trends}

Domestic commencing undergraduate students increased by 3.0 per cent from 262,390 in 2023 to 270,283 in 2024. With domestic undergraduate commencements being the main feeder group to domestic enrolments in higher education overall, this may signal a return to growth in domestic enrolments after the recent period of decline.

School leavers are making up a progressively larger share of domestic undergraduate commencements, increasing steadily over the last 4 years from 43.0 per cent in 2021 to 48.0 per cent in 2024 (Table 1). The proportion of domestic commencing undergraduates who are school leavers is the highest it has been in a decade. The increase is in part driven by the decline of commencing mature aged students in recent years. 

Table 1: Basis of admission for domestic undergraduate commencements, 2018-2024

^{Notes: 
1. Recent school leavers are higher education commencing students who have been admitted to the university on the basis of recent secondary education. Higher Education providers report all domestic commencements within 3 years of completing secondary school as recent school leavers. 
2. A change in collection of Basis of Admission was implemented from 2021 onwards. The change resulted in more recent secondary categories and fewer work/life balance categories.
3. Basis of Admission includes a further three categories not reported in this table, hence the sum of percentages reported will not equal 100. The three unreported categories are – Admitted based on another Higher Education course, admitted based on an enabling course and admitted based on a VET course.} 

Further insights into the school to higher education pipeline

The pipeline of students completing secondary school is an essential feeder to higher education. It is also a critical leverage point for increasing higher education attainment among young Australians. Estimates of the proportion of year 12 students who are going on to commence higher education immediately and within 3 years of leaving secondary school have both increased over time. 

<sup>Notes 
1. Predicted student commencements for 2022 and 2023 are based on the linear forecast of year 12 cohort commencements in previous years with full data. E.g. students who were in year 12 in 2022 who will enrol in 2025 is estimated using the linear forecast equation for students in previous years entering higher education 3 years after year 12.
2. Records with unknown year for leaving school have been imputed through proportionate allocation.</sup>

Students commencing an undergraduate course immediately after year 12 has increased from 36.7 per cent for the 2017 year 12 cohort to 42.9 per cent for the 2023 cohort. The proportion commencing within 3 years increased between the 2017 year 12 cohort and the 2021 cohort (the most recent cohort with complete data) from 45.5 per cent to 50.9 per cent. 

Data for commencements within 3-years remains incomplete for the 2022 and 2023 year 12 cohorts. However, including the projected commencements based on historical patterns of gap years, the 2023 year 12 cohort is estimated to reach 52.8 per cent of students commencing undergraduate study by 2026.

A small trend shift is observed for commencing higher education immediately after year 12 among the 2020 cohort. Students from this cohort intending on going to higher education were slightly more likely to go straight there, possibly because common gap year activities such as working or travelling were less feasible due to the impacts of the pandemic.

Participation in higher education by age is an important metric for understanding future educational attainment within the population. Analysis of higher education participation by age shows that in 2024, approximately 39 per cent of 18-year-olds in the Australian population and 40 per cent of 19-year-olds^[2]  were enrolled in undergraduate courses a slight increase from 2023. These proportions increased to a peak of 43 per cent in 2021 during the pandemic (42 per cent for 18-year-olds, 44 per cent for 19-year-olds), before returning to pre-pandemic rates in 2023 and 2024.

The increasing proportion of year 12 students entering higher education within 3 years of completing secondary school and the declining participation rates of 18 and 19-year olds over the same period (2021 to 2023) highlights the complex relationship between these two measures. Important influencing factors include but are not limited to: 

• weakening or stabilising year 12 completion rates can cause higher education participation rates to stagnate or decline,
• changes in first-year attrition rates of commencing 18-year-olds can negatively impact participation rates, and
• secondary school leavers who take gap years may not be included in the participation rates yet, given this will result in commencing higher education at an older age. 

Further analysis of these complex interactions and the factors at play are necessary to understand the relationship more thoroughly. 
 

^{Source: Centre for Population 2024, Population Statement: National Population Projections, 2023-24 to 2034-35. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Births, Australia}

^Notes: 

^{1. The number of births refers the to the number of births 18 years prior to the reference year. e.g for 2024, birth number will reflect births from 2006.}

^{2. The projected population is higher than the number of births when migration forecasts are taken into account.}

In 2004, the government implemented a baby bonus policy intended to address the declining birth rate. Following this policy the number of births increased from 254,246 in 2004 to 302,272 in 2008, an average of 12,007 more children per year. Individuals born during this period, started reaching higher education age (18 years old) in 2022.

The projected number of 18-year-olds from this cohort closely follows the pattern of births while the policy was active. While this should lead to increased school leavers in coming years available to enter higher education, when factoring in the most recent rate of retention between year 10 and year 12 nationally (80.6 per cent) and the estimated rate at which year 12 students are commencing a university course after school (54.9 per cent), an extra 12,000 births per year may only equate to around 5,000 more higher education commencements each year.

Engineering and Education have substantial increase in commencements

Table 2: Number of domestic commencing students for select fields of education, 10 year and 2023–2024

^{Note: From 2009, there were no award course commencements in Food, Hospitality and Personal services. The large decrease from 2015 to 2023 is a result of a reduction in enabling courses in this field of education during this period.}

After declines across the majority of Fields of Education in 2023, 2024 has seen substantial growth in areas of national priority. In 2024, domestic commencements in Education^[3]  increased 10.0 per cent from 2023 while domestic commencements in Health continue to experience strong growth after the inflated commencements during the pandemic affected years (2020, 2021) with 93,979 domestic commencements in 2024, a 5.1 per cent increase from 2023.

Domestic commencements in Information Technology (IT) have in recent years had strong growth, with a 91.4 per cent increase over the past 10 years. Despite this previous strong growth, IT commencements have slowed in 2024, with only a 0.3 per cent increase from 2023 (21,917 commencements) to 2024 (21,983 commencements).

Initial teacher education enrolments

^{Note: Given irregularity of 2020 and 2021 (highlighted), caution should be used when interpreting short term trends}

Across all course levels, domestic ITE commencements saw an increase of 9.6 per cent from 23,426 in 2023 to 25,683 in 2024, a return to 2019 levels. The National Teacher Workforce Action Plan was agreed by Education Ministers in December 2022 to attract, retain and support teachers. This may be having a positive impact on ITE commencements, including actions such as additional university places, Commonwealth Teaching Scholarships and a national communications campaign. Additionally, the easing of placement backlogs caused by the pandemic may have freed up capacity, allowing higher education providers to offer more ITE places in 2024.

Domestic ITE course completions have also increased by 3.7 per cent in 2024, with 15,903 new teachers eligible to enter the workforce in 2025. 

Nursing courses leading to initial registration

^{Note: Given irregularity of 2020 and 2021, caution should be used when interpreting short term trends}

Domestic nursing commencements increased by 2.7 per cent between 2023 and 2024, and by 7.4 per cent over the past 10 years (18,950 to 20,347). Most of the increase occurred between 2015 and 2021, before a drop off in commencements in 2022 followed by a slight recovery since. In contrast the overseas student commencements in nursing courses have more than doubled (150.7 per cent) in the last 10 years.

There are numerous federal and state programs and initiatives to boost nursing graduates and encourage existing nurses to stay in the profession, the effects of education related policies and programs may only just be starting to be shown in the data.

^{Note: There is a series break from 2020 to 2021 when the scope of reportable disabilities expanded to include intellectual, mental, acquired brain injury and neurological disabilities. This change resulted in a large increase in the number of students with disability reported in the data and does not reflect a real-world change. Increases due to this data collection change should now be stabilising.}

^{Note: There is a series break from 2020 to 2021 when the scope of reportable disabilities expanded to include intellectual, mental, acquired brain injury and neurological disabilities. This change resulted in a large increase in the number of students with disability reported in the data and does not reflect a real-world change. Increases due to this data collection change should now be stabilising.}

Compared with their representation in the broader Australian population, many equity groups remain underrepresented in higher education. Increasing the representation of equity groups in higher education is an important area of policy, with many government initiatives aiming to improve access to and support during higher education. Overall, trends in commencements and representation for equity groups have varied, reflecting the very different experiences of students who belong to these groups.

First Nations students

First Nations student commencements increased by 6.9 per cent from 10,142 in 2023 to a historical high of 10,840 in 2024. However, the proportion of commencing students who were First Nations remained the same as the previous year at 2.6 per cent. This indicates that the increase in the number of commencing First Nations students is in line with overall increase in domestic student commencements generally.

First Nations students made up a similar proportion of enrolled domestic students in 2024 (2.2 per cent in 2023 and 2.3 per cent in 2024). However, First Nations students remain underrepresented in universities when compared to the proportion of First Nations people in the Australian population (3.8 per cent as of the 2021 ABS census).

Providers with dedicated First Nations pathways programs, such as La Trobe RISE pathway program, experienced significant growth. This initiative empowers First Nations students to pursue educational success through tailored academic foundational skill support and curriculum design, use of Indigenous Mentors, peer networks, and regional and flexible delivery.

Students from low socio-economic (SES) areas

The number of domestic commencing students from low SES areas^[6]  increased by 5.2 per cent from 66,366 students in 2023 to 69,810 in 2024. However, the proportion of commencing domestic students who were from low SES areas remained similar to the previous year (16.9 per cent for 2023, 17.0 per cent for 2024). This indicates that the increase in commencing domestic students from low SES areas is in line with the overall increase in domestic student commencements generally. 

Students from low SES areas made up a similar proportion of enrolled domestic students in 2024 (15.9 per cent in 2023 compared to 16.0 per cent in 2024). Low SES students are still underrepresented in higher education given the proportion of study-aged (15–64) people in the broader Australian population who live in low SES areas (25 per cent).

Students from a regional and remote area

The number of domestic commencing students from regional^[7]  and remote areas increased by 4.5 per cent from 79,396 students in 2023 to 82,991 in 2024. However, the proportion of commencing students who were from regional and remote areas remained similar to the previous year (20.0 per cent in 2023, 20.1 per cent in 2024). This indicates that the increase in the number of commencing regional and remote students is in line with overall increase in domestic student commencements generally.

Students from regional and remote areas made up the same proportion of enrolled domestic students in 2024 (19.2 per cent). Students from regional and remote areas are still underrepresented when compared to the proportion of the Australian population that live in regional and remote areas (27.1 per cent, ABS Regional Population).

Since 2018, Regional University Study Hubs (RUSH) have provided an innovative approach to improve access to tertiary education for regional and remote students. The program has likely contributed to the increased commencements of regional and remote students, with the impact of the significant expansion of the program, related to the Government’s response to the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report, expected to continue and to be seen in future years of data.

Further insights on higher education participation: students with disability

Table 3: Domestic commencing onshore students with disability, by disability type 2021–2024

^{Note: Students can disclose more than one disability, the total number of students with disability does not equal the sum of the disability types.}

^{The scope of reportable disabilities was expanded in 2021 to include intellectual, mental, acquired brain injury and neurological disabilities. This change resulted in a step increase in the number of students with disability reported in the data resulting in a series break. For this reason, data prior to 2021 has not been presented.}

Mental health conditions (which includes psychosocial disability) continue to make up the largest proportion of students with reported disability. A decline in the mental health of young people in Australia has been an ongoing issue of national concern, with initiatives such as the National Mental Health Framework and the headspace University Support Program funded by government to improve and better support the mental health of young people in universities. Analysis suggests that mental health conditions often coexist with other reported disabilities among students.

The number of domestic commencing students with one or more self-reported disabilities has increased from 39,829 in 2021 to 47,458 in 2024, a 19.2 per cent increase over 4 years. This growth may be indicative that students with disability are more able to access higher education due to more providers offering online hybrid course options, reduced barriers for disclosure of disability as well as being reflective of growth in people reporting disability in the overall population (as highlighted in the Survey of Disability, Aging and Carers 2021).

While the overall growth in students with reported disability continues, it is inconsistent between the different disability types recorded. Since the expansion of the data collection in 2021, neurological conditions (which currently includes Autism and ADHD) have more than doubled between 2021 and 2024, with a 33.8 per cent increase between 2023 and 2024 alone.

Increases between 2023 and 2024 have also been observed in students with reported intellectual disability (a 35.3 per cent increase) and students with a reported Specific Learning Disability (a 14.5 per cent increase). Growth in other groups, such as students with reported hard of hearing/deaf and low vision/blind have decreased over the past 3 years.

The department acknowledges points raised by disability advocates regarding the current reporting of disability categories (in particular, intellectual disability/ specific learning disability/ neurological disability). The department will work with closely with stakeholders to ensure inclusive, high quality and high integrity disability data into the future.

It’s important to note that a numerical increase is not necessarily a marker of improved representative access of people with disability, as the data doesn’t include consideration of level of support needs. For example, students with higher support needs may still be underrepresented.

Cumulative disadvantage: Intersectionality among equity groups

Students who belong to more than one equity group face unique and cumulative barriers when accessing and completing higher education studies. Identifying where intersectionality occurs between equity groups provides greater insight into barriers and supports that students need in their higher education study.