As of 2023, Monash University was the number one ranked university in terms of number of students enrolled, with approximately 59 thousand enrolled full-time equivalent students. That same year, the second ranked university in the nation in terms of student enrollments was University of Melbourne with close to 50 thousand enrolled full-time equivalent students.

The University and Other Higher Education industry is grappling with the post-pandemic landscape. The COVID-19 outbreak significantly shifted the industry's demand and delivery methods. Social distancing requirements and operational constraints caused most universities to pivot online. Remote learning has remained embedded into teaching post-pandemic, providing convenience for students and profitability benefits for universities. A heightened focus on research during the pandemic offset revenue lost from declines in tuition fees. This trend has been slowing and is under additional threat from a US Government that appears intent on reducing its funding for foreign-based research, to the detriment of Australian institutions. The industry's labour market has been volatile as the pandemic pushed universities to increasingly casualise their workforces. Controversies over underpayment have led to reputational damage and strikes among major Australian universities. Melbourne University's enforceable agreement with the Fair Work Ombudsman to pay more than $72.0 million to over 25,000 staff highlights the magnitude of these disputes. Economic and demographic factors have aided the industry's post-pandemic recovery despite these pressures. A depreciating Australian dollar has benefited returning international students, while growth in the population of people aged 18 to 25 has bolstered domestic enrolments. Lower secondary school retention rates, slipping during the pandemic, are dampening this growth. Overall, revenue is expected to drop at an annualised 1.9% to an estimated $38.8 billion over the five years through 2024-25. This trend includes a 0.6% drop in revenue anticipated for 2024-25. The outlook for the industry is promising, driven by changing labour market conditions and demographic trends. Stricter visa requirements to control migration will pose challenges. However, the industry will face these constrictions by constructing new student accommodation facilities, allowing institutions to enrol international students beyond their designated cap. The consolidation of the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia into Adelaide University in 2026 will intensify competition for enrolments, particularly from international students, given its ambitious ranking goals. These factors mean revenue is forecast to climb at an annualised 2.1% to $43.1 billion through the end of 2029-30.

The Private Schools industry has grown minimally over the past five years, with rising government funding and elevated tuition fees managing to keep revenue growth slightly above the inflation rate. Government funding initiatives are a crucial revenue stream for private schools, while tuition fees remain the primary funding source for staff salaries, facility upkeep and extracurricular programs. The industry’s enterprise count has expanded, boosting employment numbers. This trend, alongside sectorwide pay rises, has led to an uptick in the industry's wage bill. Elevated purchase expenses have also weighed on the Private Schools industry, contributing to weaker surplus margins, which the industry states in place of profit margins. Private schools' esteemed reputation and perceived pathways to top-tier universities continue to fuel enrolment growth. In 2025, enrolments are set to surpass 1.5 million students. However, a marginal dip in the number of Catholic primary schools symbolises evolving societal attitudes towards religiosity and the impact of this on education choices. Revenue is expected to have inched upwards at an annualised 0.1% over the five years through 2024-25. This includes an anticipated drop of 1.3% in 2024-25 due to inflation, as the unadjusted revenue figure of $37.1 billion exceeds the revenue figure recorded in 2023-24. Increased federal government funding, which is slated to surpass $21.0 billion by 2027-28, is set to drive significant growth in industry revenue over the coming years. However, private schools will likely face greater scrutiny surrounding funding policies, which could lead to variations in funding structures. A forecast boost in the school-age population presents an opportunity for industry expansion. At the same time, legislation capping international student numbers at Australian universities may harm international student enrolment trends at private schools. While this would apply downwards pressure on revenue, high demand for domestic enrolments could partly offset potential reductions in demand from international students. Overall, industry revenue is forecast to rally at an annualised 2.3% over the five years through 2029-30 to $41.6 billion.

In 2020, the top earning university in Australia was Monash University in Melbourne, with a total revenue of 2.7 billion Australian dollars in that year. The University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne are also in the top three universities in terms of revenue.

Sandstone universities and the Go8

Like the American “Ivy League”, Australia’s most prestigious universities are often described collectively as “Sandstone Universities”, which is a reference to some of the earliest buildings in Australia being built of sandstone. Another grouping of universities, which takes into account some of the newer additions to Australia’s top universities, is known as the Group of Eight (Go8). The Go8 tend to be Australia’s more research-intensive universities and includes the Australian National University in Canberra and Monash university in Melbourne.

Income and funding

Universities rely on a variety of diverse income sources for their operating revenue. However, more than 50 percent of university income comes from a combination of funding from the Australian government and international student fees. Domestic student contributions through the subsidized HECS-HELP scheme made up less than 20 percent of total university revenue, despite the cost of an average three-year undergraduate degree costing over 25,000 Australian dollars for domestic students.

The Education and Training division has faced challenges in recent years. The private school segment has expanded because of increased demand for enrolment, which allows schools to raise their tuition fees. This trend contrasts with the challenges of government schools, which have struggled with teacher shortages and enrolments growing much slower than private schools despite consistent funding. Private schools can provide competitive wages to attract teachers, which helps them offer lower teacher-to-student ratios. Meanwhile, universities are struggling with reduced domestic enrolment numbers and the slow recovery of international student numbers following the pandemic. While many institutions within the division are not-for-profit, there are private establishments that do strive to make a profit, particularly within the Technical and Vocational Education and Training industry, which boasts the highest profit margins. Industrywide revenue has been contracting at an annualised 0.5% over the past five years to total $175.6 billion in 2024-25, when revenue is expected to dip by an estimated 1.2%. New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland dominate the Education and Training division because of their large populations, which lead to an abundance of schools and students. Certain segments, like government schools and universities, exhibit higher market share concentration because of the significant barriers to entry compared to segments like sports instruction. The division contends with intensifying competition from substitutes like self-education and on-the-job training. Over the coming years, new government policies and technological advancements will influence the Education and Training division. The Australian Government's introduction of international student caps and raises in the price of student visas will significantly limit the international student market, potentially resulting in job losses and stifling growth opportunities. Universities are losing their competitive edge as substitutes like self-education expand in popularity and employer preferences shift away from traditional degrees. Education departments will focus on improving teacher performance and wellbeing to elevate national education standards. The Quality Schools package will boost Commonwealth funding for schools, prioritising public schools over private ones. Overall revenue is forecast to climb at an annualised 1.7% through 2029-30 to total $190.7 billion.

This feature layer provides access to OpenStreetMap (OSM) educational establishment point data for Australia and Oceania, which is updated every 15 minutes with the latest edits. This hosted feature layer view is referencing a hosted feature layer of OSM point (node) data in ArcGIS Online that is updated with minutely diffs from the OSM planet file. This feature layer view includes amenity features defined as a query against the hosted feature layer where the amenity value is any of 'school', 'university', 'college', or 'kindergarten'.In OSM, amenities are useful and important facilities for visitors and residents, such as schools and universities. These features are identified with an amenity tag. In OSM, amenity=school is used to identify a place where pupils, normally between the ages of about 6 and 18 are taught under the supervision of teachers. This includes primary and secondary schools. See amenity=college, amenity=university, and amenity=kindergarten for other educational establishments.Zoom in to large scales (e.g. Cities level or 1:160k scale) to see the educational features display. You can click on a feature to get the name and any other available attributes of the feature. The name of the feature will display by default at very large scales (e.g. Building level of 1:2k scale). Labels can be turned off in your map if you prefer.

Data on the top universities for Engineering in 2025, including disciplines such as Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

While current revenue figures have seen continued growth for the five years through 2024-25, inflation has meant that it has materially declined over the same period. Currently, revenue for the Government Schools industry sits at an estimated $70.5 billion, reflecting an annualised contraction of 1.2% since 2019-20 and a 2.5% drop compared to 2023-24 figures. As the Australian population aged between 5 and 18 grows, demand for public schools continues to swell. Government schools are mainly funded by state and federal governments, with education being a critical part of their budgets. Secondary to this, schools also receive funding from donations and fundraising. However, the cost-of-living crisis has threatened this additional revenue stream. Many parents perceive private schools as of a higher quality than government schools, partly because of marketing efforts to boost their reputation. This competition has meant that public schools have faced staff shortages as teachers move to private schools to receive the higher salaries offered. Private schools can offer these wages as, unlike public education providers, they receive sizable fees from parents. In contrast, public schools operate not-for-profit, limiting their ability to pay staff higher salaries. Looking to the future, government schools will continue to derive growing revenue from government funding. The 2024-25 Victorian budget contains $753.0 million for school maintenance and upgrades, and $139.0 million for getting more teachers into schools as the state attempts to fight staff shortages. The NSW 2024-25 budget includes $8.9 billion to continue the development of school infrastructure in both regional New South Wales and the rapidly growing Western Sydney. Overall, government schools' revenue is expected to climb at an annualised 1.5% through the end of 2029-30, to total $75.9 billion.

Data on the top universities for Law in 2025.

According to a graduate outcome survey conducted in 2022, the total employment rate of recent graduates from Australian universities was the highest for pharmacy degree holders, with almost 97 percent finding any type of employment after finishing their studies.

The employment rate of recent graduates from Australian universities was the highest for rehabilitation and medicine degree holders, with around 96.5 percent finding full-time employment shortly after finishing their studies in 2023.

This Cost of International Education dataset compiles detailed financial information for students pursuing higher education abroad. It covers multiple countries, cities, and universities around the world, capturing the full tuition and living expenses spectrum alongside key ancillary costs. With standardized fields such as tuition in USD, living-cost indices, rent, visa fees, insurance, and up-to-date exchange rates, it enables comparative analysis across programs, degree levels, and geographies. Whether you’re a prospective international student mapping out budgets, an educational consultant advising on affordability, or a researcher studying global education economics, this dataset offers a comprehensive foundation for data-driven insights.

Description

Column	Type	Description
Country	string	ISO country name where the university is located (e.g., “Germany”, “Australia”).
City	string	City in which the institution sits (e.g., “Munich”, “Melbourne”).
University	string	Official name of the higher-education institution (e.g., “Technical University of Munich”).
Program	string	Specific course or major (e.g., “Master of Computer Science”, “MBA”).
Level	string	Degree level of the program: “Undergraduate”, “Master’s”, “PhD”, or other certifications.
Duration_Years	integer	Length of the program in years (e.g., 2 for a typical Master’s).
Tuition_USD	numeric	Total program tuition cost, converted into U.S. dollars for ease of comparison.
Living_Cost_Index	numeric	A normalized index (often based on global city indices) reflecting relative day-to-day living expenses (food, transport, utilities).
Rent_USD	numeric	Average monthly student accommodation rent in U.S. dollars.
Visa_Fee_USD	numeric	One-time visa application fee payable by international students, in U.S. dollars.
Insurance_USD	numeric	Annual health or student insurance cost in U.S. dollars, as required by many host countries.
Exchange_Rate	numeric	Local currency units per U.S. dollar at the time of data collection—vital for currency conversion and trend analysis if rates fluctuate.

Potential Uses

• Budget Planning Prospective students can filter by country, program level, or university to forecast total expenses and compare across destinations.
• Policy Analysis Educational policymakers and NGOs can assess the affordability of international education and design support programs.
• Economic Research Economists can correlate living-cost indices and tuition levels with enrollment rates or student demographics.
• University Benchmarking Institutions can benchmark their fees and ancillary costs against peer universities worldwide.

Notes on Data Collection & Quality

• Currency Conversions All monetary values are unified to USD using contemporaneous exchange rates to facilitate direct comparison.
• Living Cost Index Derived from reputable city-index publications (e.g., Numbeo, Mercer) to standardize disparate cost-of-living metrics.
• Data Currency Exchange rates and fee schedules should be periodically updated to reflect market fluctuations and policy changes.

Feel free to explore, visualize, and extend this dataset for deeper insights into the true cost of studying abroad!

The first public release of the GRID database. Please note, the csv download only includes IDs, names & locations. See the JSON download for all metadata including types & relationships Please see here for a descriotion of the database format: https://www.grid.ac/format Release notes: - Database seeded from research institutes in grant data from over 65 global funders. - GeoNames IDs added to all institutes. - NUTS codes added to all European institutes. - Metadata added for the top 3000 Universities, majority of Germany and Australia and many more. - Parent / Child relationships added for 65 super institute members (e.g. Max Planck, Chinese Academy of Sciences, etc.) External identification systems: - HESA institution codes (Higher Education Statistics Agency UK) - UCAS institution codes (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, UK) - UKPRN institution codes (UK Provider Reference Number, UK) - 4373 Fundref codes

In 2022, the state which had the highest number of people enrolled in study was New South Wales, in which there were just under 958 thousand people enrolled in study. The Northern Territory, on the other hand, had only 29.2 thousand people enrolled in study. Out of the Australian states, New South Wales is home to the highest number of universities.

The industry provides management services for student accommodation providers. Student housing managers control and oversee student accommodation, like university campus accommodation and purpose-built student accommodation. Industry revenue does not include rent income from providing student accommodation.

Advancements in technology and broader internet access have transformed online education into an appealing and feasible option for both learning and career progression. The pandemic accelerated this trend, as social distancing measures forced many educational institutions to shift their offerings online. This greater adoption has supported online education revenue, which is expected to surge at an annualised rate of 5.4% over the five years through 2024-25, reaching an estimated total of $12.2 billion. This growth includes an anticipated hike of 4.4% in 2024-25, driven by students pursuing education alongside their busy schedules. Online education offers more flexibility than traditional educational methods, allowing full-time workers to pursue additional learning opportunities. Government reforms in the higher education sector have enhanced these benefits by steering the system towards a more vocational emphasis. These reforms include offering more short courses for workers to upskill and advance their careers. These courses are predominantly delivered online, boosting demand for online education services. This shift has led to a jump in the number of enterprises and establishments within the industry in recent years. Substantial growth in online education has also increased labour demands, with a gain in employment numbers and wage costs necessary to support the expanding subsector. Looking forwards, the subsector is poised to maintain solid profit margins and will undergo sustained growth over the long term. As a more significant number of older Australians return to education, the average student will trend older and these students will demand flexibility, boosting subsector demand. Educational providers will continue transitioning towards online models to cut costs, particularly in staffing and infrastructure. Online education revenue is projected to expand at an annualised 5.3% through the end of 2029-30, reaching an estimated $15.8 billion. This forecast growth highlights the online education subsector’s resilience and underscores its increasing importance as a cornerstone of modern education, accommodating evolving learner needs and global circumstances.

Export Data Access API

National education initiatives and a number of online education services rely on a current and accurate list of schools in Australia. In order to operate, schools must be registered with the respective school registration authority in each state or territory. ACARA has obtained the list from all 14 school registration authorities in Australia in order to create the Australian Schools List. This list provides an update of all schools and campuses in Australia. It also includes school location, school type and school sector attributes.

The ASL was last updated on 28 May 2020 to reflect Term 2 - 2020

https://asl.acara.edu.au/

Metadata

Type	Hosted Feature Layer
Update Frequency	As required
Contact Details	info@acara.edu.au
Relationship to Themes and Datasets
Accuracy
Standards and Specifications
Aggregators	ACARA
Distributors	ACARA
Dataset Producers and Contributors	ACARA

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The surveys were commissioned by the Committee of Inquiry into Education and Training, set up by the Australian Government, in order to gather information from students and staff in all sectors of Australian post-secondary education. Areas covered include characteristics of students and staff, career choice, preparation and planning and attitudes towards issues of importance to post-secondary education in the seventies.
Main Topics:

Attitudinal/Behavioural Variables
A. National Educational Survey, 1977
Date left secondary school, type and location, qualifications attained, whether specialised in any subjects, relative standard achieved (e.g. above/below average). Whether intended to enter university/college or follow a specific career. Whether entered a university/college, qualifications obtained. Whether worked full-time for more than six months. Whether currently enrolled in a university or college and details of courses, whether currently in employment and details. Whether recently changed or given up any courses - if so, reasons, future plans if not currently enrolled. Attributes of a typical teacher at respondent's college/university (e.g. inspires confidence, displays enthusiasm), whether agrees/disagrees with several statements concerning courses, reasons for current enrolment, whether present course and institution was first preference, overall evaluation of course and institution, relative standard achieved, whether committed to work for a particular employer when graduated, expected ease of obtaining a job, expected and preferred occupation. Time of choosing career, whether choice was restricted by subjects taken at secondary school, highest qualification would like to acquire, perceived differences between Universities, Colleges of Advanced Education and Technical Colleges. General comments were elicited concerning education and training and the effect of financial factors on career development.
Background Variables
Sex, age, country of birth of self and parents, no. of years lived in Australia, religion, marital status, whether has children, sources of financial support, comparison of own income (current and expected) and parents' income with the average, parents' occupations and highest level of education.
B. National Survey of Post-Secondary Teaching Staff, 1977
Separate questionnaires were sent to the three sectors of tertiary education. Questions asked in each include:
Position, field of teaching, length of time in university/college teaching/at present institution, positions/ qualifications held, publications, whether currently enrolled for a degree, details of teaching responsibilities, breakdown of activities each week. Attitude towards certain activities (e.g. research, teaching, administration), assessment of the goals of higher education, opinion of ability of incoming and whether affected by expansion in post-secondary education. Expected ease with which students will obtain jobs. Opinion of courses taught and student participation in decision-making, main reasons for students giving up courses, opinion of size of institution. Attributes of a typical teacher at own institution, ways in which university/college education could be improved, whether numbers in post-secondary education/in own discipline should continue to expand and by how much, whether admission standards should be relaxed/tightened, whether student transfers between institutions should be made easier/more difficult. Perceived differences between Universities, Colleges of Advanced Education and Technical Colleges, opinion of plans to amalgamate Universities and Colleges. Areas in which expenditure cutbacks should/should not fall. Expected date of leaving current institution, whether would support early retirement schemes, overall job satisfaction, whether would accept another position elsewhere, at what salary and for what reasons. General comments regarding education and training.
Background Variables
Age, sex, country of birth and of first degree, length of time lived in Australia, educational and occupational background of parents.

The project used an online survey of large national samples to provide a detailed picture of the Australian teacher and school leader workforces, and to gather information to assist in future planning. The survey ran from August to December 2010. The survey was structured around four populations: Primary Teachers; Secondary Teachers; Primary Leaders; and Secondary Leaders. ‘Leaders’ were defined as Principals, Deputy/Vice Principals, and their equivalents in the different school systems. The design meant that all eligible teachers in Australia had an approximately equal probability of selection. Final survey responses were received from 4,599 primary teachers (final response rate 34%), 10,876 secondary teachers (32%), 741 primary leaders (44%) and 838 secondary leaders (39%). The project was commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in collaboration with a representative Advisory Committee. The study is similar in scope to the "Staff in Australia's Schools 2007" survey (ADA studies 01153-01156) that was conducted by ACER and the Australian College of Educators on behalf of the former Australian Government Department of Education, Science and training (DEST). Both the SiAS surveys are similar in scope to the 1999 survey "Teachers in Australian Schools" that was commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DETYA) and conducted by the Australian College of Educators (ACE).

A dataset of schools apparent retention rates or ARR, all school sector in Victoria, from census year 2012 to 2023.\r This dataset is prepared and based on data collected from schools as part of the February School Census conducted on the last school day of February each year. It presents information for all government and non-government schools and student enrolments in Victoria, in particular secondary school years. The majority of the statistical data in this publication is drawn from school administration systems. The dataset includes analysis by school sector and sex, Koorie status, as well as on government schools by region.\r Apparent retention rates (ARR) are calculated based on aggregate enrolment data and provide an indicative measurement of student engagement in secondary education. The Department of Education and Training (DET) computes and publishes ARR data at a state-wide and DET region level only.\r \r The term "apparent" retention rate reflects that retention rates are influenced by factors not taken into account by this measure such as: Student repeating year levels, Interstate and overseas migration, Transfer of students between education sectors or schools, Student who have left school previously, returning to continue their school education.\r The ARR for year 7 to 12 (ARR 7-12) refers to the Year 12 enrolment expressed as a proportion of the Year 7 enrolment five years earlier. The ARR for year 10 to 12 (ARR 10-12) refers to the Year 12 enrolment expressed as a proportion of the Year 10 enrolment two years earlier.\r \r Please note that the ABS calculates apparent retention using the number of full-time school students only whereas at the DET we use the number of full-time equivalent school enrolments. Data reported in the ABS Schools, Australia collection is based on enrolment data collected in August by all jurisdictions.\r \r The Department has found that computing ARR at geographical areas smaller than DET regions (e.g. LGA, Postcode) can produce erratic and misleading results that are difficult to interpret or make use of. In small populations, relatively small changes in student numbers can create large movements in apparent retention rates. These populations might include smaller jurisdictions, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and subcategories of the non-government affiliation. There are a number of reasons why apparent rates may generate results that differ from actual rates. \r Apparent retention rates provide an indicative measure of the number of full-time school students who have stayed in school, as at a designated year and grade of education. It is expressed as a percentage of the respective cohort group that those students would be expected to have come from, assuming an expected rate of progression of one grade per year.\r \r Provided ARR is a result of calculation of the whole census and is NOT to be re-calculated by average or sum.