Summary

Key Findings

In 2011, there were 432,000 students (including international students) enrolled in formal study  with tertiary education providers.

The number of formal students (including international students) decreased by 7.3 percent from 2010 to 2011.In terms of equivalent full-time student units, the latest decrease in enrolments was smaller – down by 2.4 percent to 279,000 (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Annual change in formal tertiary education enrolments

The decrease in formal tertiary education enrolments from 2010 to 2011 was due to the number of domestic students decreasing by 8.7 percent.  Partially offsetting this fall was a 5.5 percent increase in the number of international students.

In 2011, the number of domestic students was 383,000 and the number of international students was 48,100.

The decrease in domestic enrolments was mainly driven by a fall in the number of students in non-degree qualifications. Level 2, 3 and 4 certificate enrolments decreased from 2010 to 2011 by 38,500 overall. This follows a decline in lower-level certificate enrolments since 2005.

The shift, in recent years, from lower- to higher-level qualifications has driven up the average study load of domestic students.  The average annual study load of domestic students, in terms of equivalent full-time student units, was 0.54 in 2005 and 0.64 in 2011.

Domestic enrolments by students aged 24 years and under decreased for the first time in five years.  From 2010 to 2011, these enrolments fell by 2.8 percent.  This was mainly due to falls in lower-level certificate enrolments and level 5 to 7 diplomas, while degree and higher-level study by this group increased.  Figure 2 shows an increasing trend in the international students since 2008.

Figure 2: Domestic and International Tertiary Education Enrolments

At the same time, provisional information on workplace-based learning suggests that these enrolments decreased in 2011. The expected decrease is largely a consequence of a review of the operational rules for industry training.  Before this, the number of industry trainees followed a strong upward trend for many years.

The number of students in formal study of less than one week's duration decreased by 28 percent from 2010 to 2011 to 25,400, and the provision of non-formal courses in tertiary education institutions decreased by 23 percent in 2011 to 54,800 students.