2007 Tertiary Education Enrolments Publications
Publication Details
This report presents new information from the 2007 enrolment data collections provided to the Ministry of Education by tertiary education providers. Topics covered include: where students are studying, what qualifications they are taking, their field of study, their ages, the ethnic groups of students and learners and other important characteristics of people undertaking tertiary education study.
Author(s): Mieke Wensvoort, Tertiary Sector Performance Analysis, Ministry of Education.
Date Published: April 2008
Summary
Highlights
- In 2007, there were 484,000 students enrolled in formal tertiary study at providers.
- Formal enrolments fell by 1.5 percent from 2006 to 2007, but in terms of equivalent full-time student units the decrease from 2006 to 2007 was smaller - down by 0.4 percent to 269,000.
- Domestic enrolments fell by a lesser amount - down by 1.0 percent to 444,000 enrolments. A 7.7 percent fall in lower-level certificate enrolments was partially offset by a 4.3 percent increase in enrolments in level 4 qualifications and higher.
- The amount of study undertaken by domestic students actually increased from 2006 to 2007 by 1.1 percent - up by 2,610 equivalent full-time student units to 241,000.
- For the second consecutive year, the balance in domestic enrolments shifted from lower- to higher-level qualifications. In 2007, level 1 to 3 certificates accounted for 26 percent of enrolments in terms of equivalent full-time students.1 This compared to 29 percent two years earlier.
- The number of international students fell in 2007 by 6.4 percent, following a decline in 2006 of 10.0 percent. In contrast, international doctoral enrolments increased by 40 percent from 2006 to 2007.
- Enrolments in courses of less than 0.03 EFTS2 fell from 2006 by 7.3 percent to 76,700 in 2007. Non-formal tertiary enrolments also fell by 19 percent from 2006. These declines reflect the continuation of a more targeted approach to the funding of adult and community education, and a greater emphasis in government priorities on quality and relevance.
Enrolments overview3
Formal enrolments fell by 1.5 percent on the previous year to a total of 484,000. From 2005 to 2006, enrolments also fell by 2.5 percent. Before this, from 2000 to 2005 enrolments increased by 8.0 percent, on average, per year. International enrolments contributed strongly to this growth up until 2005.
From 2006 to 2007, the number of domestic enrolments fell by 1.0 percent (or 4,570 enrolments) and international enrolments fell by 6.4 percent (or 2,710 enrolments). This was the third consecutive year that international enrolments decreased - in 2006 they fell by 10.0 percent and in 2005 by 6.1 percent.
In 2007, the number of domestic enrolments totalled 444,000 and international enrolments numbered 39,900.
In contrast to the recent declines in provider-based enrolments, workplace learning has grown strongly in recent years. The number of learners in industry training rose from 2006 by 8.1 percent to 186,000 trainees in 2007 (including modern apprentices). More detailed information on work-based learners will be available later this year.
Enrolments shift from lower to higher level qualifications
The recent shifts away from lower-level qualifications were the result of greater controls over the funding of certificates and increased participation at higher qualification levels. Consequently, the number of domestic students fell from 2006 to 2007 by 1.0 percent to 444,000 enrolments. The latest decline in provider-based enrolments needs also to be seen against strong increases in recent years in the number participating in industry training.
In 2006 there was a shift from lower to higher level qualifications. This continued in 2007 when there were 16,300 fewer students enrolled in level 1 to 3 certificates. Study at this level declined by 7.8 percent in 2007 to 193,000 enrolments and, from 2005 to 2006, lower-level certificate enrolments declined by 6.1 percent. In recent years, certificate enrolments had been the major factor driving up total formal enrolments.
Importantly, in 2007, more New Zealanders studied qualifications at level 4 or higher, while study at masters level remained stable. Domestic enrolments in level 4 certificates rose from 2006 by 12 percent to 68,600 in 2007. Participation in bachelors degrees with honours, postgraduate certificates and postgraduate diplomas increased significantly from 2006 to 2007 - from 16,200 to 18,700 domestic enrolments. Postgraduate diplomas and postgraduate certificates were the qualifications which increased the most in this category. A rise in enrolments by under-25-year-olds was the main driver of this increase. Enrolments by 20 to 24 year-olds studying bachelors degrees with honours, postgraduate certificates and postgraduate diplomas increased in 2007 by 1,200 enrolments to 5,690 enrolments. And, almost four times as many 18 to 19 year-olds studied at this level - up from 297 enrolments in 2006 to 1,090 enrolments in 2007.
More domestic students studied at bachelors level in 2007 - up by 1,490 enrolments to 128,000. The latest increase in study at bachelors level was also the result of increased enrolments by under-25- year-olds. There were 1,260 more students aged 18 to 19 years who studied at bachelors level in 2007 (up 4.5 percent to 29,200 enrolments). Study at bachelors level by 20 to 24 year-olds also increased from 2006 to 2007 by 1.2 percent to 49,100 enrolments. In contrast, study at bachelors level decreased for those aged 25 years and over.
Study of level 5 to 7 diplomas by domestic students rose from 2006 by 1.4 percent to 62,700 enrolments in 2007. Study at masters level remained virtually unchanged at 10,500 domestic enrolments, while doctoral study increased by 268 enrolments in 2007 to 4,650.
Just over a third of the 2007 decline in formal enrolments was attributable to fewer international enrolments. Study by international students fell most strongly at bachelors level (down by 3,000 enrolments) and in level 5 to 7 diplomas (down by 1,390 enrolments).
Figure 1: Domestic student enrolments by qualification level
In contrast, international enrolments grew strongly for level 4 certificates and at doctoral level in 2007. There were also more international students who studied bachelors degrees with honours, postgraduate certificates and postgraduate diplomas.
The amount of study remains stable
When the total enrolments were converted into equivalent full-time students units, these remained virtually unchanged at 269,000 in 2007, compared to 270,000 units in 2006. The latest decrease in international study was largely offset by an increase in domestic study. The international count was lower in 2007, compared to 2006, by 3,700 equivalent full-time student units (down by 11 percent) and the domestic count was higher by 2,610 units (up by 1.1 percent).
Almost half of the overall downward movement in equivalent full-time students in 2007 was due to fewer students enrolling in level 1 to 3 certificates. The drop in certificate enrolments converted to a 3.3 percent fall in equivalent full-time students and this was primarily the result of a drop in domestic enrolments. Conversely, study of level 4 certificates rose by 1.9 percent and this was due to a rise in international enrolments. On the other hand, the decreases in diploma- and bachelors-level study were entirely due to lower international enrolments. The drop in the amount of diploma study converted to a 2.6 percent fall in equivalent full-time students. Study at bachelors level by international students declined in 2007 by 19 percent, or 3,450 equivalent full-time student units, while it increased for domestic students by 2.1 percent, or 2,060 equivalent full-time student units.
Study of bachelors degrees with honours, postgraduate certificates and postgraduate diplomas increased strongly for domestic as well as international students. Study at this level increased overall by 24 percent in 2007 up to 11,600 equivalent full-time student units.
Doctoral study rose from 2006 to 2007 by 9.3 percent to 5,870 equivalent full-time student units. A rise in international enrolments was the main driver of the increase in doctoral study. Doctoral study by international students increased by 38 percent in 2007 to 1,410 equivalent full-time student units. From 2005 to 2006, doctoral study by international students increased by 56 percent. Doctoral studies by international students have been funded on the same basis as domestic doctoral studies since 2006.
Figure 2: Total student enrolments and equivalent full-time student units
Increased study at institutes of technology and polytechnics
In 2007, more people studied level 4 certificates at institutes of technology and polytechnics, raising the overall amount of study in this sub-sector by 1.5 percent to 77,200 equivalent full-time students. On the other hand, study fell by 5.9 percent at wānanga to 22,300 equivalent full-time students and at private training establishments by 2.1 percent to 41,100 equivalent full-time students. The drop in study at wānanga was mainly due to lower enrolments in level 4 certificates. At private training establishments the fall was largely attributable to the shift away from lower-level certificate study, although this fall was moderated by more people studying in level 4 certificates.
At universities there was an overall increase of 3,790 equivalent full-time student units in 2007. However, this increase was matched by a decline at the colleges of education of 3,760 units in 2007, reflecting the absorption into the university system of the two remaining colleges of education. Discounting for these mergers the amount of study at universities remained stable due to the increase in domestic study largely offsetting the fall in international study. Contributing to the latest increase in study at universities were rises in bachelors- and postgraduate-level study by under-25-year-olds and the transfers of people from the colleges of education studying at diploma- and bachelors-level. The amount of university study at masters level increased by 5.3 percent (up 338 equivalent full-time student units) and doctoral study at universities increased by 9.3 percent (up 498 equivalent full-time student units). Three-quarters of the increase in doctoral study came from more international enrolments in 2007, reducing the overall decline in international study at universities to 2,670 equivalent full-time student units.
Field of study
Society and culture was the most common field of study in 2007, closely followed by management and commerce. Society and culture comprised 23 percent of the total equivalent full-time student count in 2007 (up 2 percentage points on 2006) and management and commerce accounted for 21 percent (down 1 percentage point on 2006). Ranked well below the top two fields, but closely together in third and fourth place, were health and mixed field programmes which accounted for 8.0 percent and 7.6 percent, respectively, of the 2007 equivalent full-time student count. Study in the field of engineering followed next at 7.3 percent while creative arts, education and the natural and physical sciences were each around 6 percent of the total equivalent full-time student count. The four remaining fields of study were less than 5 percent each of the equivalent full-time student count.
Figure 3: Top six fields of study in 2007 for all students enrolled in formal tertiary education qualifications
In terms of the number of students enrolled, management and commerce was the most common field of study in 2007 with 122,000 students. Society and culture moved down to second place with 102,000 students. The mixed field programmes attracted 49,400 students in 2007 and comprised the third largest field of study, both in terms of students and equivalent full-time student units. In 2007, there were 49,200 engineering students, the fourth most common field of study in terms of the number of students. The fifth most common field of study was agriculture, environmental and related studies with 39,200 students in 2007. However, this field of study ranked ninth when the enrolments were converted to equivalent full-time student units.
Students and gender
Following strong growth in the number of female students from 2000 to 2004, enrolments by females have fallen significantly in the last two years. In 2006, the decline in enrolments was entirely due to a large drop in female enrolments and in 2007 three-quarters of the decline was due to lower female enrolments. An important factor contributing to the recent falls in female enrolments was the reduction in the number of women enrolling in level 1 to 3 certificates.
From 2006 to 2007, there were 5,440 fewer enrolments made by females although women still made up 54 percent of total enrolments. Thirty-five percent of this fall was attributable to the decline in international enrolments. Over the same period, there were 1,830 fewer enrolments made by males and 45 percent of this decline was due to lower international enrolments.
The proportion of male students increased from 45 percent in 2005 to 46 percent in 2006. This was mainly due to increased enrolments by male students in short courses. In 2007, the proportion of male students remained at 46 percent although in terms of equivalent full-time student units, the proportion of males increased from 43 percent to 44 percent.
In 2007, the amount of study by domestic students increased by 1.1 percent compared to the previous year. Study by domestic male students increased significantly for level 5 to 7 diplomas and for bachelors degrees with honours, postgraduate certificates and postgraduate diplomas. Study by domestic female students increased most significantly at bachelors level, and in bachelors degrees with honours, postgraduate certificates and postgraduate diplomas.
Fewer international students
The number of international students declined for the third consecutive year to 39,900 enrolments in 2007. The falls in enrolments were mainly at bachelors level and also in level 5 to 7 diplomas.
In 2007, 8.3 percent of students undertaking tertiary education studies in New Zealand were from overseas. Of these, 66 percent were from Asia and the latest fall in international enrolments was mainly attributable to a decline in the number of Asian students. In contrast, the proportion of international students who identified with European and Other ethnic groups increased from 2006 to 2007 by around 1 percentage point to 8.8 percent and 11 percent, respectively.
Sixty-one percent of international students studied at bachelors or higher qualification levels in 2007. Twenty-three percent studied diplomas at level 5 to 7, while the remainder was enrolled in level 1 to 4 certificate courses.
The top three fields of study for international students in 2007 were management and commerce, society and culture and mixed field programmes. Overseas students in these three fields comprised over 70 percent of total international students in 2007. There were also 5,210 international students that followed non-formal educational programmes in New Zealand.
Ethnic groups
The Pasifika and Other ethnic groups were the only ones to increase their enrolments in 2007. From 2006 to 2007, enrolments fell for Asians by 3,830, for Europeans by 2,440 and for Māori by 1,780.4 The decline in enrolments by Asians was due fewer Asian international students. For Europeans and Māori the fall in enrolments was mainly in lower-level certificates. The fall for Europeans was partially offset by significant increases in study at level 4 certificates and of bachelors degrees with honours and postgraduate diplomas and certificates. The fall for Māori students was offset to a lesser extent, by increases in study at bachelors level and also in postgraduate diplomas and certificates. The 2007 fall in enrolments led to significant falls in the number of Māori studying at wānanga and private training establishments. Partially offsetting these decreases were increases in Māori students studying at polytechnics and universities. In 2007, there were fewer European studying at wānanga, polytechnics and private training establishments. While more Europeans studied at universities in 2007, the increase was matched by a similar decline at colleges of education due to the merger of the colleges and the universities.
Ethnicity | 2006 | 2007 | % Change |
---|---|---|---|
European | 297,308 | 294,866 | -0.8% |
Māori | 95.848 | 83,968 | -2.1% |
Pasifika | 28,695 | 30,849 | 7.5% |
Asian | 83,946 | 80,121 | -4.6% |
Other | 24,749 | 25,196 | 1.8% |
Total | 491,018 | 483,743 | -1.5% |
Study type
While the average study load of students increased only slightly between 2006 and 2007 (from 0.55 to 0.56 of an equivalent full-time student unit) there were more students who studied full-time for a full year. There were 161,000 people studying full-time for a full-year in 2007, up by 0.9 percent on 2006. The biggest increase in study load, on average, was for students in postgraduate certificates and diplomas - up from 0.53 of an equivalent full-time student unit in 2006 to 0.57 in 2007. This increase amounted to about one extra week of full-time study per year. The study load of masters-level students also increased in 2007 - up from an average of 0.58 to 0.60 of an equivalent full-time student unit. Students in level 1 to 3 certificate courses studied, on average, 0.34 of an equivalent full-time student unit in 2007, up on 0.32 in 2006.
Those studying full-time for part of the year decreased in number, from 2006 to 2007, by 3.1 percent to 71,900 students. However, the amount of study undertaken by full-time, part-year students increased, on average, in 2007.
Students who were part-time for a full year decreased in number, from 2006 to 2007, by 0.2 percent to 109,000 students, and those who studied part-time for part of a year decreased by 4.2 percent to 141,000 students. The amount of study undertaken by part-time students also decreased, on average, in 2007.
Footnotes
- Students who were enrolled at any time during the year with a tertiary education provider in formal qualifications of greater than 0.03 EFTS (more than one week's duration). The enrolment data collections do not include information on formal learning in the workplace.
- See the box on the right for an explanation of EFTS.
- A review of the Tertiary Student Enrolments and Completions database was held in 2007. This review led to changes in the 2006 tertiary education statistics at the disaggregated level and for previous years change occurred at both the disaggregated level and the total level.
- As students can be counted in more than one ethnic group the total count does not match the sum of the table components.
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