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International Education

Research papers and reports

This series of papers and reports presents the International Group's research, which highlights detailed trends in Australia's international education sector.

Issue

Title

2020/1

International Graduate Outcomes Survey – 2018

In 2018, over 10,000 international students who graduated from an Australian university in the last decade were asked about their current employment status and their perceptions of the value of their Australian qualification in the global job market. This report of the survey’s findings demonstrates that completing an Australian higher education qualification does make our international students very employable, particularly for those who return home, but also for those who choose to stay longer and gain work experience in Australia.

Infographic Report
(pdf 201KB) (pdf 1.9MB)

2019/3

International Student Survey 2018

Every two years since 2010, the Australian Government has funded a national survey of international students across Australia’s major education sectors. The 2018 survey is the biggest so far, with over 80,000 international students participating.

The main 2018 survey covers students in Higher Education, Vocational Education and Training, English language institutions and international students in secondary school. The survey found 89 per cent of international students were satisfied or very satisfied with their living and learning experience in Australia.

The overall headline findings and sector-level findings are captured in the infographic fact sheets below:

Headline Findings Higher Education VET Schools ELICOS
(pdf 321KB) (pdf 210KB) (pdf 221KB) (pdf 186KB) (pdf 186KB)

2019/2

2018 Offshore Higher Education Student Survey

In 2018, the department supported a first-ever satisfaction survey of students who were studying Australian higher education programs offshore, either in their own country or in a major transnational education hub such as Singapore and Malaysia. Eighty six per cent of the students surveyed reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their overall study experience.

Infographic Report
(pdf 3.2MB) (pdf 17.9MB)

2019/1

International education data gaps: Sector perspectives

The Department of Education and Training funded International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) to undertake a comprehensive analysis of existing international education data, as well as identifying any data gaps or areas for improvement. The consultation process engaged almost 200 stakeholders between October 2017 and April 2018. This included an online survey, as well as face-to-face focus groups where providers shared their experiences with using existing data sets, discussed opportunities for improvement and identified critical data gaps.

The report is available here.

2018/1

Survey and Focus Groups of students enrolled in Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) Offshore

As part of the Australian Government’s National Strategy for International Education 2025, the Department of Education and Training commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to provide an overview of the demographics and experiences of students enrolled in Australian vocational education and training (VET) offshore. The research findings are based on: (1) analysis of quantitative data collected through the first ever global survey of students enrolled in Australian VET courses overseas; and (2) analysis of qualitative data collected through a series of focus groups with students located in two Chinese provinces.

Key Findings ACER Full Report
(pdf 291KB) (link to website)

2017/1

International Student Survey 2016

Every two years since 2010, the Australian Government has funded a national survey of international students across Australia’s major education sectors. The 2016 survey is the biggest so far, with over 65,000 international students participating.

The main 2016 survey covers students in Higher Education, Vocational Education and Training and English language institutions, with a separate smaller survey covering international students in secondary school (hence the results of the schools survey are not comparable with results from the other sectors). The main survey found 89 per cent of international students were satisfied or very satisfied with their living and learning experience in Australia. This is the highest score measured so far in these biennial surveys and higher than a comparable global score measured from international students in other countries over the same time period.

The overall headline findings and sector-level findings are captured in the infographic fact sheets below:

Headline Findings Higher Education VET Schools ELICOS
(pdf 229KB) (pdf 210KB) (pdf 173KB) (pdf 154KB) (pdf 183KB)

2016/2

Australia’s international students: What’s important for sustainable growth?

Steve Nerlich, Director of the International Research and Analysis Unit, delivered this 26 minute video presentation to the 2016 International Student Advisers Network Australia (ISANA) conference. The presentation provides an overview of Australia’s international education system and of the half a million international students Australia has hosted in recent years. Mr Nerlich identifies some key ‘pull factors’ which underlie international student decisions to choose Australia as a study destination, drawing on the most recent findings from the 2016 International Student Survey that over 65,000 international students participated from across all of Australia’s education sectors. Institution-level data from the 2016 survey is now available to Australian education providers who participated in the 2016 survey and the integrated national data is expected to be available in early 2017.

This presentation is available for streaming from here.

2016/1

The value of international education to Australia

This report has been commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training to assess the value of international education to the Australian community. This assessment encompasses the sector’s contribution to the Australian economy and its broader economic and social impact on regional communities, tourism and the calibre and productivity of Australia’s workforce.
The analysis encompasses international students studying at schools, vocational education and training (VET) providers, higher education providers and those studying English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) courses.

This report is available in pdf 1.7MB or docx 587KB.

2015/3

Study pathways of international students in Australia

During their Australian education experience, the majority of international students undertake study in more than one educational sector. The English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) sector is the first step in an Australian study pathway for nearly two-thirds international students. Many other study pathways are also available. For example, 42 per cent of international students in Australian schools go onto further study in the tertiary sector and 46 per cent of international students in higher education had studied in one of the other sectors previously.

This report is available in either pdf 474KB or rtf 1.7MB.

2015/2

2014 Sample Stocktake Of International Student Accommodation In Australia

This document provides a sample stocktake of international student accommodation usage in 2014, being sample data from a national survey of international students, further supplemented by findings of a 2014 national census of university student accommodation providers.

This report is available in docx 910KB

2015/1

International Student Survey 2014 - Overview Report

This report documents research into the experiences of international students studying in Australia. The survey sought responses from international students studying onshore in the higher education, vocational education and training (VET) and English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas (ELICOS) Students sectors, using the International Student Barometer (ISB) survey instrument. A separate survey instrument was used to seek responses from international students aged 16 years or over studying in Australian secondary schools in years 11 and 12.

This report is available in either pdf 2.2MB or docx 5.8MB

2014/1

Study Pathways of International Students in Australia

In their Australian education experience, the majority of international students undertake study in more than one educational sector. The English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) sector is the first step in an Australian study pathway for two out of every five international students who study in Australia’s tertiary sector. Many other study pathways are also followed by international students. For example, 47 per cent of international students in Australian schools go onto further study in the tertiary sector and 48 per cent of international students in higher education had studied in another sector previously.

This paper is available in either pdf 481KB or rtf 1.7MB

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Research papers and reports