Domestic higher education enrolments are growing Down Under, potentially alleviating a government-inflicted downturn in?overseas student revenue.

At least half of Australia¡¯s universities said new enrolments from locals have risen this year, with some institutions reporting double-figure increases.

Central Queensland and James Cook universities said their domestic commencing student numbers were up by about 13 per cent compared?with the same stage of 2024, with gains of about 7 per cent reported by Flinders University and the University of Queensland (UQ), and 6 per cent by Charles Sturt University.

The University of the Sunshine Coast said its commencing domestic numbers were up by an even larger 15 per cent, with Federation University not far behind at 12 per cent, although neither of these figures took account of the 31 March ¡°census date¡± ¨C the last day students can withdraw without incurring debt. Commencing student numbers tend to decline as census date approaches.

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The largest pre-census date increase was reported by the University of Notre Dame Australia (NDA), which said its domestic undergraduate and postgraduate numbers had risen by 20 per cent and 18 per cent respectively, driven by surges of 20 per cent in nursing and 16 per cent in teacher education.

Student demand in both these disciplines is mounting across the country, with at least a dozen institutions reporting growth in education enrolments. UQ vice-chancellor Deborah Terry said her teaching numbers were up by 13 per cent, while the University of Sydney said domestic commencements in primary and secondary education were 24 per cent higher than in 2022.

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University of Newcastle deputy vice-chancellor Mark Hoffman said teaching degrees were popular at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. ¡°We saw a 40 per cent growth in demand last year, with numbers staying consistent in 2025,¡± he said.

Flinders reported a 64 per cent increase in domestic commencements in its education degrees this year, including growth of 40 per cent in initial teacher training. The University of Melbourne, where the discipline is only taught at master¡¯s level, reported 76 per cent growth since 2023.

Ivar Berget, principal of Canberra consultancy ConceptSix, said teaching and nursing might be seen as ¡°safer¡± career options in times of global insecurity and surging living costs. The tuition fees are relatively low, which meant graduates would not be lumbered with massive student debt, and costs would be eased from July by the promised A$319.50 (?156.46) weekly ¡°prac payments¡± for students undertaking compulsory practicums.

Berget said a post-Covid ¡°ideological shift¡± towards caring professions that offered reasonable work-life balance may also have helped boost nursing and teaching enrolments. Master¡¯s degrees in teaching were particularly appealing because they offered ¡°decent enough¡± career outcomes and required only two years¡¯ study for those with prior bachelor¡¯s qualifications.

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University enrolments generally rise during economic downturns and demographic spurts. Australia currently has both. Unemployment has eased up slightly over the past 18 months, while an early 2000s baby boom has now reached university entry age ¨C as demonstrated by an 11 per cent surge in??through the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre.

Berget said the growth in commencements showed that ¡°people see value in university degrees¡±. Of the university administrators he had spoken to, most had reported ¡°modest growth¡± of up to 4 per cent while none had mentioned declines. ¡°Often they¡¯re very quick to call out declines.¡±

But Federation said the increase in its domestic commencements had slowed. Vice-chancellor Duncan Bentley said its annual growth had ¡°started to taper¡±.

He said the Canberra government must work harder to improve opportunities for domestic students in the outer suburbs and the bush. ¡°We need federal government investment in regional universities [or] aspiring students may choose to bypass higher education altogether.¡±

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Queensland University of Technology reported a 4 per cent increase in domestic commencements. It said domestic undergraduate nursing numbers had increased by more than 30 per cent over the past 12 months, while five of the 10 postgraduate courses most favoured by domestic students were in teaching.

Meanwhile, Victoria University (VU) credited its?block model?for ¡°consistent growth¡± in its teaching courses. Teaching student Tyler Kennedy and nursing student Teaghan Wilton both said they had been drawn to VU by the block model.

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john.ross@timeshighereducation.com