Student equity performance in Australian higher education: 2007 to 2013

This briefing note provides an update on domestic undergraduate student enrolment and equity outcomes from 2007 to 2013, following Koshy (2014). It focuses on undergraduate outcomes for Table A providers, given policy changes in recent years to Australian undergraduate education that affect them, including the full deregulation of undergraduate places in 2012 under the Demand Driven System (DDS). It reports on the number of domestic undergraduates between 2007 and 2013 in the 38 'Table A providers' in Australian higher education and enrolments in seven equity groups: (1) low socio-economic status ('low SES') students; (2) students with disability; (3) Indigenous students; (4) women in non-traditional areas ('WINTA'); (5) regional students; (6) remote students; and (7) non-English speaking background (NESB) students (also referred to as 'culturally and linguistically diverse' or 'CALD' students).

The report shows that between 2007 and 2013, the 38 Table A providers in Australian higher education saw a 26.4 per cent increase in domestic undergraduates, an expansion in student numbers of around 139,821. Increases in equity group numbers have either tracked or exceeded this expansion in terms of growth, with the exception of remote student enrolment which has seen growth of less than half of that of the system as a whole.

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