The Education Sector

Overview of the Australian education sector
Australian education is a dynamic and growing service market. Australia ranks as the third largest provider of education to international students after the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK).
International education is valued at $20+ billion, making it Australia’s third largest export.
Some of the world’s brightest minds are drawn by the country’s dynamic and multicultural education sector, world-class teaching, infrastructure and research facilities, and global connections.
The Australian education system is broadly structured as follows:
  • 1 primary school: seven or eight years, starting at Foundation (also called kindergarten/preparatory/pre-school) through to Year 6 or 7
  • 2 secondary school: four years from Years 7 or 8 to 10
  • 3 senior secondary school: two years from Years 11 to 12
  • 4 tertiary education: includes higher education and vocational education and training (VET).
Growth and opportunity in Australian international education
Austrade commissioned Deloitte Access Economics and EduWorld to explore the opportunity for the future growth of the international education sector.
Key conclusions of the report:
• Australia’s onshore international education sector is forecast to grow from 650,000 enrolments today to 940,000 by 2025 (which equates to a compounding annual growth rate of 3.8 per cent).
• The international education sector’s contribution to export earnings is expected to almost double to in excess of $33 billion by 2025.
• The top eight source markets for onshore international learner enrolments across all sectors in 2025 are expected to be China, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Nepal, Malaysia, Brazil and South Korea. Much of the growth in onshore learner enrolments will be driven by Asia – in particular China, India, Nepal, Vietnam and Thailand.
• Over the period to 2025, the fastest growing sectors in onshore international education are expected to be higher education and VET (in percentage terms). By 2025, these two sectors are expected to account for 72 per cent of all onshore international learner enrolments.
• China is set to remain Australia’s largest source market for onshore enrolments in 2025 and is expected to occupy the largest number of higher education, schooling and ELICOS enrolments. The largest number of VET onshore enrolments in 2025 are forecast to come from India (16 per cent), Thailand (eight per cent) and South Korea (seven per cent).