International university students Australia 2020-2021 by leading university
International tertiary education sector
An internationally recognized qualification from an Australian university is appealing to many foreign students. Chinese students made up the largest proportion of international students in Australia. In 2017, of the 624 thousand foreign students studying at higher education institutions, around 184.5 thousand originated from China. Management and commerce courses were the most popular courses for international students to study, followed by engineering, society and culture, and information technology.
Economic contribution
International education activity is a significant export income source for Australia. In 2017, around 30 billion Australian dollars were generated from intentional student expenditure – a value that has been increasing consistently over the past years. Chinese students studying onshore on student visas contributed over 10 billion Australian dollars in that year alone. Australia’s major competitors in this sector include its neighbor New Zealand, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Factors affecting student enrolments include increasing tuition fees, visa application costs as well as the comparatively high cost of living in Australian cities.