AUSTRALIA

Student growth rate falls to lowest level since 2010

The uncapped system of higher education funding is reaching equilibrium as the growth in the number of would-be students slows and universities become marginally more choosy about whom they accept, writes John Ross for The Australian.

New Education Department figures suggest the increase in the number of university applicants has fallen to its lowest level since 2010, when universities began expanding ahead of the uncapping of undergraduate places two years later.

Growth in applications fell to 1.7% this year, down from 3.2% in 2015. Universities made just 0.8% more offers, reflecting increasingly selective university admission processes. The figures also suggest the demand-driven system is making universities more inclusive, with a jump in offers to under-represented groups – led by a 10% surge in places for indigenous students.
Full report on The Australian site