The Structure of Higher
Education in Australia
- a debate we have yet to have
Higher Education Congress, Sydney
2 September 2013
Mike Gallagher
Higher Education policy models
Planning orientation
(central government determination)
Q1 Q2
Supply-driven Demand-driven
(primacy of provider interests) (primacy of student interests)
Q3 Q4
Market orientation
(competition among rival providers)
Higher Education Policy Principles
Opportunity: Participation in higher education should be open to all who are
able to benefit and are motivated to do so.
Fairness: Access to higher education should be fairly available, without
systemic barriers to participation
Choice: Students should be free to select the higher education opportunities
that best suit their needs and interests.
Quality: Higher education should meet acceptable threshold standards of
quality.
Financial sustainability: Higher education of acceptable quality should be
affordable for the nation on a long-term basis.
Structural diversity: The structure of the nation’s higher education system
should cost-effectively accommodate the diversity of student needs and
circumstances.
Institutional flexibility: Higher education institutions should have the
organisational and operational flexibility they need to respond
competitively and collaboratively to change.
Absolute change in offers to school leavers
with ATARs, by ATAR & SES, 2009-2012
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
50.00 or less 50.05-60.00 60.05-70.00 70.05-80.00 80.05-90.00 90.05 or more
High SES
Medium SES
Low SES
Commencing Domestic Sub-bachelor Students
by Broad Level of Course, Full Year 2012
Provider typeAssociate
Degree
Other
Undergraduate
Enabling
CoursesTotal
Table A/B
providers4,312 4,742 16,428 25,482
Non-table A/B
providers825 4,656 0 5,481
Total 5,137 9,398 16,428 30,963
Offer rates by university group, 2010-2013
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
120.0%
Group of Eight ATN IRUA RUN TOTAL
2010
2011
2012
2013 (Feb)
Offer rates by university 2012
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
120.0%
140.0%
160.0%
180.0%T
he
Univ
ers
ity o
f M
elb
ou
rne
Un
ivers
ity o
f T
echno
log
y,
Sydn
ey
RM
IT U
niv
ers
ity
Mo
nash U
niv
ers
ity
The
Univ
ers
ity o
f A
de
laid
e
The
Univ
ers
ity o
f Q
ueen
sla
nd
The
Univ
ers
ity o
f N
ew
South
Wale
s
The
Univ
ers
ity o
f S
ydne
y
Jam
es C
ook U
niv
ers
ity
Un
ivers
ity o
f T
asm
an
ia
Un
ivers
ity o
f S
outh
Austr
alia
Que
ensla
nd U
niv
ers
ity o
f T
echn
olo
gy
The
Univ
ers
ity o
f W
este
rn A
ustr
alia
Tota
l
The
Univ
ers
ity o
f N
ew
castle
Cu
rtin
Univ
ers
ity o
f T
echn
olo
gy
Griffith U
niv
ers
ity
Ch
arles D
arw
in U
niv
ers
ity
De
akin
Univ
ers
ity
Un
ivers
ity o
f W
ollo
ng
ong
The
Au
str
alia
n N
ationa
l U
niv
ers
ity
Ma
cq
uari
e U
niv
ers
ity
Ch
arles S
turt
Univ
ers
ity
Flin
ders
Univ
ers
ity o
f S
outh
Austr
alia
Mu
rdoch U
niv
ers
ity
Edith C
ow
an U
niv
ers
ity
Un
ivers
ity o
f S
outh
ern
Quee
nsla
nd
Ce
ntr
al Q
uee
nsla
nd U
niv
ers
ity
Austr
alia
n C
ath
olic
Univ
ers
ity
La
Tro
be
Univ
ers
ity
Un
ivers
ity o
f th
e S
unshin
e C
oast
Sw
inburn
e U
niv
ers
ity o
f T
ech
nolo
gy
South
ern
Cro
ss U
niv
ers
ity
Un
ivers
ity o
f W
este
rn S
yd
ney
The
Univ
ers
ity o
f N
ew
Engla
nd
Un
ivers
ity o
f C
anb
err
a
Un
ivers
ity o
f B
alla
rat
Vic
tori
a U
niv
ers
ity
Change in offer rates by university, 2009-2012
-20.0%
-10.0%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%C
harles S
turt
Univ
ers
ity
Un
ivers
ity o
f C
anb
err
a
South
ern
Cro
ss U
niv
ers
ity
Flin
ders
Univ
ers
ity o
f S
outh
Austr
alia
Jam
es C
ook U
niv
ers
ity
Un
ivers
ity o
f T
asm
an
ia
The
Univ
ers
ity o
f Q
ueen
sla
nd
Mu
rdoch U
niv
ers
ity
Ch
arles D
arw
in U
niv
ers
ity
Un
ivers
ity o
f S
outh
Austr
alia
Cu
rtin
Univ
ers
ity o
f T
echn
olo
gy
Gri
ffith U
niv
ers
ity
The
Univ
ers
ity o
f N
ew
South
Wale
s
The
Univ
ers
ity o
f M
elb
ou
rne
Ma
cq
uari
e U
niv
ers
ity
The
Univ
ers
ity o
f A
de
laid
e
Un
ivers
ity o
f W
ollo
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ong
Edith C
ow
an U
niv
ers
ity
Un
ivers
ity o
f th
e S
unshin
e C
oast
Mo
nash U
niv
ers
ity
The
Univ
ers
ity o
f S
ydne
y
Tota
l
Sw
inburn
e U
niv
ers
ity o
f T
ech
nolo
gy
Un
ivers
ity o
f W
este
rn S
yd
ney
Un
ivers
ity o
f T
echno
log
y,
Sydn
ey
Ce
ntr
al Q
uee
nsla
nd U
niv
ers
ity
Que
ensla
nd U
niv
ers
ity o
f T
echn
olo
gy
The
Univ
ers
ity o
f N
ew
castle
La
Tro
be
Univ
ers
ity
The
Univ
ers
ity o
f W
este
rn A
ustr
alia
Austr
alia
n C
ath
olic
Univ
ers
ity
The
Au
str
alia
n N
ationa
l U
niv
ers
ity
RM
IT U
niv
ers
ity
The
Univ
ers
ity o
f N
ew
Engla
nd
Un
ivers
ity o
f S
outh
ern
Quee
nsla
nd
De
akin
Univ
ers
ity
Un
ivers
ity o
f B
alla
rat
Vic
tori
a U
niv
ers
ity
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
All Students Domestic Students
Undergraduate Students, 1949 - 2012
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
140%
160%
180%
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
Commencing Students All Students
Increase in Domestic Undergraduate
Students, 1979 - 2012
Higher education providers by scale of
enrolment, 1987 & 2012Institutional type & student enrolment 1987 2012
Universities
< 3000
3001 - 10,000
10,000 - 20,000
20,001 - 35,000
35,001 - 50,000
>50,000
19
2
12
5
0
0
0
39
0
2
6
16
11
4
Colleges of Advanced Education
<3000
>3,000
46
29
17
0
Non-Government Teachers Colleges
<1000
>2,000
3
2
1
0
Other Higher Education providers
< 1, 000
1,001 – 2000
2,001 – 3,000
>3,000
Unknown
0 131
61
11
2
8
49
0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000
Private/Other Providers
Monash University
RMIT University
The University of Sydney
The University of New South Wales
The University of Melbourne
Curtin University of Technology
The University of Queensland
Queensland University of Technology
Deakin University
Griffith University
University of Western Sydney
Macquarie University
Charles Sturt University
University of Technology, Sydney
The University of Newcastle
La Trobe University
University of South Australia
University of Wollongong
Swinburne University of Technology
University of Southern Queensland
Edith Cowan University
The University of Adelaide
Victoria University
University of Tasmania
The University of Western Australia
Australian Catholic University
Murdoch University
Flinders University
James Cook University
The University of New England
The Australian National University
Central Queensland University
University of Canberra
Southern Cross University
University of Ballarat
University of Notre Dame Australia
Charles Darwin University
University of the Sunshine Coast
Bond University
Avondale College of Higher Education
MCD University of Divinity
Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
Number of students, 2002 & 2012
2002
2012
Source: Higher Education Statistics Data Cube (uCube, DIISRTE) Nu
mbe
r o
f s
tude
nts
, 2
00
2 &
20
12
Academic Ranking of World Universities, 2013, student size, graduateness and asset strength
University
Total
Students
PG/U
G
Net Assets
(A$m) University
Total
Students
PG/U
G
Net Assets
(A$m)
Harvard 21,000 2.16 $33,657 The University of Melbourne 49,341 0.70 $3,493
Stanford 15,870 1.27 $20,500
The Australian National
University 20,060 0.62 $1,731
U Cal Berkeley 36,142 0.40 $3,305 The University of Queensland 46,646 0.28 $2,738
MIT 11,189 1.48 $11,259
The University of Western
Australia 25,098 0.22 $1,467
Cambridge 18,899 0.58 $3,861 The University of Sydney 52,487 0.40 $3,361
Cal Inst Tech 2,231 1.28 $3,229 Monash University 63,027 0.26 $1,746
Princeton 8,081 0.51 $15,681
The University of New South
Wales 50,695 0.36 $1,719
Columbia 28,825 2.48 $9,691 The University of Adelaide 25,721 0.29 $1,118
Chicago 15,219 1.83 $6,480 Macquarie University 38,837 0.27 $1,413
Oxford 22,000 0.83 $3,164 Flinders University 21,366 0.33 $554
Yale 11,880 1.21 $19,086 Griffith University 41,996 0.20 $1,876
U Cal LA 41,341 0.48 $3,604 James Cook University 20,847 0.23 $737
Cornell 22,400 0.58 $6,827
Swinburne University of
Technology 27,379 0.19 $668
U Cal San Diego 29,052 0.28 $2,292 The University of Newcastle 35,046 0.22 $931
Pennsylvania 24,725 1.07 $8,934 University of Tasmania 25,445 0.23 $757
Washington 42,907 0.39 $5,206 University of Wollongong 29,021 0.29 $701
Johns Hopkins 6,958 1.04 $4,056 Curtin University of Technology 46,868 0.19 $915
U Cal San Francisco 10,017 0.58 $3,165 La Trobe University 33,626 0.22 $1,065
Wisconsin Madison 42,820 0.32 $2,699 University of Technology, Sydney 36,118 0.35 $1,196
Swiss Fed Inst Tech
Zurich 17,781 0.99 N/A University of South Australia 33,351 0.21 $855
Projected growth for 16-18 year olds, 2010-2040
Source: ABS, Population Projections, Australia, 2006 to 2101. Series A.
0.80
0.90
1.00
1.10
1.20
1.30
1.40
1.50
1.60
1.70
1.80
NSW Vic Qld SA WA Tas NT ACT Aust
University revenue by source, 1939-2011
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1939 1951 1961 1971 1981 1987 1991 2001 2011
Commonwealth Government
State Government
Student contributions including HECS
International student fees
Investments, endowments, donations
Other Income
Total Research Income, by university,1995 & 2011
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
The University of Melbourne
The University of Sydney
The University of Queensland
The University of New South Wales
The Australian National University
Monash University
The University of Western Australia
The University of Adelaide
The University of Newcastle
University of Tasmania
Queensland University of Technology
Griffith University
Curtin University of Technology
University of South Australia
University of Wollongong
Flinders University
RMIT University
Macquarie University
La Trobe University
James Cook University
University of Technology, Sydney
Deakin University
Charles Darwin University
Murdoch University
Swinburne University of Technology
University of Western Sydney
The University of New England
Edith Cowan University
University of Canberra
Victoria University
Southern Cross University
Charles Sturt University
University of Southern Queensland
Central Queensland University
Australian Catholic University
University of Ballarat
Bond University
University of the Sunshine Coast
MCD University of Divinity
University of Notre Dame Australia
Batchelor Institute
$ million
1995 Research Income Increase in Research Income from 1995 to 2011
Source: Finance 2011 - Financial Reports of Higher Education Providers (DIISRTE); 2011 Research Income and Publications Data by Sub Category (DIISRTE); 2011
Research Block Grant Allocations (DIISRTE); Research Block Funding Timeseries (2002 - 2010) (DEEWR); Higher Education Research Data Collection (1992-2006)
(Universities Australia )
ERA 2012: Field of Research (2 digit) rank of 4 or 5 by university
Source: ARC, Excellence for Research in Australia 2012
Earth Sciences 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Agricultural & Veterinary Sciences 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Environmental Sciences 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Biological Sciences 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Engineering 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Medical & Health Sciences 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Law & Legal Studies 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Language, Communication & Culture 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
History & Archaeology 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Mathematical Sciences 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Studies In Creative Arts & Writing 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Physical Sciences 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Chemical Sciences 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Economics 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Technology 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Philosophy & Religious Studies 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Information & Computing Sciences 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Commerce,Mangmt,Tourism&Services1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Psychology & Cognitive Sciences 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Studies In Human Society 1 1 1 1 1 1
Education 1 1 1 1 1
Built Environment & Design 1 1 1
Melb
ourn
e
Sydney
Queensla
nd
UN
SW
AN
U
Monash
Adela
ide
UW
A
Macquarie
Tasm
ania
Wollo
ngong
QU
T
Griffith
New
castle
UT
S
Deakin
Jam
es C
ook
RM
IT
Uni S
A
UW
S
La T
robe
Murd
och
South
ern
Cro
ss
Sw
inburn
e
Charles D
arw
in
CQ
U
Bond
Charles S
turt
Curt
in
Flin
ders
Sunshin
e C
oast
UN
E
AC
U
Batc
helo
r
Balla
rat
Canberr
a
Edith
Cow
an
Melb
ourn
e C
olle
ge o
f D
ivin
ity
Notr
e D
am
e
US
Q
Vic
toria U
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000
The University of Sydney
The University of Melbourne
Monash University
The University of Queensland
The University of New South Wales
The Australian National University
Queensland University of Technology
Curtin University of Technology
The University of Adelaide
The University of Western Australia
Macquarie University
RMIT University
Griffith University
La Trobe University
University of Wollongong
The University of Newcastle
Deakin University
University of South Australia
University of Tasmania
University of Technology, Sydney
Flinders University
Swinburne University of Technology
University of Western Sydney
James Cook University
Murdoch University
The University of New England
Victoria University
Charles Sturt University
Edith Cowan University
Southern Cross University
University of Southern Queensland
University of Canberra
Australian Catholic University
Central Queensland University
Charles Darwin University
University of the Sunshine Coast
University of Ballarat
Bond University
University of Notre Dame Australia
Private/Other Providers
MCD University of Divinity
Avondale College of Higher Education
Batchelor Institute
Postgraduate research students, 2002 & 2012
2002
2012
Source: Higher Education Statistics Data Cube (uCube, DIISRTE)
Po
stg
rad
ua
te R
ese
arc
h s
tud
en
ts,
200
2 &
20
12
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
The University of Queensland
The University of Melbourne
The University of Sydney
Monash University
The Australian National University
The University of New South Wales
The University of Adelaide
The University of Western Australia
Griffith University
Queensland University of Technology
The University of Newcastle
University of South Australia
La Trobe University
Flinders University
Deakin University
Curtin University of Technology
RMIT University
James Cook University
University of Wollongong
Macquarie University
University of Technology, Sydney
University of Tasmania
Murdoch University
Victoria University
Southern Cross University
Australian Catholic University
Central Queensland University
Swinburne University of Technology
Charles Sturt University
The University of New England
Charles Darwin University
Edith Cowan University
University of Ballarat
University of Western Sydney
University of Canberra
University of Southern Queensland
Bond University
University of Notre Dame Australia
Avondale College of Higher Education
MCD University of Divinity
Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
University of the Sunshine Coast
FTE for Research-Only staff with academic and non-academic classifications (including casuals), 2001 & 2011
2001 2011
Source: Higher Education Statistics Data Cube (uCube, DIISRTE)
A possible future configuration
A top echelon of mainly stand-alone highly prestigious highly
resourced comprehensive universities
International combines of the next group sharing resources and
offering joint and mutually accredited programs
A range of niche institutions with specialisations in a few fields of
research and education
corporate and public-private-partnerships, some linking with
professional occupational practice
A great diversity of primarily local teaching institutions, both
public and private and public-private-partnerships
A set of high-tech, primarily virtual, global teaching providers
A set of global assessment agencies and enterprises.
Alberta’s postsecondary system
Comprehensive Academic and Research Institutions
Baccalaureate and Applied Studies Institutions
Polytechnic Institutions
Comprehensive Community Institutions
Independent Academic Institutions
Specialised Arts and Culture Institutions
Korea’s higher education structure, 2010
Universities (179)
Universities of technology (11)
Vocational Colleges (145)
Graduate schools (40)
Universities of education (10)
Cyber –universities (20)
miscellaneous schools (6)
Higher Education in Israel
Universities (7)
The Open University (1)
Arts Academies (2)
Comprehensive Academic Colleges (10)
Academic Colleges of Engineering (27)
Non-Budgeted Academic Colleges (8)
Singapore’s postsecondary education structure
University (4 public + 10 private campuses of foreign
universities)
Polytechnic (5 public institutions + Singapore
Institute of Technology with 10 foreign participating
providers)
Institute of Technical Education
Junior Colleges
Germany’s higher education structure
University
Technical University
University of Applied Sciences
Teacher Training College
College of Art/College of Music
Structural changes in higher education
Denmark; Dominican Republic; Finland; France; Germany;
Greece; Ireland; Kenya; Netherlands; Russia; Singapore;
Slovenia; South Africa; South Korea; Sweden; Wales:
Creating a binary divide, or
Reaffirming an established binary divide, or
Augmenting the binary divide, or
Closing the binary divide, or
Closing the sub-sectoral divide and developing more
integrated tertiary education, and
Reconfiguring institutional scale and scope (e.g. via closures,
mergers, regional collaborations, and
Concentrating investment in research (e.g. Centres of
Excellence, clusters)
Experimentation & Evaluation
“A restrictive understanding of the type classification is now
out of date and prevents the further development of
individual higher education institutions, entire types of higher
education institutions and the higher education system as a
whole. For a period of transition, the risk of greater
complexity can be accepted in the process. The Council
advocates therefore an expansion of the opportunities for
universities of applied sciences to develop, and the
development of new types of higher education institutions
which do not fall in the binary typology. Organised
cooperation and linking of established types of higher
education institutions can be an appropriate step to
encourage the new formation of distinct types of higher
education institutions” (Wissenschaftsrat, 2010).
Australia’s higher education structure
1. Australian University (40)
2. Australian University College (0)
3. Australian University of Specialisation (1)
4. Overseas University (2)
5. Overseas University of Specialisation (0).
6. Higher Education Provider (131)
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