Deakin University has been crowned the number one institution in Australia and New Zealand in Edified’s 2025 Agent Perceptions Tracker (APT), an annual survey capturing the views of more than 850 education counsellors across 70 countries.
The result is a good one for Deakin in building its reputation for delivering exceptional service to the international education sector’s front-line professionals. In the latest rankings, Deakin claimed the top spot overall and ranked first in turnaround times, recruitment responsiveness, admissions responsiveness, and its agent portal. The university also placed in the top three for genuine student processes, product training, and scholarships.
Feedback from agents highlighted Deakin’s speed, flexibility, and engagement, including:
“Deakin is very prompt with their responses, offer good scholarships, turnaround time is good, multiple intakes and suits every student’s needs.”
“They keep the agents engaged and keep sending new updates, sessions and webinars… this helps to improve the brand image and attract quality students.”
Now in its second year, the APT is fast becoming a trusted benchmark for agent sentiment, measuring perceptions across 18 key service attributes spanning admissions, recruitment, marketing, and scholarships.
John Molony, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Vice President (International) at Deakin, said the ranking reflects a university-wide commitment to agent relationships. “The feedback from Edified’s Agent Perception Tracker survey is a testament to the quality of the partnerships we form with our representatives worldwide, and reflects the dedication to exceptional service demonstrated by so many across the University, Deakin College and Deakin University English Language Institute.”
APT creator Thomas Eastwood, Senior Consultant at Edified, said Deakin’s approach stood out, “What sets Deakin apart is their relentless focus on agent service. These results show that consistency, responsiveness, and proactive engagement really do get noticed.”
Other top-performing Australian and New Zealand universities included RMIT University, The University of Adelaide, La Trobe University and Curtin University, while Auckland University of Technology led the New Zealand cohort.
With global competition for students intensifying, Eastwood says the rankings prove agents are paying closer attention to service, systems, and support — not just brand and prestige.
The APT will expand to Canada in September 2025 and to the UK in 2026, offering institutions new insights into building stronger relationships with their recruitment partners.
For more information on the APT see here.
