It is not simply in terms of success rates for students commencing bachelor degrees that international students outperform.
At the other end of the higher education spectrum, 40.5% of higher degree research completions In Australian universities in 2022 were by international students.
This outperformance figure, 40.5%, is in:
Australia, where 33.1% of people in Australia on census night in 2021 were born overseas and 24.8% speak a language other than English at home;
Australian universities, where 27.5% of students in 2022 were international students and 34.5% of completions in 2022 were by international students.
It is in completing PhD and masters by research degrees that international students perform above and beyond. In Australian universities in 2022, 10,950 degree completions were higher degree research completions. 40.5% of higher degree research completions were international students.
Postgraduate Research Completions 2022
Field Completions International %
Science 2,746 42.9%
Society/Culture 2.014 23.3%
Engineering 1,810 66.4%
Health 1,768 27.3%
Management/Commerce 600 49.3%
Education 505 25.9%
IT 479 68.9%
Creative Arts 475 17.1%
Agriculture/Environment 426 53.1%
Architecture 127 31.5%
Total 10,950 40.5%
From the table, 40.5% of postgraduate research completions were by international students, including 68.9% of IT research completions, 66.4% of Engineering research completions and 53.1% of Agriculture/Environment research completions
Selected Higher Education Statistics – 2022 Student data from the Australian Department of Education published in December 2023.
Strategy and Policy are guided by Research in Education. http://www.spre.com.au
