The number of international students in Australian universities hit an all-time peak in 2024.
There were 495,652 international students in Australian universities in 2024, an all-time peak, from 453,796 a year earlier in 2023, and higher than the pre-pandemic 453,833 in 2019.
The 495,652 international students in 2024 made up 32.7% of the 1,513,706 students in Australian universities, an all-time peak proportion, from 31.0% a year earlier and higher than the figure 30.6% in pre-pandemic 2019.
Included in the number of international students is growth in the number of commencing international students, from 199, 815 in pre-pandemic 2019, and from 220,638 in 2023, to an all-time peak 222,123 in 2024.
International Students 2024
The Australian Department of Education in September 2025 released data on international student numbers in Australian higher education institutions in 2024. This analysis edits that data to include only the 42 Australian universities.
In the 42 Australian universities, there were 495,652 international students, onshore and offshore, in 2024, an all-time peak, up 9.2% from 453,796 a year earlier in 2023, and higher than the pre-pandemic 453,833 in 2019.
Included in the growth of 9.2% in the number of international students is growth of 0.7% in the number of commencing international students, from 199, 815 in pre-pandemic 2019, and from 220,638 in 2023 to an all-time peak 222,123 in 2024.
Table 1: Change in Student Numbers 2023 to 2024+
| 2023 | 2024 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commencements | |||
| Domestic | 363,892 | 381,301 | +4.7% |
| International | 220,638 | 222,123 | +0.7% |
| Total | 584,842 | 603,424 | +3.2% |
| Enrolments | |||
| Domestic | 1,007,342 | 1,018,054 | +1.6% |
| International | 453,796 | 495,652 | +9.2% |
| Total | 1,462,037 | 1,513,706 | +3.5% |
The 495,652 international students in 2024 made up 32.7% of the 1,513,706 students in Australian universities, an all-time peak proportion, up from 31.0% a year earlier and higher than the figure 30.6% in pre-pandemic 2019.
In the first perfect storm, just over a decade ago, the proportion of international students in Australian universities dropped from 27.7% in 2009 to 24.3% in 2013, then grew to 29.0% in 2018 and 30.6% in 2019. In the second perfect storm, the pandemic, the proportion dropped from 30.6% in 2019 to 28.5% in 2020, 26.2% in 2021 and 27.4% in 2022, then rose to 31.0% in 2023 and the all-time peak 32.7% in 2024.
Chart 1: International Students in Australian Universities: Onshore and Offshore
Across the 42 universities in 2024, the proportion of international students ranged from 5.7% to 57.4%, with the mean 28.9% and the median figure 28.0%, as in the chart. Group of 8 universities are in red.
Chart 2: Proportions of International Students in Australian Universities: Onshore and Offshore
In the above chart, the university with the highest proportion of international students is Murdoch University, where 14,198 international students made up 57.4% of 24,744 students in total. Next is The University of Sydney, where 40,035 international students made up 50.8% of 78,825 students in total.
The Department of Education Selected Higher Education Statistics – 2024 Student Data, released in September 2025, are at: https://www.education.gov.au/higher-education-statistics/student-data/selected-higher-education-statistics-2024-student-data
Detail is in the paper International Students 2024 at the What’s New page of www.spre.com.au
