Equity in student enrolment: A quantitative population perspective on international students in Australian universities

Nearly a third of Australian university students are international and are major contributors to Australia’s economy. Focusing on population rates, this paper explores the contribution of international student enrolment in Australian universities to global higher education equity. Findings indicate that, in 2022, the median rates of international student enrolment per 100,000 population were highest for the Indian subcontinent and lowest for Sub-Saharan Africa. National rates varied from 0.03 to 403 per 100,000 of the population. There were no indications of regional or national patterns with gross domestic product (GDP), proportion of GDP spent on education or access to national higher education, apart from some high GDP countries with high rates of student enrolment in Australia. Repeating the analyses for 2019 and restricting the population to ages 15-24 made no substantial difference. Given the high fees for international students, these results indicate that individual ability to pay is the most important predictor of becoming an international student in Australian universities. This paper argues that Australia should develop a strategy for international higher education based on global need rather than solely Australia’s economic benefit.