Australian University International Student New Enrollments Decrease 5%
International student new enrollments at Australian higher education institutions in the first half of 2026 decreased 4.9% year-over-year. The government's implementation of international student quota system and strengthened visa screening are analyzed to have had an impact.
New Enrollment Status
According to preliminary statistics released by the Australian Department of Education on October 15, international student new enrollments at higher education institutions as of May 1, 2026 totaled 123,968. This represents a decrease of 6,447 from 130,415 at the same point in 2025.
Total international student enrollments were 472,245, a slight 0.5% decrease compared to 474,716 in the previous year. This marks a break in the growth trend of recent years. Enrollment numbers that stood at 355,425 as of May 2023 had increased to 423,803 in 2024 and 474,716 in 2025.
Policy Change Impact
The Department of Education stated that policy changes and macroeconomic conditions affected enrollment trends.
A national planning level of 295,000 was set for new international student enrollments in 2026, and the visa screening system was modified to prioritize applications based on progress against indicators allocated to each educational institution.
In recent years, student visa screening enhancement measures have been introduced, including stricter financial requirements and English requirements, Genuine Student assessment, and significantly increased visa application fees.
Statistical Scope
This announcement represents mid-first semester preliminary figures, not complete 2026 data. It covers courses with enrollment deadlines between January 1 and May 1, and captures the status at a point after the main first semester enrollment deadline.
The Department of Education stated that these figures are subject to revision and should be used for understanding general trends rather than as final official statistics. The statistics include students enrolled at overseas campuses of Australian universities, making them not directly comparable with figures for international students in Australia only.
Source: The PIE News
Sources
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