September 9, 2009     The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, has today announced that university applications have grown by 5.6 per cent this year - the largest increase since 2002 - while the number of students in higher education in Australia continued to grow in 2008, reaching 1,066,095.

The figures were released in the Undergraduate Applications, Offers and Acceptances 2009 report, and the Selected Higher Education Statistics report.

The Rudd Government is working to increase the proportion of 25-34 year-old Australians with bachelor level qualifications to 40 per cent by 2025, and these figures are a promising increase over last year.

Offers and acceptances

The Undergraduate Applications, Offers and Acceptances 2009 report released today shows strong growth across much of the university sector but particularly in areas like science, engineering and dentistry.

Unmet demand for university places in 2009 is estimated to be 18,500. This is a significant increase on last year’s figure (12,600). It is lower than peak levels of 36,100 in 2004 in the current series which began in 2001.

The Rudd Government is providing an additional $490.6 million over the next four years to assist in the growth of university places, with a further $437 million to target students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

This funding will enable an additional 50,000 students to commence university by 2013 and produce 217,000 additional graduates by 2025.

Today’s report showed that applications for science courses are 17 per cent higher this year, reversing declining interest and falling applications since 2004.

Graduates who take up employment in related occupations, including teaching these subjects in secondary schools, will receive reductions in HECS-HELP payments and debts.

Applications for nursing are up 6 per cent this year, but demand for education has fallen by3 per cent in 2009.  Demand for dentistry increased strongly by 25 per cent in 2009.

The Government introduced measures in the 2009-10 Budget to increase funding for nursing and education courses and lower HELP debt repayments for those working in nursing and teaching professions.

Demand for engineering courses increased for the fourth year in a row, up by 10 per cent in 2009 in response to strong growth in mining and construction despite the global recession.

The report shows that medicine (16.1 per cent) and architecture and building (up 15.6 per cent) grew strongly, with more modest increases in agriculture, environmental and related studies (up 8.2 per cent), information technology (up 6.3 per cent) and health (up 5.7 per cent), mostly at public universities.

New enrolments also increased in management and commerce (up 7.2 per cent).

The broad field of education showed the largest increase for students at private providers, up 25.5 per cent from 9,504 to 11,931.

Tables and a summary analysis of higher education student statistics for 2008 are available on the DEEWR website.

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