Planning and Business Intelligence

Environmental Scan 2024

The University of Queensland's Environmental Scan facilitates the compilation and sharing of relevant data about the higher education environment in which we operate. The information included in the Scan can be used to assist decision making, and inform and support general University operations.

The Australian Higher Education Sector

Australia’s higher education system is considered to be in the top ten globally. The sector is comprised of public and private universities, and other non-university higher education providers, totalling 204 active registered providers.

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UQ within the Australian Higher Education Sector

The University of Queensland is a highly comprehensive public university which takes pride in its position as one of the premier, broad-based, research intensive universities in Australia. A member of the Group of Eight (Go8) and Universitas 21 (U21), various rankings highlight UQ’s exemplary performance as an institution and across a range of disciplines.

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Higher Education Policy and Funding

The majority of Australia’s higher education funding is administered under the Higher Education Support Act (HESA) 2003, including measures such as the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP), Commonwealth Grant Scheme (CGS) and Commonwealth Scholarships.

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International Education Policy

The Universities Accord Final Report notes the importance of international students to Australia’s economy and the higher education sector (international education is Australia’s fourth largest export). The report calls for: less reliance on just a handful of source countries, and more international students studying in regional campuses.

Throughout 2023 and into 2024, the Federal Government announced a series of policies intended to increase integrity and safeguard the quality of the international education sector.

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Research and Innovation Policy, Funding, and Engagement

The Australian Universities Accord Final Report recognises the complexity of Australia’s research policy environment. Several key research recommendations in the Report are for further review and strategy development across Government departments.

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Financial Environment

Across 39 Australian publicly funded universities, the total operating revenue for higher education activities was $33.7 billion in 2022 (excluding vocational education and training activities). This represents a 11.0 per cent decrease on 2021 ($37.9 billion).

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Recent Strategic Directions and Developments at Other Universities

Adapting to an environment of continually evolving technologies and shifting financial, social, and political climates are common themes influencing every Australian university’s direction. Each institution develops strategies to realise their unique vision, although some goals are common across the sector, including developing, innovating, and improving in the areas of student experience, graduate employability, research performance, industry partnerships, community engagement, and student and staff equity and inclusivity.

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UQ’s Strategic Direction and Developments

Towards 2032: UQ Strategic Plan 2022–2025 articulates the vision, mission and values of The University of Queensland, together with the long-term objectives and medium-term strategic focus areas. The Plan coexists alongside the UQ St Lucia Campus Master plan and other sub-plans, strategies and programs.

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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement at UQ

The Indigenous Engagement division leads UQ's involvement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, staff, researchers and alumni, as well as the wider Indigenous community. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (ATSIS) Unit within the division provides a focus for community outreach, student support, research, and teaching and learning, including coordination of the Indigenous Studies Major.

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Human Resources at UQ

The success of UQ hinges on its ability to attract and retain highly talented individuals who are leaders in their respective fields. As an organisation, we believe investing in our people is the key to unlocking our full potential and achieving sustained success as a leading university. The critical importance of embedding a supportive and inclusive culture built around UQ's core values is recognised, in order to foster an environment that encourages and nurtures the diverse talents, passions, and perspectives of staff and alumni.

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Global Engagement

While some analysts project positive student mobility and a doubling of students from the pre-pandemic levels to 2030 (ICEF monitor), there are many factors at play impacting outcomes.

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International Student Market

The Future Students and Admissions Division leads the development, coordination and implementation of the University’s student recruitment strategy. This is focused on attracting high quality domestic and international students to study at UQ. The Future Student Recruitment team works in close partnership with faculties, schools, UQ’s global agent network and partners to grow our student community.

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Domestic QTAC Student Market

For the third year in a row, applicant demand among domestic undergraduates continued to soften across Queensland, falling by 4% compared to 2023. However, counter to trend, UQ’s overall first preferences increased by 2%.

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Domestic Postgraduate Coursework Student Market

The most recent data available via the Department of Education is 2022. Total national new commencing domestic PGCW student numbers have decreased by –15% YoY after a peak in 2021, to 10% above 2019 levels. UQ experienced a –13% decrease YoY, remaining up +7% against 2019.

As the country came out of the pandemic, people returned to full time work and demand for postgraduate study dropped back to normal trends.