AU Higher-Ed Enrolment by State
Across 8 Australian states and territories, total university enrolment reaches 1,461,000 students. The largest higher- education jurisdiction is New South Wales with 458,000 enrolled students across 11 TEQSA-registered universities (31.3% of the national total). Second place goes to Victoria with 422,000 students.
State-level breakdown
The bar behind each enrolment figure shows the state's share of New South Wales, the largest higher-education jurisdiction.
| State / Territory | Universities | Total enrolment | Share of national | Avg intl share | Avg QS rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 11 | 31.3% | 27.0% | #352 | |
| Victoria | 8 | 28.9% | 34.0% | #304 | |
| Queensland | 8 | 17.6% | 25.6% | #451 | |
| Western Australia | 5 | 10.2% | 26.2% | #413 | |
| South Australia | 3 | 6.2% | 26.3% | #263 | |
| Australian Capital Territory | 2 | 2.6% | 29.5% | #226 | |
| Tasmania | 1 | 1.9% | 27.0% | #313 | |
| Northern Territory | 1 | 1.2% | 30.0% | #800 |
Enrolment by state
Total higher-education enrolment by state
Sum of enrolment across TEQSA-registered universities (2023 release)
International student concentration
Among states with at least 3 TEQSA-registered universities, Victoria leads on mean international share at 34.0% , against a cohort median of 26.3% (+7.7 pp vs median). Single-provider territories stay in the enrolment table above but are excluded from this average ranking; even above the floor, one large campus can move a state mean, so treat #1 as directional.
Average international student share by state
Mean intl_share · floor ≥3 universities · cohort median 26.3%
What the geography reveals
Australian higher education is heavily concentrated in three states, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, collectively hosting more than 75% of national enrolment. The Australian Capital Territory punches above its weight relative to population thanks to ANU and the University of Canberra; the Northern Territory anchors a single provider (Charles Darwin University) serving a vast geographic catchment with a relatively small enrolment.
On the floored international-share ranking, multi-university states such as Victoria sit at the top of the mean, driven by globally branded campuses, while regional multi-provider states sit lower with proportionally higher domestic cohorts. Territories with fewer than 3 universities are reported in the enrolment table but are not crowned on the mean chart.
Methodology
Each state's enrolment total is computed live by summing enrolment across all TEQSA-registered universities in our database (absolute counts, no sample floor). Mean international share and mean QS columns in the table include every state for transparency; the international-share ranking chart and #1 verdict require at least 3 universities so a single-campus territory cannot dominate the mean. Numbers are annual averages or 2023-release totals rather than month-to-month figures. See our methodology page for sourcing and aggregation rules.
Limitations
Our dataset covers TEQSA-registered universities only and excludes non-university higher-education providers, technical and further education institutions, and overseas branch campuses. The QS World University Rankings 2025 cover roughly 80% of our universities; unranked institutions are excluded from the avg-QS column. Enrolment figures reflect the 2023 Department of Education release, the most recent vintage available at publication.
Source: Australian Government Department of Education Higher education statistics, institutional enrolment · 2023
Source: QS Quacquarelli Symonds QS World University Rankings 2025 · 2024
This page identifies the source records and data vintage used for its figures. State enrolment comes from the 2023 Department of Education institutional release; the QS 2025 field is shown separately and is not a measure of enrolment or quality. Nothing here is financial advice; for any decision that matters, follow the primary source and consult a qualified professional (see our disclaimer). See also our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-20.