Australia, Higher Education in

Australia’s higher education sector delivers qualifications ranging from the sub-bachelor (vocational) through to bachelor (degree) to the postgraduate (doctoral) level. The sector includes mostly public, not-for-profit universities, though an increasing number of private, for-profit institutions also operate. Public universities are governed both by local (state/territory) and national (federal) government policies, though most funding and governance occurs at the national level. This dual governance approach dates back to 1850, when Australia’s first university was founded, before Australia became a federated nation. This meant that universities were originally the responsibility of individual colonies, which later became states and territories of a federated Australia. This entry explores the types of higher education institutions in Australia, then provides an overview of student and staff composition of the sector, as ...