English Australia has produced its quarterly detailed report providing analysis of the Department of Education enrolment and commencement data up to the end of April 2025 and analysis of the data released by the Department of Home Affairs on student visas up to the end of May 2025.
While overall enrolment numbers still appear high, 2% up versus 2024 YTD Jan – Apr, this is due to the high numbers of students recruited in 2022, 2023, and 2024 on long Higher Education enrolments. Meanwhile, VET enrolment numbers are flat buoyed by onshore re-enrolments. ELICOS enrolment numbers, however, have plummeted – down 37% on 2024 which makes them 32% lower than pre-COVID numbers of 2019.
In fact, the ELICOS sector is currently experiencing:
- Enrolments: Lowest year-to-date Jan to April since 2013
- Commencements: Lowest year-to-date Jan to April since 2006 (excluding COVID)
- ELICOS Only Student Visas Grants: Lowest year-to-date July to May on record (excluding COVID)
- ELICOS Only Student Visas Applications: Lowest year-to-date July to May on record (excluding COVID)
- ELICOS Only Student Visas Grant Rate: Lowest year-to-date July to May on record
Sector wide, commencements are down 13% versus YTD end of May 2024. This includes ELICOS down 44% and VET down 20%.
Student visa applications, the most forward-looking metric shows overall applications were 24% down for Jan to May 2025 versus 2024. This represents a 15% drop versus pre-COVID numbers. For ELICOS Only applications though, YTD May 30 2025 saw numbers down by 47%.
The full report provides all the detail and reveals insights into likely future trends and pain points. It also reveals a number of areas that should be of great concern to policy makers and the HE and VET sectors.
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Read the full report HERE
