Federal data shows drop in demand for university enrolments

Trends show people looking online for short courses and alternatives to university degrees

Australia’s universities are experiencing a “mild recession” in enrolments, with a drop of around 1 per cent in applications by domestic students in 2018, a leading higher education policy analyst says.

Andrew Norton, a University of Melbourne research fellow and former federal policy adviser, says many universities are finding it difficult to attract students with “a reasonably strong job market offering alternatives to higher education”.