Commencing student characteristics
This section explores the characteristics of commencing ITE students and how they study, including the demographic profile of students, the degree level of their program, the study mode that commencing students are undertaking, and their full-time status. For further longitudinal data on these characteristics, see the Data Portal.
Age
In 2023, nearly half (48%) of all commencing ITE students were aged between 21 and 30 years, and 28% were aged 20 or under (Figure 4). In total, 75% of commencing ITE students were aged 30 or under and 25% were aged 31 or over. The age distribution of commencing students has remained fairly stable over the last decade.
Gender
In 2023, three-quarters of commencing ITE students were women (75%). From 2012 to 2023, the proportion of commencing ITE students that were women reached a peak of 76% in 2012, and has not fallen below 71% over this period.
Figure 4: ITE commencing students, by age and gender; 2012, 2017, 2023
Disability
From 2021 to 2023, the proportion of commencing ITE students with a disability[11] increased from 7% to 9% (+2 percentage points).
Remoteness
From 2012 to 2023, the proportion of commencing ITE students living in a predominantly regional or remote area declined from 27% to 22%, though this proportion has been fairly stable since 2020.[12] A corresponding increase was observed in commencing ITE students living in metropolitan areas, increasing from 73% in 2012 to 78% in 2023 (+5 percentage points).
Socioeconomic status
Socioeconomic status (SES)[13] is based on where a person lives and measures the average relative economic and social conditions of people in a given area, as opposed to individual or family circumstances. Socioeconomic status for commencing ITE students has remained largely stable since 2012. In 2023, 55% of commencing ITE students were from a medium SES area, 22% were from a high SES area, and 23% were from a low SES area (Figure 5).
Figure 5: ITE commencing students, by remoteness and SES; 2012, 2017, 2023
Language spoken at home
Language spoken at home records the use of English and other languages (if any), spoken by students at their home residence. The ATWD began to collect data on language spoken at home from the 2021 commencing cohort onwards.
In 2023, 17% of all commencing ITE students spoke a language other than, or in addition to, English at home. This represents a 3-percentage-point increase from 14% in 2021.
International students
International students accounted for 9% of all ITE commencements in 2023 – an increase of 3 percentage points from 2022 (6%), and the highest recorded level since ITE data was captured in 2005 (Figure 6). Most people commencing ITE programs (91%) were domestic students.[14]
The new peak in commencing international students has likely been driven by the sharp increase in post-pandemic migrant arrivals into Australia. In 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were heavy declines in overseas migration (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2024). Following the removal of pandemic-related travel restrictions, migrant arrivals reached record highs in 2023.[15] This is also reflected in trends across all tertiary commencements by international students (Australian Government Department of Education, 2024a).
Figure 6: Proportion of ITE commencements by international students; 2012–2023
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ITE data
The December 2025 edition of National Trends: ITE Pipeline is the first to include data on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ITE students. Data is available for total commencements, total completions, completion rates, and first-year attrition.
For workforce data on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers, including the characteristics and workforce experiences of this cohort in 2020, see In Focus: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teachers.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
In 2023, a total of 671 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students commenced an ITE program, representing a 12% increase from 2022 (601 students).
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander commencements increased steadily from 2005 to 2014, increasing at an average rate of 5.1% per year. However, from 2014 to 2017, commencement growth stagnated, decreasing at an average rate of 0.8% per year. Like overall ITE commencements, commencements by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students declined sharply in 2018 (−18%) and again in 2022 (−16%; Figure 7).
Figure 7: ITE commencements, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, 2005–2023
Degree level
In 2023, 73% of ITE commencements were at the undergraduate level and 27% were at the postgraduate level (Figure 8), but there have been notable fluctuations in the number and proportion of students across degree levels over time.
From 2017 to 2018, undergraduate commencements fell sharply (−20%; −4,743) and at a slightly faster rate than postgraduate commencements (−15%; −1,406), resulting in the proportion of undergraduate commencements decreasing from 71% to 69%. The decline in undergraduate commencements over this period may have been partially due to the funding freeze on Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) in 2017.
The proportion of postgraduate commencements steadily declined from 33% in 2020 to 27% in 2023. Undergraduate and postgraduate commencement numbers both increased in 2021, but the increase was larger for undergraduates (+11%; +2,032) than postgraduates (+1%; +106). A similar pattern was observed in 2022, but in reverse, as both undergraduate and postgraduate commencements decreased, with a larger decrease for postgraduates (−22%; −2,061) than undergraduates (−13%; −2,736). In 2023, the number of postgraduate commencements declined by a further 6% (−446), while the number of undergraduates increased by 2% (+354).
The decline in the proportion of postgraduate students since 2020 is likely due to a range of factors, including economic pressures facing older commencing students, particularly as ITE degrees include unpaid practical placements.[16]
Figure 8: Proportion and number of ITE commencements by degree level; 2012–2023
Note: Stacked bars show the proportion of commencements by degree level (left axis); the lines show the number of commencements by degree level (right axis).
Understanding differences across degree levels
The sections that follow provide a detailed examination of the age, full-time status and modes of attendance of commencing students, separately for the undergraduate and postgraduate degree levels. The importance of this information is highlighted when examining completion rates. Completion rates are calculated as the proportion of students in a commencing cohort who go on to successfully complete an ITE program.
The characteristics of a given cohort, that is, who students are and how they study, tends to vary by degree level, and strongly relates to their likelihood of completing an ITE program. This section explores the variations in student and study characteristics of commencing cohorts by degree levels using data from 2012 to 2023 and draws out key trends most relevant to interpreting recent completion rates.
While the full dataset contains commencing cohorts from 2005–2023 (see the Data Portal), the commentary here primarily focuses on the 2018 undergraduate and 2020 postgraduate commencing cohorts. These are the most recent groups for whom 6- and 4-year completion rates are available as of 2023 – that is, the point by which almost all ITE students have completed their studies or exited their program (read more in the Completion rates section). Examining the characteristics of more recent cohorts from 2019 onwards offers useful insight into the state of the ITE pipeline as these students are still progressing through their ITE programs.
Age by degree level
As shown in Figure 9, the age of commencing ITE students varies across degree level. In 2023, undergraduate students were much more likely to be younger, with 59% aged 22 and under. The proportion of students aged 31 and over peaked in the 2015 to 2017 undergraduate commencing cohorts, at 21% in all three years, before dropping to 15% in 2018 and 2019. Since then, commencements in this age bracket have slightly increased and reached 19% in 2023 (see the Data Portal for trends over time).
In 2023, postgraduate students were more likely to be older, with greater representation across the 23–25, 26–30, and 31 and over age brackets. This distribution has remained steady over time, though in 2020, there was a small increase in students aged 31 and over (reaching 40%) and a decrease in those aged 23–25 (reaching 29%), and these levels have remained stable through to 2023.
Figure 9: Age by degree level, commencements, 2023
As shown in Figure 10, the number of undergraduate students aged 31 and over dropped sharply from 2017 to 2018 (−43%; −2,075 students), resulting in fewer older undergraduate students in the 2018 commencing cohort than in 2017, and a return to 2013 and 2014 levels (15% of undergraduate commencements). From 2019 to 2020, the number of undergraduate commencing students aged 31 and over increased by +19% (+507). Apart from a single-year increase in 2021, commencements have dropped slightly for all undergraduate age groups since 2020, except those aged 31 and over (+8%; +293).
Figure 10: ITE commencements by age, undergraduates 2012–2023
The age of postgraduate students has fluctuated over time (Figure 11). From 2019 to 2020, the number of postgraduate commencing students in the older age ranges increased, with an 18% (+538) increase for those aged 31 and over, and a 6% (+164) increase for those aged 26–30. Since 2020, postgraduate commencements have declined in all age groups, particularly the 26–30 age group (−46%; −866).
Figure 11: ITE commencements by age, postgraduates 2012–2023
Full-time status
In 2023, 79% of commencing ITE students studied full-time in their first year, and 21% studied part-time (Figure 12). Trends in full-time status have varied over time by degree level. The next section explores this in more detail. Note, given nearly three-quarters of commencements are by undergraduates, the overall trends tend to mimic trends at the undergraduate level and, as such, it is useful to separate the degree levels to examine changes over time on this variable.
Figure 12: Proportion and number of ITE commencements by full-time status, 2012–2023
Note: Stacked bars show the proportion of commencements by full-time status (left axis); the lines show the number of commencements by full-time status (right axis).
Full-time status by degree level
In 2023, the proportion of students commencing full-time (79%) and part-time (21%) was identical across both undergraduate and postgraduate ITE programs. Part-time commencements peaked at 22% for undergraduates from 2015 to 2017, and at 26% for postgraduates in 2015. Over time, more than three-quarters of all students have consistently commenced their programs with a full-time study load at both the undergraduate and postgraduate degree levels (see the Data Portal for trends over time).
Figure 13 shows the number of full-time and part-time commencing students at the undergraduate level over time. The trends largely reflect those for all students (Figure 12). Most notably, following 3 consecutive years of higher levels of part-time commencements between 2015 and 2017, there was a sharp decrease in part-time students in 2018, which exceeded the rate of decline in full-time students over the same period. As a result, the proportion of part-time students fell from 22% in the 2017 undergraduate cohort to 16% for the 2018 cohort, similar to the 2012 to 2014 cohorts.
From 2018 to 2023, the number of part-time commencements trended upwards for undergraduates (+24%; +725). As a result, the distribution of study loads in the 2023 commencing undergraduate cohort was similar to the 2015 to 2017 cohorts.
Since full-time students account for most commencements, trends in full-time commencements largely match overall commencement numbers (Figure 2). For example, 2017 and 2021 saw peaks in full-time undergraduate commencements. The relatively large decrease in full-time commencements from 2021 to 2022 was a decline of 14% (−2,401), which stabilised in 2023.
Figure 13: ITE commencements by full-time status, undergraduates 2012–2023
As shown in Figure 14, trends in the number of postgraduate commencing students are similar to those for the undergraduate level. Part-time commencements were relatively high between 2015 and 2017, with a decrease in 2018 that exceeded the rate of decline in full-time students over the same period. This resulted in a corresponding decrease in the proportion of part-time students, from 24% in the 2017 cohort to 20% in the 2018 cohort. As for undergraduates, the levels of part-time study in the 2018 postgraduate cohort were similar to those for the 2012 to 2014 cohorts.
From 2018 to 2023, part-time commencements dropped slightly for postgraduates (−12%; −188). Over the same period, full-time commencements fluctuated, with a particularly notable drop from 2021 to 2022 (−25%; −1,887), contributing to the broader decline in overall commencements (Figure 2).
Figure 14: ITE commencements by full-time status, postgraduates 2012–2023
Mode of attendance
In 2023, 48% of ITE students commenced their studies through a program that was offered either fully online (33%) or partly online (15%; see Figure 15).[17] This represents a 2-percentage-point increase from 2022, and a substantial increase of 23 percentage points since 2012. Conversely, on-campus commencements have shown a consistent decline from 2012 to 2023 (−40%; −8,572), apart from single-year increases in 2017 and 2021.
The increases over time in online and multi-modal program commencements likely reflect not only increased preference for flexibility in tertiary studies among students, but also the growth in availability of off-campus units of study and ITE programs from providers. Importantly, trends in mode of attendance have varied over time by degree level. The next section explores this in more detail. Note, given nearly three-quarters of commencements are by undergraduates, the overall trends tend to mimic trends at the undergraduate level and, as such, it is useful to separate the degree levels to examine changes over time on this variable.
Online and multi-modal modes of attendance play a vital role in ensuring ITE programs are accessible to a wider range of individuals. In particular, three-quarters (75%) of all ITE students aged 31 years or older studied either online or multi-modally in 2023. Flexible study options enable mature-aged students to balance their ITE program and competing financial and family responsibilities. Furthermore, 70% of regional and remote ITE students study online or multi-modally, which is particularly important for students who may be geographically isolated and potentially unable to attend their programs on campus.
Figure 15: Proportion and number of ITE commencements by mode of attendance; 2012–2023
Note: Stacked bars show the proportion of commencements by mode of attendance (left axis); the lines show the number of commencements by mode of attendance (right axis).
Mode of attendance by degree level
In 2023, 54% of undergraduates and 47% of postgraduates commenced their programs on campus (Figure 16). Online commencements were more common at the postgraduate level (39%) than the undergraduate level (30%), while multi-modal study was a little more common for undergraduate (16%) than postgraduate (13%) commencements. This distribution of modes of attendance by degree levels has been broadly stable since 2020, with on-campus study reaching its lowest levels across this period (see the Data Portal for trends over time).
Figure 16: Mode of attendance by degree level, commencements, 2023
Trends in the number of undergraduate commencements by modes of attendance have fluctuated since 2012 (Figure 17). On-campus commencements have been steadily declining over time, with online and multi-modal commencements becoming increasingly common.
Online commencements peaked for undergraduates in the 2015 to 2017 period. From 2017 to 2018, when overall commencements dropped sharply, the number of undergraduate students commencing online decreased (−42%; −2,727) to a greater extent than on-campus commencements (−14%; −2,078), while multi-modal commencements did not shift. This meant 20% of the 2018 undergraduate commencing cohort was studying online, compared to 28% of the 2017 cohort.
From 2019 to 2020, online commencements for undergraduates increased by a notable 33% (+1,233). In the same period, multi-modal commencements increased by 62% (+1,340), while on-campus commencements dropped (−15%; −1,818).
Figure 17: ITE commencements by mode of attendance, undergraduates 2012–2023
At the postgraduate level, commencements by modes of attendance have also fluctuated since 2012, with on-campus commencements steadily declining (Figure 18). In contrast to the trend for undergraduates, there was no notable shift in the number of online commencements for the 2018 postgraduate commencing cohort. Rather, there was a large drop in multi-modal commencements in 2018 (−38%; −405), and a decline in on-campus commencements (−16%; −1028).
From 2019 to 2020, online commencements increased by 29% (+749), and multi-modal commencements increased by 49% (+392). In the same period, on-campus commencements decreased (−10%; −494).
Figure 18: ITE commencements by mode of attendance, postgraduates 2012–2023
Program type
As shown below in Figure 19, there are a range of program types available to ITE students. While some ITE programs focus on a specific learner level, such as primary ITE programs and secondary ITE programs, other programs overlap multiple learner levels.
Figure 19: ITE program types
Examining the program types that ITE students undertake provides a clearer understanding of how, and the settings where, the pipeline will contribute to supply – that is, how many new early childhood, primary and secondary teachers there are likely to be in future years. However, because some programs prepare teachers to teach in multiple settings, ITE data alone cannot provide the whole story. Workforce data is needed to understand who ITE graduates go on to teach. As shown below in Figure 20:
- 24% of ITE program commencements qualify students to teach at the early childhood level, but only 10% of commencing students were specialising purely in early childhood (birth-5). The remaining 14% would also be qualified to teach at the primary level.
- 50% of ITE program commencements qualify people to teach at the primary level, with 32% of commencing students specialising purely in primary teaching. The remaining 18% would also be qualified to teach at either the early childhood level (14%) or secondary level (4%).
- 37% of ITE program commencements qualify students to teach at the secondary level, with 33% of commencing students specialising purely in secondary teaching. The remaining 4% would also be qualified to teach at the primary level.
Figure 20: Proportion of ITE commencements by program type, 2023
Due to these overlapping age groups, data on ITE program types provides insight into potential supply into different workforce segments. This is important to consider when examining the commencements and completions data described throughout this report.
Primary and secondary programs
In 2023, the ITE programs with the largest share of commencing students were secondary (33%; 8,185 students) and primary programs (32%; 7,987). Due to the large commencement share of these program types, primary and secondary ITE program commencements tend to broadly follow trends in overall ITE commencements.
From 2012 to 2017, there was growth across both primary commencements (+18%; +1,950) and secondary commencements (+18%; +1,759). However, from 2017 to 2019, primary program commencements fell by 29% (−3,703), while secondary program commencements fell by 16% (−1,909). As a result of the larger decline in primary commencements over this period, secondary programs overtook primary programs (Figure 21).
While commencements increased from 2019 to 2021 across primary programs (+16%; +1,413) and secondary programs (+16%; +1,453), this growth was offset by large decreases from 2021 to 2023, with secondary program commencements falling by 27% (−2,988) and primary program commencements decreasing by 23% (−2,449).
Primary/secondary combined programs accounted for 4% (1,024) of ITE commencements in 2023, with growth remaining relatively stable since 2017.
Figure 21: Number of ITE commencements by program type (primary, secondary); 2012–2023
Early childhood and early childhood/primary programs
In 2023, 24% (5,885 students) of commencing ITE students were undertaking a program that included, at least in part, early childhood: 10% in birth-5 programs (early childhood), 5% in birth-8 programs (early childhood/primary), and 9% in birth-12 programs (early childhood/primary).
From 2012 to 2017, birth-8 programs increased by 76% (+1,005), while birth-12 commencements remained stable. In contrast, birth-5 commencements fell by 35% (−541) over this period (Figure 22). These patterns reversed between 2017 and 2022. Birth-5 program commencements more than doubled over this period (+114%; +1,140), while birth-8 commencements declined by 53% (−1,239). Birth-12 commencements increased by 8% (+144).
From 2022 to 2023, commencements increased across birth-5 (+19%; +410), birth-8 (+4%; +39) and birth-12 (+13%; +249) programs. Consequently, birth-5 (2,549) commencements continued to exceed birth-8 (1,132) and birth-12 (2,204) program commencements in 2023.
The strong increase in the number of birth-5 commencements since 2018 may be due to both an increase in program offerings by ITE providers and the introduction of upskilling incentives for VET-qualified early childhood educators.[18] Increasing commencements by international students is also a contributing factor.
Given the smaller age range that birth-5 students are trained to teach, birth-5 programs are less likely to contribute teacher supply to schools than birth-8 and birth-12 programs. For more information on learner levels taught by those with an ITE qualification that includes an early childhood component, see the ATWD’s In Focus: Early Childhood Teachers publication.
Figure 22: Number of commencements by program type (birth-5, birth-8, birth-12); 2012–2023
It is also important to consider early childhood and early childhood/primary commencements in a context including primary-only programs. Over time, and particularly from 2017 onwards, there has been a change in the distribution of ITE programs spanning the early childhood and primary levels, with a shift toward programs specialising in early childhood only (birth-5) or birth-12 programs, and a corresponding decline in primary-only programs (Figure 23).
In particular, from 2017 to 2023, the proportion of birth-5 program commencements increased by 7 percentage points to 10% of total commencements. This increase coincided with a corresponding decrease in primary-only programs, falling from 39% to 32% (−7 percentage points). Over the same period, there were smaller changes across birth-8 (−5%; −2 percentage points) and birth-12 (+8%; +3 percentage points) program commencements.
Due to the growth in early childhood and early childhood/primary program commencements since 2017, the combined commencement share of these programs has increased from 16% in 2017 to 24% in 2023.
Despite the changes to the distribution of program types, the combined proportion of commencements in programs spanning the early childhood and primary levels has remained fairly stable from 2017 onward (between 52% and 56% of commencements).
Figure 23: Proportion of ITE commencements by primary, early childhood and primary/early childhood programs; 2012–2023
Program type by gender
While men accounted for 25% of all ITE commencements in 2023, this differed by program type. Men were notably more likely to commence secondary ITE programs than primary, birth-8/birth-12 or birth-5 programs (Figure 24).
Figure 24: Proportion of ITE commencements by program type and gender, 2023
Program type by age
The age distribution of commencing ITE students varied across program types in 2023 (Figure 25). Students aged 31 and over were more likely to commence early childhood degrees – 48% of all birth-5 commencements and 29% of birth-8/birth-12 commencements were by students in this older age bracket. In contrast, students aged 20 and under were more likely to commence primary (32%) and secondary (31%) programs.
Figure 25: Proportion of ITE commencements by program type and age, 2023
From 2017 to 2023, the proportion of commencing birth-5 students aged 31 and over increased from 34% to 48%, driven by a sharp increase in 2020. This may have been due to an increase in VET-qualified early childhood educators upskilling their qualifications through ITE during the COVID-19 pandemic, as online early childhood program offerings increased during this period. Over the same period, the proportion of students aged 20 and under increased across primary programs (+9 percentage points) and secondary programs (+6 percentage points). For further longitudinal trend data, see the Data Portal.
Program type by domestic student status
While international students comprised nearly one-tenth (9%) of all ITE commencements in 2023, this varied notably by program type (Figure 26).
International students have consistently constituted a greater proportion of programs with an early childhood component, and this has increased over the last decade (see the Data Portal for longitudinal trends). In 2023, 27% (686 students) of birth-5 commencements, and 18% (601) of birth-8/birth-12 commencements were by international students. This was notably higher than for secondary programs (7%; 587) and primary programs (2%; 130).
From 2022 to 2023, all ITE programs recorded strong increases in the number of commencing international students. Notably, birth-5 programs recorded the highest growth in international student commencements, increasing by 73% (+289), followed by birth-8/birth-12 programs (+43%; +182), primary programs (+43%; +39), and secondary programs (+36%; +155).
Figure 26: Proportion of ITE commencements by program type and domestic student status, 2023
Basis of admission
Students can enter ITE programs through a range of pathways,[19] including secondary education, previous higher education studies, Vocational Education and Training (VET), or some other basis[20] like work experience. Admission into ITE is largely at the discretion of providers. It may involve academic criteria, like ATAR[21] or previous academic performance in higher education, and non-academic criteria. Note, as most postgraduate students are admitted to ITE based on previous higher education study, and undergraduate students access a wider range of admission options, only undergraduate trends are described here.
Undergraduate admission pathways
In 2023, 40% of students were admitted to undergraduate ITE through a secondary education pathway, followed by higher education (33%) and VET (19%; Figure 27).
From 2012 to 2017, the proportion of undergraduate ITE students admitted based on their previous higher education increased, rising by 6 percentage points to 33%. Over the same period, the proportion of undergraduate students admitted based on their secondary education declined by 7 percentage points to 34%. In 2018, these shifts reversed, with the proportion of students admitted on the basis of their previous higher education declining by 8 percentage points to 25%, while admissions from secondary education increased by 6 percentage points to 40%.
From 2018 to 2023, admissions based on secondary education remained stable at 40%, while admissions based on previous higher education increased from 25% to 33%. The increase in previous higher education admissions is likely due to the decline in the proportion of admissions classified as ‘other.’
Admission on the basis of VET remained fairly steady from 2012 (16%) to 2017 (14%). From 2018 to 2023, the proportion of admissions on the basis of VET increased from 15% to 19%.
In 2021, the classification for ‘basis of admission’ was restructured under the TCSI framework. This change may have contributed to increases in the relative proportion of students recorded as entering undergraduate ITE programs via higher education and reduced the proportion of students recorded as entering these programs via an ‘other’/unknown basis.
Figure 27: Undergraduate basis of admission; 2012–2023
Undergraduate admission pathways by program type
The basis by which commencing undergraduate ITE students are admitted into an ITE program varies notably by program type. In 2023, ITE students preparing to teach older age groups typically entered their programs via secondary education or previous higher education, while ITE students studying to teach younger age groups mainly entered from prior Vocational Education and Training (VET; Figure 28).
In 2023, 59% of students commencing a birth-5 program were admitted on the basis of VET. This was notably higher than those commencing a birth-8 or birth-12 program (30%).[22] It is possible that a large proportion of VET admissions into birth-5 programs, and to a lesser extent, birth-8 and birth-12 programs, are VET-qualified early childhood educators who are upskilling. This raises the possibility that successful ITE completion by these commencing students may lead to shifts in qualification levels within the early childhood sector rather than increasing net supply overall.
In contrast, ITE students commencing a primary program had a similar proportion entering through both secondary education (41%) and higher education (40%) pathways in 2023, with only 11% admitted through a VET pathway.
For ITE students commencing a secondary program, over half (52%) were admitted on the basis of their secondary education, with 34% admitted through previous higher education. Similarly, only a small proportion were admitted through a VET pathway (7%).
Figure 28: Undergraduate basis of admission, by program type; 2023
Undergraduate admissions by ATAR score
In 2023, of all undergraduate ITE students admitted on the basis of their ATAR scores,[23] over three-quarters (78%) had a score of 70 or greater.[24]
Among undergraduate students admitted based on their ATAR score, the older the learner an ITE student is training to teach, the higher their ATAR score is likely to be. For students admitted to secondary programs on the basis of their ATAR, over half (55%) recorded an ATAR greater than 80. The proportion of students with an ATAR score greater than 80 declines across the other program types (primary: 42%; birth-8/birth-12: 32%; birth-5: 9%).
Completing student characteristics
Completing student and study characteristics provide insight into the profile of graduating students who may be imminently entering the teaching profession in Australia. This section explores the demographic profile of completing ITE students over time.
Age
Figure 31 shows the age distribution of completing ITE students over time. In 2023, nearly two-thirds of completing ITE students were aged 23–25 (40%) and 26–30 (26%), with another 30% aged 31 and over.
From 2012 to 2023, there has been a decline in ITE completions by students aged 25 and under (−5 percentage points), and a corresponding increase in students aged 26 and over. This reflects that students are taking longer to complete their degrees (for example, more part-time students and the phasing out of 1-year postgraduate ITE programs), alongside an increase in older-aged students entering on the basis of VET or higher education (as opposed to secondary education).
Figure 31: Age distribution of ITE completions, 2012–2023
Gender
Women constitute the majority of teacher workforce supply each year. In 2023, women accounted for three-quarters (75%) of all ITE completions, and this proportion has remained fairly stable over the last decade. This proportion is also similar to the share of ITE commencements by women over time.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
In 2023, a total of 320 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students completed an ITE program, a slight increase from 2022 (+5 completions; see Figure 32). From 2012 to 2023, there has been a net decline in completions by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (−10%), which aligns with trends across all ITE students.
Completions by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students trended steadily upwards from 2012 to 2017 (+2.8% on average per year), before declining from 2017 to 2020 (−8.2% on average per year). However, from 2020 to 2023, completions have stabilised and slightly increased (+15 completions; +1.6% on average per year).
Figure 32: ITE completions, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, 2005–2023
Other student characteristics
As shown in Table 4, from 2012 to 2023, there has been an increase in the proportion of students living in metropolitan areas (+4 percentage points). The socioeconomic status of completing students has remained stable over time.
Table 4: Completing student characteristics; 2012–2023
| | 2012 | 2017 | 2023 | Percentage point change (2012–2023) |
Regional & remote | 24% | 22% | 20% | −4 |
Metropolitan | 76% | 78% | 80% | +4 |
| |
Low SES | 19% | 19% | 20% | +0 |
Medium SES | 54% | 54% | 55% | +1 |
High SES | 27% | 26% | 26% | −1 |
Degree level
In 2023, 64% of ITE completions were at the undergraduate level, and 36% were at the postgraduate level (Figure 33). Since 2012, the proportion of completing ITE students who studied at the postgraduate level decreased by 2 percentage points.
From 2012 to 2023, there was a net decline in postgraduate completions (−14%; −897), though this was marked by periods of both growth and decline. Postgraduate completions increased from 2012 to 2013 (+13%; +860), before steadily declining from 2013 through to 2020 (−28%; −2,060). The only exception in this period of decline was a marked uptick in completions in 2017 (+11% between 2016 and 2017; +749). As 2017 was the final year that 1-year postgraduate degrees were available, the spike in completions may have been due to students choosing to undertake an ITE program before only the longer 2-year programs were available. Completions increased again in 2021 (+10%; +531) and 2022 (+9%; +539), aligning with the increased commencements in 2020 and 2021. Most recently, postgraduate completions declined, with a 12% (−767) decrease from 2022 to 2023.
Undergraduate completions showed a small net decrease from 2012 to 2023 (−4%; −435). Completion numbers were stable between 2012 and 2016, before an increase in 2017 (+6%; +654). Following the 2017 peak, completions declined from 2017 to 2020 (−16%; −1,857). In 2021, completions increased again (+7%; +665), and have remained stable between 2021 and 2023.
Figure 33: Proportion and number of ITE completions by degree level; 2012–2023
Note: Stacked bars show the proportion of completions by degree level (left axis); the lines show the number of completions by degree level (right axis).
Age by degree level
As shown in Figure 34, in 2023 completing undergraduate students were most likely to be aged between 23 and 25, while postgraduate students were most likely to be older – aged 26–30 or 31 and over. This age distribution has remained relatively stable over time at the undergraduate level, though for completing postgraduates there has been a gradual increase in the proportion of older students (see Data Portal for longitudinal trends).
Figure 34: ITE completions by age and degree level, 2023
Figure 35 shows a slow but steady decrease in the number of completing undergraduates aged 22 or under. Between 2020 and 2023, the number of completions by undergraduates aged 22 or under decreased by 16% (−136), in contrast to an increase for older students – completions by those aged 26–30 grew by 11% (+208), and by 23% (+436) for those aged 31 and over. Across the same period, the number of completions by students aged 23–25 fluctuated, with a small increase overall (+4%; +194).
Figure 35: ITE completions by age, undergraduates 2012–2023
The ages of postgraduate completing students have fluctuated over time (Figure 36). Notably, the number of younger students (those aged 22 and under or 23–25) decreased from 2012 to 2023. In 2023, there were no (or very few) completing postgraduates aged 22 or under, and 2023 saw a marked decrease in those aged 23–25 (−15%; −207) after a period of relative stability in numbers for this age group from 2020 to 2022.
Postgraduate completions for the 26–30 age group remained relatively steady from 2012 to 2023, though with notable decreases in 2018 (−14%; −362), and in 2023 (−15%; −379). Completions by those aged 31 and over markedly decreased between 2017 and 2019 (−34%; −932), before increasing again from 2019 to 2022 (+42%; +777). In 2023, mirroring the decreases in the other age groups, postgraduate completions by students aged 31 and over also decreased (−7%; −181).
Figure 36: ITE completions by age, postgraduates 2012–2023
Full-time status
In 2023, nearly three-quarters (74%) of completing ITE students studied full-time,[31] and 26% studied on a part-time basis (Figure 37). The proportion of completing part-time students has increased gradually over the last decade, rising from 20% in 2012 to 26% in 2023 (+6 percentage points). This increase in proportion is largely due to the overall decrease in the number of full-time student completions (−15%; −2,042), while the number of part-time completions has slightly increased (+20%; +710).
Figure 37: Proportion and number of ITE completions by full-time status, 2012–2023
Note: Stacked bars show the proportion of completions by full-time status (left axis); the lines show the number of completions by full-time status (right axis).
Full-time status by degree level
In 2023, 79% of completing undergraduate and 64% of completing postgraduate ITE students studied full-time (Figure 38). In line with the trend for all students, for both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, the proportion of completions from part-time students generally increased from 2012 to 2023 (see Data Portal for longitudinal trends).
Figure 38: ITE completions by full-time status and degree level, 2023
As shown in Figure 39, for undergraduates, full-time completions slowly declined from 2012 to 2023, with the largest decrease observed between 2017 and 2020 (−16%; −1,472). Across the same 2017 to 2020 period, part-time completions also decreased by a similar magnitude (−18%; −385), meaning the proportion of part-time completions remained at 19% across this time. Between 2020 and 2023, undergraduate part-time completions increased (+19%; +344), while full-time completions remained relatively stable (+5%; +358), and this resulted in part-time completions accounting for a larger proportion of total completions in 2023 (21%) compared to 2020 (19%).
Figure 39: ITE completions by full-time status undergraduates, 2012–2023
Postgraduate full-time completions also declined from 2012 to 2023, though with particularly sharp decreases in 2018 (−22%; −1,156), and 2023 (−20%; 935; Figure 40). Part-time completions saw a smaller decrease in 2018 (−248; −11%), with an increase in 2023 (+9%; +168). The decrease in full-time and increase in part-time completions from 2022 to 2023 resulted in an increase in the proportion of completions coming from part-time students (29% in 2022; 36% in 2023).
Figure 40: ITE completions by full-time status postgraduates, 2012–2023
Mode of attendance
Since 2012, ITE completions across the different modes of attendance have changed notably, with increases in both multi-modal and online completions (Figure 41). From 2012 to 2023, multi-modal completions increased from 7% to 23% of total completions, while online completions increased from 16% to 26%. There has been a corresponding decline in on-campus completions (76% to 51%).
The increase in online and multi-modal completions reflects broader trends in commencing students’ study preferences – particularly the shift towards online and multi-modal modes of attendance over time.
Figure 41: Proportion and number of ITE completions by mode of attendance; 2012–2023
Note: Stacked bars show the proportion of completions by mode of attendance (left axis); the lines show the number of completions by mode of attendance (right axis).
Mode of attendance by degree level
In 2023, in line with broader trends in commencements, around half of undergraduate and postgraduate completions were by students who studied on campus (see Figure 42). Online completions were more common at the postgraduate level (31%) than the undergraduate level (23%), while multi-modal completions were more common at the undergraduate (25%) than postgraduate (20%) level. Across time, the proportion of on-campus completions has steadily decreased, with increases in both online and multi-modal attendance types, for both undergraduate and postgraduate levels (see Data Portal for longitudinal trends).
Figure 42: ITE completions by mode of attendance and degree level, 2023
As shown in Figure 43, undergraduate on-campus completions decreased steadily from 2012 through to 2023. A steady increase from 2020 to 2023 in both online (+42%; +692) and multi-modal (+32%; +630) completions offset the decrease in on-campus completions over the same period (−10%; −622). On-campus completions stabilised in 2023, while online and multi-modal completions continued to slowly increase.
Figure 43: ITE completions by mode of attendance undergraduates, 2012–2023
At the postgraduate level, on-campus completions decreased from 2012 to 2023, with a period of stability between 2020 and 2022 (+1%; +27), followed by a sharper decrease in 2023 (−14%, −480; Figure 44). Completions from both online and multi-modal attendance types varied over the 2012 to 2023 period, though both increased overall, particularly from 2020 to 2023 (online: +51%, +591; multi-modal: +17%, +165).
Figure 44: ITE completions by mode of attendance postgraduates, 2012–2023
Program type
Primary and secondary programs
In 2023, primary (5,793 students) and secondary (5,880 students) ITE programs accounted for 73%[32] of all ITE completions (Figure 45).
From 2012 to 2017, secondary program completions increased by 24%, while primary completions remained stable (+1%).[33] Program completions then fell over the period from 2017 to 2020, with primary and secondary programs declining by 21% and 27% respectively. In line with the broader trends in ITE completions, both primary (+9%) and secondary (+16%) program completions increased from 2020 to 2022, before declining in 2023 (primary: −5%; secondary: −7%).
Combined primary/secondary programs accounted for 3% (561) of ITE program completions in 2023. These programs have grown steadily from 2012 to 2023, increasing at an average rate of 3.5% per year.
Figure 45: Number of ITE completions by program type (primary, secondary, primary/secondary); 2012–2023
Early childhood and early childhood/primary programs
In 2023, early childhood and early childhood/primary ITE programs together accounted for 20% of all ITE completions (3,221 students).[34] Birth-8 and birth-12 program completions increased sizeably from 2012 to 2017. Birth-8 programs nearly doubled (+99%) over this period, while birth-12 program completions increased by 32%.[35] In contrast, birth-5 program completions declined by 32%.
From 2017 to 2020, all early childhood and early childhood/primary programs recorded a decline in completions. Birth-5 programs recorded the largest decline in completions over this period, falling by 18%, with birth-8 (−10%) and birth-12 (−4%) programs also declining (Figure 46).
However, from 2020 to 2023, birth-5 program completions reversed previous growth patterns, increasing by 169%, largely due to notably strong growth at the undergraduate level (+201%). Over the same period, birth-12 programs (+3%) recorded more modest growth, while birth-8 completions fell by 14%.
Figure 46: Number of completions in early childhood and early childhood/primary programs; 2012–2023
‘Other’ ITE programs
In 2023, ‘other’[36] programs accounted for 4% of all completions. ‘Other’ program types include those where the learner age focus is unclear, such as a special education program with no further information. The proportion of ‘other’ program type completions has steadily declined over time, decreasing from 10% in 2012 to 4% in 2023, which is largely a result of improved recording of ITE program type information that enables classification in the ATWD.
Degree level
Since 2005, completion rates have trended gradually downwards for both undergraduate and postgraduate ITE students (Figure 47).
Undergraduate students in the 2018 commencing cohort were 6 years post-commencement in 2023. For this cohort, 6-year completion rates reached 52%, a 3-percentage-point increase from the 2022 cohort (49%). Before this increase, undergraduate completion rates had been trending down over time, from 55% in 2012.[40]
Completion rates can be affected by many factors and are strongly related to student and study characteristics. For undergraduate completion rates, from the 2005 to 2011 commencing cohorts, completion rates gradually declined by around 1 to 2 percentage points each year. A period of relative stability from the 2012 to 2014 undergraduate commencing cohorts was disrupted by a sharp 6-percentage-point decline from the 2014 to 2015 cohort (54% to 48%), with completion rates stabilising at near this level in the 2016 and 2017 cohorts.
The overall decline in undergraduate completion rates from the 2012 to 2017 commencing cohorts coincided with increases in the proportion of part-time, online and mature-aged undergraduate commencements over the same period, as each of these characteristics are associated with lower completion rates. Conversely, the 2018 commencing cohort had fewer part-time, online and mature-aged undergraduate commencements than the 2015 to 2017 cohorts. In fact, the 2018 cohort had similar levels of part-time and older students to the 2013 and 2014 commencing cohorts. Further, the 2018 commencing cohort was also a notably smaller cohort compared to the 2017 commencing cohort, due to the large decrease in commencements over that period (−19%, from 32,866 to 26,717).
The changes seen in the characteristics of undergraduate commencing cohorts over time likely explain why completion rates increased for the 2018 cohort after consistently lower levels in the previous 3 cohorts – the commencing cohorts in 2015–2017 had peak levels of students aged 31 and over, as well as peaks in online and part-time study.
Postgraduate students in the 2020 commencing cohort were 4 years post-commencement in 2023. For this cohort, 4-year postgraduate completion rates remained stable at 65%, but still remained 15 percentage points lower compared to students who commenced in 2012 (80%). The decrease in 4-year postgraduate completion rates over time is at least partially due to the complete phasing out of 1-year postgraduate ITE programs between 2013 and 2018. As longer degrees typically have lower completion rates, the extension of postgraduate ITE program lengths by an additional year logically corresponded to a reduction in completion rates.
Figure 47: Completion rates by degree level; 2005–2020 commencing cohorts
Some undergraduate and postgraduate ITE students go on to complete their programs after the 6- or 4-year timeframes. As shown in Figure 48, from the 2005 undergraduate commencing cohort to the 2014 undergraduate commencing cohort, 10-year completion rates were between 2 and 3 percentage points higher than 6-year completion rates.
Similarly, as shown in Figure 49, from the 2006 postgraduate commencing cohort to the 2017 postgraduate commencing cohort, 7-year completion rates were between 1 and 3 percentage points higher than 4-year completion rates.
Figure 48: Completion rates by commencing cohort, undergraduate, 2005–2023 commencing cohorts
Figure 49: Completion rates by commencing cohort, postgraduate, 2005–2023 commencing cohorts
Program type
Undergraduate programs
Completion rates have declined for all types of undergraduate ITE programs from the 2012 commencing cohort (students who were 6 years post-commencement by 2017) to the 2018 commencing cohort (students who were 6 years post-commencement by 2023). The largest completion rate declines over this period were observed across early childhood and early childhood/primary programs, with smaller decreases for primary and secondary programs.
From the 2012 commencing cohort to the 2018 commencing cohort, completion rates for early childhood (birth-5) programs declined by 11 percentage points to 46%, while early childhood/primary (birth-8/birth-12) decreased by 9 percentage points to 45%.
Completion rates also decreased for primary and secondary undergraduate programs, which together comprise the majority of undergraduate commencements. From 2012 to 2018, completion rates for primary programs fell by 3 percentage points to 56%, while secondary programs fell by 2 percentage points to 50% (Figure 50).
Despite the broader downwards trend over time, there was an increase in completion rates when comparing the 2017 to 2018 commencing cohorts. From the 2017 to 2018 commencing cohorts, 6-year undergraduate completion rates marginally increased across early childhood and early childhood/primary programs (+1 percentage point each), remained stable for secondary programs, and increased notably for primary programs (+5 percentage points).
Figure 50: Completion rates by undergraduate program type; 2012–2018 commencing cohorts
Postgraduate programs
Completion rates declined for both primary and secondary postgraduate programs from the 2012 commencing cohort (students who were 4 years post-commencement by 2015) to the 2020 commencing cohort (students who were 4 years post-commencement by 2023). Over this period, primary postgraduate programs declined by 15 percentage points to 64%, while secondary postgraduate programs declined by 15 percentage points to 68% (Table 5).
From the 2019 to 2020 commencing cohorts, completion rates increased for postgraduate primary programs (+2 percentage points), but declined for postgraduate secondary programs (−2 percentage points).
The decline in postgraduate program completion rates[41] over time can be at least partially attributed to the transition to 2-year postgraduate ITE programs in 2015, which extended the length of postgraduate ITE programs by an additional year and longer degrees have lower completion rates.
Table 5: Completion rates by postgraduate program type (primary, secondary); 2012–2020 commencing cohorts
| | Postgraduate |
Program type[42] | 2012 | 2019 | 2020 | Percentage point change (2012–2020) |
Primary | 79% | 62% | 64% | −15 |
Secondary | 83% | 70% | 68% | −15 |
Birth-8/Birth-12 | 74% | 56% | 61% | −13 |
In 2020, early childhood (birth-5) postgraduate completion rates were 63%.[43]
Completion rates by student and study characteristics
There are a variety of student and study characteristics[44] that are associated with lower (and higher) completion rates.
When interpreting the data, it is important to note that although a characteristic may be associated with a lower completion rate, it is not necessarily the cause of the lower completion rate – this is because characteristics may covary.[45] For example, ITE students studying online have lower-than-average completion rates, but these students are also more likely to be mature-aged and study part-time, which are both also associated with lower completion rates. Therefore, the effects of studying online, being mature-aged, or studying part-time, on completion rates cannot be interpreted in isolation.
Mode of attendance
Since 2012, ITE students studying online have recorded consistently lower completion rates than students studying on-campus or multi-modally, across both undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
For the 2018 undergraduate commencing cohort, the 6-year completion rate for online students (35%) was lower than for on-campus (56%) and multi-modal (53%) students (Figure 51). Completion rates for students studying online have also decreased at a faster rate than for students studying on campus or multi-modally. Since 2012, for undergraduates studying online, completion rates declined by 8 percentage points, compared to on-campus (−2 percentage points) and multi-modal (+5 percentage points) students.
From the 2017 to 2018 commencing cohorts, 6-year undergraduate completion rates increased across on-campus programs (+2 percentage points) and multi-modal programs (+3 percentage points), and remained stable for online programs.
Figure 51: Completion rates by mode of attendance; undergraduate 2012–2018 commencing cohorts
As shown in Figure 52, for the 2020 postgraduate commencing cohort, the 4-year completion rate for online students was 48%, compared to 75% for on-campus students and 73% for multi-modal students. As for undergraduate cohorts, postgraduate completion rates for students studying online have decreased at a faster rate than for students studying on campus or multi-modally. Online completion rates declined by 18 percentage points between the 2014 and 2020 commencing cohorts, compared to smaller declines across multi-modal (−11 percentage points) and on-campus (−8 percentage points) students. However, it is important to note that the phasing out of 1-year postgraduate programs from 2015 to 2018 likely contributed to this trend as longer programs typically have lower completion rates.
From the 2019 to 2020 commencing cohorts, 4-year postgraduate completion rates increased across all modes of attendance (multi-modal: +3 percentage points; on-campus: +2 percentage points; online: +1 percentage point).
Figure 52: Completion rates by mode of attendance; postgraduate 2012–2020 commencing cohorts
Given the lower completion rates for online programs, the number of overall ITE commencements would need to increase sizeably to ensure an equivalent supply of graduates. From 2012 to 2023, the proportion of online commencements increased from 21% to 33%, though overall commencements decreased over this period. This suggests that online study did not increase overall commencements, but rather displaced some on-campus commencements. Consequently, given the lower completion rates for students studying online, there is likely to be further declines in the overall number of completions through to 2028, unless more support is provided to improve completion rates across study modes. Further, as postgraduate programs (39%) have a higher proportion of online commencements relative to undergraduate programs (30%), overall postgraduate completions may be affected to a greater extent if online completion rates do not improve.
Age
ITE students aged 31 and over tend to have lower completion rates than their younger counterparts. This is because there are several characteristics that are common among older students that are associated with lower completion rates, such as studying part-time and/or online. There may be several reasons for this, including a need to balance family commitments, maintaining financial commitments through ongoing employment, and/or engaging in a mid-career change (Stone, 2019; Stone & O’Shea, 2019).
As shown in Figure 53, the difference in undergraduate completion rates for older and younger students widened in 2015, and has remained relatively consistent since then. For the 2018 undergraduate commencing cohort, completion rates were 40% for those aged 31 and over, compared to 55% for those 25 and under. Completion rates increased for younger students in the most recent cohort. From the 2017 to 2018 commencing cohorts, 6-year undergraduate completion rates increased for those aged 25 and under (+2 percentage points) and those aged 26–30 (+3 percentage points), but slightly decreased for those aged 31 and over (−1 percentage point).
Figure 53: Completion rates by age; undergraduate 2012–2018 commencing cohorts
The effect of age on completion rates is more pronounced at the postgraduate level – for the 2020 commencing cohort, completion rates were 73% for those aged under 31, and 53% for those aged 31 and over (Figure 54).
As for undergraduates, postgraduate completion rates have increased for younger students in the most recent cohort. The postgraduate 4-year completion rates increased for those aged 30 and under (+3 percentage points) from the 2019 to 2020 commencing cohort, but decreased for those aged 31 and over (−2 percentage points).
Figure 54: Completion rates by age; postgraduate 2012–2020 commencing cohorts
Completion rates have declined at a faster rate for older students (those aged 31 and older) at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, resulting in a widening gap in completion rates between younger and older ITE students. Consequently, if older students are provided with additional support to aid their progression through the ITE pipeline, it could represent an opportunity to bolster future teacher workforce supply.
Full-time status
Full-time ITE students, across both undergraduate and postgraduate programs, have consistently recorded higher completion rates than part-time students. Part-time completion rates have also declined at a faster rate than full-time completion rates over time.
For the 2018 undergraduate commencing cohort, 6-year completion rates were 57% for full-time students, compared to 26% for part-time students (Figure 55). Since the 2012 undergraduate commencing cohort, part-time completion rates (−7 percentage points) have fallen faster than full-time completion rates (−4 percentage points), largely due to a substantial decrease (−9 percentage points) between the 2013 and 2015 commencing cohorts.
Despite generally declining over time, undergraduate full-time completion rates slightly increased for the most recent cohort. For the 2017 to 2018 commencing cohort, 6-year completion rates for full-time undergraduate students increased by 2 percentage points.
Figure 55: Completion rates by full-time status; undergraduate 2012–2018 commencing cohorts
For the 2020 postgraduate commencing cohort, 4-year completion rates were 73% for full-time students, compared to 34% for part-time students (Figure 56). Since the 2014 postgraduate commencing cohort, part-time completion rates have fallen faster (−24 percentage points) than full-time completion rates (−11 percentage points). There was a particularly notable decrease in part-time completion rates between 2017 and 2018 (−14 percentage points), with rates decreasing by 2 percentage points from 2018 to 2020.
Mirroring the pattern for undergraduates, full-time postgraduate completion rates have generally declined over time, but slightly increased for the most recent cohort. The 4-year completion rates for full-time postgraduate students increased by 1 percentage point from the 2019 to 2020 commencing cohort.
Figure 56: Completion rates by full-time status; postgraduate 2012–2020 commencing cohorts
Basis of admission
Completion rates vary across different undergraduate basis of admission pathways (Figure 57).
For undergraduate students admitted on the basis of their ATAR, there was a broadly linear relationship between ATAR scores and completion rates. In the 2018 commencing cohort, those with an ATAR between 80 and 99.95 recorded a completion rate of 70%. In comparison, those with an ATAR between 70 and 79.95 had a completion rate of 63% and those with an ATAR below 70 had a completion rate of 54%.
For students admitted on the basis of VET, completion rates declined from the 2012 to 2018 commencing cohorts, falling from 52% to 40%. The decline in completion rates for VET-admitted students is likely to affect program types differently. In particular, it may have negative implications for early childhood (birth-5) teacher supply, as in 2023, 59% of all commencing undergraduate birth-5 ITE students were admitted on the basis of VET, compared to only 11% of primary programs and 7% of secondary programs.
Completion rates for students admitted on the basis of higher education decreased from 54% in the 2012 commencing cohort to 48% in the 2018 commencing cohort. Admissions on the basis of higher education can be achieved through a complete or incomplete award course, or enabling/bridging course. Additionally, to the extent that students admitted on the basis of previous higher education are older, their completion rates may be impacted by ITE student age rather than basis of admission type.
Figure 57: Completion rates by basis of admission pathway, undergraduate ITE students; 2012 and 2018 commencing cohorts
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander completion rates generally follow the same pattern as overall ITE student completion rates (Figure 58). At both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, completion rates have declined over time, though the most recent cohorts at each level have seen an increase.
Six-year undergraduate completion rates declined from a high of 51% for the 2012 commencing cohort to 39% for the 2018 commencing cohort. However, after a 10-percentage-point decrease in 2013, completion rates remained relatively stable through to the 2017 commencing cohort, before a slight increase in the 2018 commencing cohort (+3 percentage points).
Four-year postgraduate completion rates also decreased over time – it is important to note these are small cohorts, which can result in large percentage changes that reflect small numbers of students. Since a high of 86% in 2014, completion rates reached 59% in 2019 before increasing to 63% for the 2020 commencing cohort. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander postgraduate completion rates were also affected by the shift from 1-year to 2-year postgraduate ITE programs from 2011 to 2018.
Figure 58: Completion rates by degree level, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students; 2012–2020 commencing cohorts
Other characteristics
Two other student characteristics captured in the ATWD that vary completion rates – gender and socioeconomic status – are presented below in Table 6 and Table 7.
In general, over time in undergraduate ITE programs, women have tended to have higher completion rates than men. At the postgraduate level, completion rates between men and women have remained comparable.
Students with a higher socioeconomic status have tended to record higher completion rates than students with a lower socioeconomic status across cohorts and degree levels. The gap in completion rates between students with a lower socioeconomic status and a higher socioeconomic status has widened over the last 6 cohorts, particularly for postgraduate students.
Notably, when comparing the two most recent cohorts, the completion rate for undergraduate students with high socioeconomic status was stable between the 2017 to 2018 commencing cohorts (increasing by only 1 percentage point), but the completion rate for those with low socioeconomic status increased by 4 percentage points over the same period.
Table 6: Completion rates by undergraduate student characteristics; 2012 and 2018 commencing cohorts
| | Undergraduate completion rates
(2012 commencing cohort) | Undergraduate completion rates
(2018 commencing cohort) |
Gender | Men | 47% | vs. | 57% | Women | Men | 46% | vs. | 54% | Women |
Socioeconomic status | Low | 50% | vs. | 55% | High | Low | 48% | vs. | 54% | High |
Table 7: Completion rates by postgraduate student characteristics; 2014 and 2020 commencing cohorts
| | Postgraduate completion rates
(2014 commencing cohort) | Postgraduate completion rates
(2020 commencing cohort) |
Gender | Men | 78% | vs. | 80% | Women | Men | 66% | vs. | 65% | Women |
Socioeconomic status | Low | 77% | vs. | 79% | High | Low | 58% | vs. | 67% | High |
Attrition
Attrition rates refer to the proportion of students, within a given commencing cohort, who discontinued their ITE program and are no longer enrolled. Year-on-year attrition is most routinely observed in the window between program commencement and the second year of study – however, viewing attrition over longer periods of time is useful to see at which points students tend to leave ITE degrees, and to track changes in these patterns over time.
Undergraduate
As shown in Figure 59, attrition for undergraduate ITE students is highest in the first year of study, with notable proportions also leaving after the second year, and much smaller rates of attrition each year thereafter.
First-year undergraduate attrition rates have gradually increased over the last decade. From the 2012 commencing cohort to the 2022 commencing cohort, first-year attrition increased from 20% to 23%. However, within this period, there was a downward trend in first-year attrition from the 2015 to 2022 commencing cohorts, before a sharp 3 percentage-point-increase in 2021 and a further increase in 2022. The relatively high first-year attrition rates in 2021 and 2022 are likely explained, in part, by the challenging study conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aligning with trends in completion rates, the 6-year attrition rate has also increased over time, with a particularly notable increase for the 2015 commencing cohort (+4 percentage points from the previous cohort), and reaching a high of 44% for the 2017 commencing cohort.
There was a slight decrease in attrition for the 2018 commencing cohort – the 5-year attrition rate of 40% for this cohort is the lowest since 2014. This is likely due to the large decline in the overall size of this cohort, combined with the lower proportion of part-time, online and mature-aged undergraduate students who commenced in 2018, which returned these student characteristics back to levels observed in the 2013 and 2014 cohorts.
It is possible that the slightly lower levels of attrition each year post-commencement for the 2018 cohort helps to explain the improved completion rate among this cohort compared to the 2015–2017 cohorts. However, attrition data for post-2018 commencing cohorts suggests that year-on-year attrition is slightly increasing in each successive cohort.
Figure 59: Attrition rates, undergraduate ITE students, 2005–2022 commencing cohorts
As shown in Table 8, undergraduate students studying part-time or attending online have higher rates of first-year attrition than those studying full-time or on campus, mirroring the associations observed for completion rates. While first-year attrition rates have generally increased over time, the differences between study characteristics have remained relatively stable. For example, first-year attrition rates for full-time and part-time students have both increased over time, though the rate for part-time students has remained around double that for full-time students.
Table 8: First-year attrition by study characteristics, undergraduate, 2012–2022
| | 2012 | 2017 | 2020 | 2022 |
Full-time | 17% | 16% | 15% | 19% |
Part-time | 34% | 33% | 31% | 38% |
| |
Mode: Online | 29% | 26% | 24% | 26% |
Mode: On-campus | 18% | 18% | 16% | 21% |
Mode: Multi-modal | 20% | 18% | 13% | 21% |
Student characteristics also somewhat relate to first-year attrition rates (Table 9). The domestic status of undergraduate students has the clearest relationship to attrition, with domestic students notably more likely than international students to exit their degree after one year. As outlined for completion rates, age is also related to first-year attrition rates, with older students more likely than younger students to leave their degree after one year. While first-year attrition for all groups has increased over the past decade, the difference in attrition rates between domestic and international students, or between younger and older students, has remained relatively stable. Students with a disability, and those from low socioeconomic status areas, are also more likely than their counterparts to leave their ITE degree after one year, suggesting the need for additional supports for these students.
Table 9: First-year attrition by student characteristics, undergraduate, 2012–2022
| | 2012 | 2017 | 2020 | 2022 |
Age: 25 and under | 18% | 18% | 16% | 22% |
Age: 26–30 | 23% | 24% | 23% | 27% |
Age: 31 and over | 25% | 24% | 21% | 24% |
| |
Women | 23% | 22% | 20% | 22% |
Men | 19% | 19% | 17% | 26% |
| |
Disability | 22% | 23% | 21% | 25% |
No disability | 20% | 20% | 18% | 22% |
| |
Low SES | 22% | 22% | 20% | 26% |
Medium SES | 20% | 20% | 18% | 23% |
High SES | 18% | 18% | 16% | 20% |
| |
Domestic student | 21% | 22% | 22% | 23% |
International student | 20% | 20% | 18% | 16% |
Postgraduate
As shown in Figure 60, postgraduate first-year attrition rates gradually increased over time, particularly from the 2005 to 2019 commencing cohorts. However, from the 2019 to 2022 commencing cohorts, first-year attrition notably increased by 4 percentage points, reaching a high of 19%. The increase was almost entirely due to a sharp 3-percentage-point increase from the 2020 to 2021 commencing cohorts, which is likely due, in part, to challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aligning with trends in completion rates, the 4-year attrition rate has also gradually increased over time, with notably larger increases for the 2015 and 2019 commencing cohorts. Attrition rates appear to have stabilised in 2020, though the available first- and second-year attrition rates for the 2021 commencing cohort show a further increase. This might translate to a decrease in completion rates for the 2021 commencing cohort, unless fewer students choose to leave after the third and fourth years of their degrees than in previous cohorts.
It is important to note that 1- and 2-year postgraduate programs were available up to 2018, and 1-year programs were phased out from 2012 to 2018. Given that first-year attrition can only be meaningfully calculated for full-time students undertaking courses more than one year in duration, it does not apply to the 1-year programs that still existed during this period, resulting in a lower attrition rate at the postgraduate level. As more programs transitioned to being 2 years long, it was increasingly possible for students to choose not to progress to their second year of study, thereby increasing the first-year attrition rate. It is therefore not possible to directly compare first-year attrition rates before 2019 with those from 2019 onwards, as the latter would naturally have a higher attrition rate that only reflects a change in program length. This policy change also affects longer-term attrition, as longer degrees have higher rates of overall attrition.
Figure 60: Attrition rates, postgraduate ITE students, 2005–2022 commencing cohorts
As shown in Table 10, study load and mode of attendance relate to postgraduate first-year attrition rates. Study load shows a particularly strong relationship with first-year attrition, with the attrition rate for part-time students more than double that of full-time students. The first-year attrition rate for online students is also markedly higher than for students who attend on campus. As for undergraduate students, while first-year attrition has increased over time, the differences between groups (e.g., full-time and part-time) have remained relatively stable.
Table 10: First-year attrition by study characteristics, postgraduate, 2012-2022
| | 2012 | 2017 | 2020 | 2022 |
Full-time | 8% | 10% | 12% | 15% |
Part-time | 23% | 26% | 30% | 34% |
| |
Mode: Online | 18% | 23% | 23% | 26% |
Mode: On-campus | 9% | 11% | 11% | 15% |
Mode: Multi-modal | 11% | 14% | 12% | 16% |
Student characteristics show a weaker relationship to first-year attrition than the study characteristics (Table 11). Most notably, older students are more likely to leave their degree after one year than younger students, as are students with a disability in comparison to those without a disability.
Table 11: First-year attrition by student characteristics, postgraduate, 2012–2022
| | 2012 | 2017 | 2020 | 2022 |
Age: 30 and under | 8% | 11% | 13% | 17% |
Age: 31 and over | 16% | 19% | 21% | 23% |
| |
Women | 11% | 14% | 15% | 19% |
Men | 12% | 15% | 17% | 20% |
| |
Disability | 17% | 23% | 23% | 24% |
No disability | 11% | 14% | 15% | 19% |
| |
Low SES | 12% | 16% | 19% | 19% |
Medium SES | 11% | 14% | 16% | 22% |
High SES | 12% | 16% | 15% | 21% |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (first-year attrition)
As shown in Figure 61, first-year attrition[46] for undergraduate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ITE students increased to 31% in the 2022 commencing cohort, after a period of relative stability from the 2014 to 2021 commencing cohorts.
First-year attrition rates for postgraduate students also increased in 2022, though due to the small number of these students, the relatively large increase in the attrition rate reflects an increase of very few students. The recent increase in first-year attrition might largely reflect the challenges experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Figure 61: First-year attrition rates by degree level, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, 2012–2022
State of the pipeline
The ITE pipeline is the main source of teacher supply in Australia. Over the last decade, the ITE pipeline has undergone a period of change – including increases in the proportion of students studying online, changes to postgraduate program lengths, and significant disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The national trends described in this report explore the impact of these changes, and highlight the ongoing challenges in both attracting new students into the ITE pipeline and retaining them through to program completion.
Both the number of new students entering the ITE pipeline and those completing their ITE degree have shown small net declines over the past decade. In the most recent years, commencement numbers spiked in 2021, before decreasing in 2022 and remaining stable into 2023. The number of completions decreased in 2020 (likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic), before increasing back to pre-2020 levels in 2021, and stabilising through to 2023. Completion rates have also declined over time, though rates have stabilised across the most recent cohorts.
The proportion of commencing ITE students studying online continues to rise, increasing to 33% in 2023. However, online program completion rates are much lower than on-campus programs. This has supply implications – if online completion rates do not improve over time, there may be further decreases in ITE completions, as fewer people successfully move through the pipeline to program completion.
Other student groups are also less likely to complete their degrees, including those who study part-time, those aged 31 or over, students admitted on the basis of VET, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. To combat these supply issues, there may be a need to provide additional, targeted support to these particular groups to improve completion rates. Further, commencing students in their first and second year of an ITE program are much more likely to leave than students in their later years of study. Therefore, additional supports to retain commencing students through their early years of study may also help to bolster future teacher supply.
As the student-aged population in Australia continues to grow at a steady pace, the ITE pipeline remains vital in ensuring there are enough teachers in every school and early learning setting. Due to the shifting composition of the ITE pipeline, which has been occurring within a range of complex and intersecting policy changes, it remains to be seen whether the emerging trends will continue in future years or what impact policy initiatives may have in this space.
As more ATWD data becomes available each year, the ATWD will further leverage its longitudinal ITE dataset to explore these trends over time – continuing to build a comprehensive picture of the progression from ITE commencement to completion and entry into the teacher workforce.