Mapping Australian higher education reports were published by the Grattan Institute between 2012 and 2018. Building on the previous work of Grattan staff and referees, the 2018 edition was fully revised and updated to produce Mapping Australian higher education 2023.

Report overview:

• Chapter 1 explains how higher education is defined in Australia, the different types of higher education provider, the various types of qualification, and what makes universities distinctive among higher education providers.
• Chapter 2 reports on student trends, including enrolment numbers, courses chosen, and the social background of students. It also discusses how students enter the higher education system.
• Chapter 3 examines the student experience, including subject pass rates, attrition, satisfaction with teaching, working while studying and mental health.
• Chapter 4 looks at the university workforce, including why people become academics and their employment arrangements.
• Chapter 5 looks at research in Australian universities, including what topics are researched and research outputs.
• Chapter 6 provides information on how higher education is funded, including total revenue, the HELP student loan scheme, government grants for teaching and research, and international student fees.
• Chapter 7 outlines how per student funding levels are determined, and how student places are distributed among higher education providers.
• Chapter 8 describes how the Australian Government came to dominate higher education policy, the key government departments and the higher education interest groups.
• Chapter 9 examines higher education’s benefits to the public and employers, including whether higher education graduates meet skills needs, the quality of university research, and public satisfaction with Australian universities.
• Chapter 10 reports on higher education’s private benefits including graduate employment and income and, for international students, migration to Australia.