This report presents retention rates among domestic undergraduate students over the past seven years, with a focus on the 2022/2023 period. It reports on equity student participation and outcomes in Australian higher education highlighting trends among identified equity groups in domestic undergraduate enrolments.

Student retention rates are a key indicator of both student success and institutional performance within Australian higher education. They also serve as a critical measure of equity student engagement in higher education, reflecting the effectiveness of institutions in supporting underserved student cohorts. 

Ensuring the retention and success of students from equity backgrounds (for example, low socio-economic status (SES) and students with disability) is critical to sustaining success and participation in higher education. Historically, these groups have exhibited lower retention rates compared to their peers.

Key findings

• Overall retention has decreased between 2016 and 2022.
• There are significant differences in retention rates between equity student groups.
• Students from remote and low SES areas had consistently low retention rates.
• First Nations Australian students from regional and remote areas had much lower retention rates than other regional and remote groupings.
• Students with disability from regional and remote areas had similar retention rates to students with disability from low SES areas.