The Regional Universities Network (RUN) engaged the Nous Group to undertake analysis on the effects of the RUN on jobs and productivity in regional Australia. This short report presents these results, which demonstrate the capacity of the RUN to educate and place graduates in jobs in regional areas of Australia.

The Regional Universities Network (RUN) engaged Nous and the Centre of Policy Studies (CoPS) to undertake an economic impact study to quantify the impact of RUN member universities on their regional economies. Results have been produced using CoPS’ multiregional Computable General Equilibrium model of the Australian economy.

RUN universities are committed to improving student access, participation and success. However, there still exists a significant gap in higher education attainment (and Year 12 school completion) between the regions and major cities.

The Regional Universities Network (RUN) is of the view that regional development and decentralisation policy and programs could be improved by better harnessing the expertise and resources of regional universities.

Differences between metropolitan and regional universities are attributable to structural, financial, geographical (e.g. time and cost of distance travel) and employment-related factors that inhibit participation by regional students and which contribute to attrition and delays in apparent completion rates.