Universities cry poor as international student numbers boom

Thursday 4 December 2025

Australia has the highest concentration of international students among major advanced nations.

Figures from the Department of Home Affairs show that the approval rate for international student visas fell below 75% in October, compared to 83.6% for the same month in 2024.

The decline in approval rates came at the same time as the number of offshore student applications increased strongly compared to 2024.

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About the author

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.