Australian university rankings could affect tuition fees: study

For those who wish to study in the Land Down Under, Australian university rankings can be an important factor for soon-to-be international students. A recent report by Studymove has found a strong connection between Australian university rankings and the amount of fees it charges international students.

Using the QS and Times World University and Subject Rankings 2021 and 2021 annual international tuition fees from all Australian universities, researchers analysed and plotted the relationship between international ranking and international tuition fees.

“For the last three years we have been analysing the relationships between the QS rankings and international student fees,” said the report. “However, this year we also used the Times Rankings to analyse the relationship to see if the results are similar between the two ranking systems.

“Overall, the analysis reveals a clear relationship between a higher place in the QS and Times World University Rankings and a higher average tuition fees for international students. This relationship between rankings and fees may not be a surprise but it is surprising how strong the correlation is.”

The analysis highlights “a clear inverse correlation between fees and rankings.” In a nutshell, the study found that the higher the overall Australian university ranking, the higher the annual undergraduate average international tuition fee. They add that this relationship affects the way universities develop their pricing strategies and adjust their marketing and recruitment strategies.

Australian university rankings could affect the university’s pricing strategies. Source: Peter Parks/AFP

Australian university rankings and tuition fees 

“Fee setting decisions are complex and complicated. However, this analysis provides a very interesting view of where universities sit on the scale considering both rankings and annual international tuition fees,” said the report. 

“However, we know that there are other elements such as location, graduate outcomes and the student experience, for example, which could also increase the value of the overall study experience at a university. So, this general trend may not apply to all universities but it’s clear that this element greatly influences the fee setting approach at Australian universities.”

Studymove is an Australian based consultancy firm that assists education institutions worldwide.