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Welcome to the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success

The Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success acknowledges Indigenous peoples across Australia as the Traditional Owners of the lands on which the nation’s campuses are situated. With a history spanning more than 60,000 years as the original educators, Indigenous peoples hold a unique place in our nation. We recognise the importance of their knowledge and culture, and reflect the principles of participation, equity, and cultural respect in our work. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and future, and consider it an honour to learn from our Indigenous colleagues, partners, and friends.

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Universities For All

The Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success is a national leader in a future-oriented, evidence-based approach to student equity, leading universities towards accessibility and success for every student.

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The Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (ACSES) is a national research and policy centre funded by the Australian Government Department of Education and based at Curtin University.

Leading a new era for student equity in Australia, ACSES partners with universities to close equity gaps in higher education by identifying and promoting evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that improve student success.

As a What Works Centre, ACSES provides tangible, research-backed guidance on what works to support equity students—particularly First Nations Australians, students with disability, those from low socio-economic backgrounds, and students in regional and remote areas.

Through collaboration, innovation, and a focus on real-world outcomes, ACSES is shaping a fairer higher education system.

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Interactive Data Tool

All data reported are sourced from the Australian Government Department of Education’s Higher Education Student Data Collection.

This tool enables you to compare the data at national, state/territory, and institutional levels across seven key indicators:

Library (2)
Access (commencing enrolments and share)
Users (1)
Participation (enrolments and share)
Refresh (1)
Retention (rate)
Presentation chart line (1)
Success (rate)
Academic cap (1)
Six-Year Completion (share)
Academic cap (1)
Nine-Year Completion (share)
Image of person working on a laptop, cropped so mostly the computer is visible. The screen shows graphics from ACSES's interactive tool
Latest research
From Evidence to Impact 2026 – Policy and Practice Insights from ACSES
From Evidence to Impact presents policy and practice summaries from a series of projects funded through ACSES grants and fellowship programs. It is intended for practitioners, policymakers, and institutional leaders who wish to engage with the findings and recommendations in an accessible, at-a-glance format.
Centring equity in data and digital governance: Informing policy to empower practice
An ACSES Equity Fellowship final report. The project looks at how Australian universities are managing challenges around the governance of equity data, which tracks how students from underrepresented backgrounds enrol, study, and succeed in higher education.
Increasing access and opportunity: Nesting enabling programs in senior schooling
A Large Grants Research Program final report. The project is the first national, cross-institutional benchmarking and impact study of in-school enabling programs in Australia, examining models and outcomes with a focus on impact for equity groups.
Towards a financially inclusive higher education system
A Small Grants Research Program final report. The study examined the prevalence and impact of financial hardship on university students. It evaluated the effectiveness of existing financial support services and identified barriers that prevent students from accessing essential assistance.
First Nations students’ progress into and through university
A Small Grants Research Program final report. The study provides insight into the pathways and approaches to university by First Nations students and the role that a university centre designed specifically to support First Nations students can have on building success for students.
Socio-economic backgrounds, choice of disciplines, and post-university labour market performance
A Small Grants Research Program final report. The study empirically examined the long-term labour market outcomes of university graduates from different socio-economic backgrounds, with a particular focus on the role of subject choice at university.
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Latest research
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