opening page ornament

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.

Enter website
Back to Publications
You are reading: Completing university in Australia: A cohort analysis exploring equity group outcomes

Written by Daniel Edwards and Julie McMillan, ACER

INTRODUCTION
This briefing paper provides initial analysis of national data on university enrolments, tracking students from commencement to completion of university. The Research Briefing focuses on the completion of university among key equity groups in higher education, offering new insight into the outcomes for a number of groups under-represented in the higher education sector.

This work is part of a larger project funded by a research grant from the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE). The project explores the outcomes of equity groups using complex administrative data that allows for the tracking through university of all undergraduates enrolled in Australia.

Substantial work has already explored the hurdles faced by disadvantaged groups of students in accessing university. Such work has facilitated programs to increase representation of these groups in enrolments. The research discussed in this briefing offers a new perspective on analyses of equity in higher education by focusing on the outcomes of those disadvantaged students who succeed in reaching university. The underlying question that guides this research is – ‘Are outcomes equal once students are through the gates of the university?’

The progress of a number of cohorts of university students is explored using data from the Higher Education Student Collection (HESC). The introduction in 2005 of an individual identifier – the Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN) – facilitates the tracking of students as they progress through their courses. The work undertaken here is based on analysis by the Commonwealth Department of Education (DOE, 2014; 2015). The analysis follows one cohort for nine years following commencement at university (from 2005 to 2013) and four cohorts for six years after commencement (commencers in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008). This Research Briefing focuses on students by socioeconomic (SES) background, residential location and Indigeneity.

Read more: Completing university in Australia – ACER Joining the Dots (390Kb)

Edwards, D. and McMillan, J. (2015). Completing university in Australia: A cohort analysis exploring equity group outcomes. Joining the Dots Research Briefing, 3(3). Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), Melbourne, Australia.
Download the full report:
ACSES Quote icon
Completing-University-in-Australia-Joining-the-Dots-ACER.pdf
357 KB
ACSES Quote icon
Completion-of-Equity-Groups-JTD-RB-V3-N3-May-2015.pdf
381 KB
General Indigenous Low SES Regional, rural and remote Research Reports
Download the full report
Completing university in Australia: A cohort analysis exploring equity group outcomes
D Edwads, J McMillan, 2015
Featured publications
First Nations students’ progress into and through university
J Beaufils, R Taylor, and D Edwards​ , 2026
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.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Indigenous
Pathway programs and Indigenous student completion: Building the evidence
B Fredericks, K Barney, T Bunda, A Moor, K Hausia, S Parlett, N Richy, and D Taylor-Griffiths​ , 2026
A Small Grants Research Program final report. The study identified and analysed the strategies used in three Group of Eight university pathway programs to support Indigenous students to successfully transition into and through university.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Indigenous
Time for a rethink: Assessment policy to enable equity
J Dargusch, L Harris, J Willis, M Kettle, J Arnold, N Rogers, J Gallagher, and D N Chi​ , 2026
A Small Grants Research Program final report. The study examined how assessment policies and practices around time are creating barriers for students from equity groups including First Nations people, migrants and refugees, people with disabilities, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds and regional and remote areas.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Disability
Australian Framework for Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education
J M Lodge et al.​ , 2025
Published by the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success, in collaboration with the Australian National AI in Schools Taskforce.
Resources
More publications
First Nations students’ progress into and through university
Tomasz Zając​ , The University of Queensland (UQ)​
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.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Indigenous
Research Reports
Pathway programs and Indigenous student completion: Building the evidence
Tomasz Zając​ , The University of Queensland (UQ)​
A Small Grants Research Program final report. The study identified and analysed the strategies used in three Group of Eight university pathway programs to support Indigenous students to successfully transition into and through university.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Indigenous
Research Reports
Time for a rethink: Assessment policy to enable equity
Tomasz Zając​ , The University of Queensland (UQ)​
A Small Grants Research Program final report. The study examined how assessment policies and practices around time are creating barriers for students from equity groups including First Nations people, migrants and refugees, people with disabilities, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds and regional and remote areas.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Disability
First in Family
Indigenous
Low SES
Low socioeconomic status
Migrants / refugees
Regional and remote
Research Reports
Australian Framework for Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education
Published by the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success, in collaboration with the Australian National AI in Schools Taskforce.
Resources