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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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You are reading: Enabling programs in Australian higher education

Enabling programs, as an alternative to ATAR-based entry pathways to university, are a key mechanism for widening participation in Australian higher education, particularly for equity students.

Drawing on recently released data, this report focuses on changes in enabling program participation rates across Australia from 2014 to 2023.

This represents the first national, institution‑level analysis of enabling program participation stratified by equity group in Australian higher education.

The report also presents first-year university retention rates (from 2021 and 2022) and success rates (from 2021 to 2023) for students whose main basis of admission was via an enabling program.

Retention and success rates are presented across two comparative dimensions:

  • equity students entering university via enabling programs compared with non-equity students entering via enabling programs
  • equity students entering university via enabling programs compared with equity students entering via ATAR.

Comparing equity and non-equity students provides a within-cohort reference point that helps quantify equity gaps and identify where outcomes diverge.

Comparing equity students entering university via enabling programs versus ATAR provides a pathway benchmark to help understand how enabling programs perform for specific equity groups.

Examining the correlation between first-year success rates and subsequent retention rates across institutions helps indicate whether universities with stronger academic outcomes for a given group also tend to see higher rates of continuation in the higher education sector.

How to access the full report

The report is available for download in Word [11 MB] and PDF [3 MB] format.

The Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success Data Insights Series

The Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (ACSES) is an evidence-based research and public policy centre based at Curtin University and funded by the Australian Government Department of Education. ACSES is committed to providing the higher education sector with tangible proof of what works to improve the quality and impact of student equity practices in higher education.

The ACSES Data Insights Series reports on equity student participation and outcomes in Australian higher education. It focuses on trends among identified equity groups in domestic undergraduate enrolments in Australia, including, but not limited to:

  • low socio-economic status (“low SES”) students
  • students with disability
  • First Nations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Australian students
  • regional students
  • remote students.
Download the full report:
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ACSES-Data-Insights-Enabling-Programs-May26.docx
11 MB
ACSES Quote icon
ACSES-Data-Insights-Enabling-Programs-May26.pdf
3 MB
Resources Data Insight Series
Download the full report
Enabling programs in Australian higher education
ACSES, 2026
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