opening page ornament

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.

Enter website
Back to Publications
You are reading: The costs of and economies of scale in supporting students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds in Australian higher education

Marcia Devlin1, Liang-Cheng Zhang2, Daniel Edwards2, Glenn Withers3, Julie McMillan2, Lynette Vernon4 and Sue Trinidad5

Originally published in Higher Education Research & Development 
25 April 2022

Abstract

This study examined the costs of supporting Australian university students from different socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds and whether there are economies of scale. The mixed-methods research in 2018 and 2019 found that substantially higher costs applied for supporting students from low SES backgrounds. These were explained by the costs inherent in: increasing aspiration and capital prior to university; academic, personal and financial support provided while studying; establishing, maintaining and appropriately staffing multiple university campuses, particularly in highly disadvantaged areas; and supporting highly complex student needs. It was found that there are significant economies of scale where there are between 517 and 2584 fulltime undergraduate students from low SES backgrounds at a university. It follows that the average cost of supporting these students can be reduced if enrolment numbers are within this range, subject to caveats around the costs identified. Potential policy implications include: a redistribution of funding based on need; shifting emphasis from activity-based to mission-directed costing; applying the principles of ‘cost compensation’; and conceptualising funding support for students from low SES backgrounds as a transformational investment that can improve outcomes for individuals, communities and society, rather than as a cost.

Read the full article in Higher Education Research & Development 

1Victoria University
2Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
3Australian National University; University of New South Wales
4Edith Cowan University; National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education, Curtin University
5National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education, Curtin University

General Low SES
The costs of and economies of scale in supporting students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds in Australian higher education
M Devlin, L Zhang, D Edwards, G Withers, J McMillan, L Vernon, S Trinidad, 2021
Featured publications
Navigating the cultural interface: Indigenous PhD scholars’ experience of working toward equity in health research across Australia, Turtle Island Canada, and Aotearoa New Zealand
S Andrews, T Eastman, E Munro-Harrison, and O Mazel​ , 2025
A Small Grants Research Program final report. The study explored the ways in which Indigenous PhD scholars in Australia, Turtle Island Canada, and Aotearoa New Zealand are championing community-informed and Indigenous-led research at the cultural interface in higher education.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Indigenous
Indigenous success: Creating a Senior Leadership Capability Model (SLCM) through capacity building
P Anderson, T Pham, and C Tapia Parada​ , 2025
An ACSES First Nations Fellowship final report. This project created a Senior Leadership Capability Model (SLCM), which is a unique framework specifically designed for university leaders to foster Indigenous success in higher education.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Indigenous
Student’s reported satisfaction at University: the role of personal characteristics and secondary school background
Ian W. Li, Denise Jackson, Paul Koshy ​ , 2024
This study addressed this topic in the Australian context using data from the annual Student Experience Survey (2016–2020 waves) with linkage to administrative records for 24,292 students from seven higher education institutions.
Equity Practitioners
Featured
Addressing placement inequities via participatory action research
A Bell​ , 2025
An ACSES Equity Fellowship final report. This project tackled placement poverty and exclusion faced by university students, especially those from equity-deserving groups, by co-developing 40 practical solutions with students and educators.
Publications
Fellowship Reports
More publications
Navigating the cultural interface: Indigenous PhD scholars’ experience of working toward equity in health research across Australia, Turtle Island Canada, and Aotearoa New Zealand
S Andrews, T Eastman, E Munro-Harrison, and O Mazel​ , 2025
A Small Grants Research Program final report. The study explored the ways in which Indigenous PhD scholars in Australia, Turtle Island Canada, and Aotearoa New Zealand are championing community-informed and Indigenous-led research at the cultural interface in higher education.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Indigenous
Research Reports
Indigenous success: Creating a Senior Leadership Capability Model (SLCM) through capacity building
P Anderson, T Pham, and C Tapia Parada​ , 2025
An ACSES First Nations Fellowship final report. This project created a Senior Leadership Capability Model (SLCM), which is a unique framework specifically designed for university leaders to foster Indigenous success in higher education.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Indigenous
Publications
Fellowship Reports
Research report
Student’s reported satisfaction at University: the role of personal characteristics and secondary school background
Ian W. Li, Denise Jackson, Paul Koshy ​ , 2024
This study addressed this topic in the Australian context using data from the annual Student Experience Survey (2016–2020 waves) with linkage to administrative records for 24,292 students from seven higher education institutions.
Equity Practitioners
Featured
Journal articles
Addressing placement inequities via participatory action research
A Bell​ , 2025
An ACSES Equity Fellowship final report. This project tackled placement poverty and exclusion faced by university students, especially those from equity-deserving groups, by co-developing 40 practical solutions with students and educators.
Publications
Fellowship Reports
Research report