Today’s Times Higher Education (THE) rankings are the canary in the coalmine for the higher education sector and the Australian Parliament should heed the warning before it’s too late.
Australia’s research-intensive universities have hung on to their top 100 rankings in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025, despite an onslaught in recent years which has undermined our universities and our international reputation.
Group of Eight Chief Executive Vicki Thomson said: “It’s astounding we are in this position given the headwinds the sector is battling. Go8 universities still top Australia’s rankings with six in the global top 100, but the introduction of internationals student caps puts this and the nation’s economy at great risk.
“And on the back of these rankings, a sober warning from the RBA that the cap on international students from 2025 ‘was expected to weigh on services exports’ and ‘Lower numbers of international student arrivals would be likely to reduce aggregate demand (including for housing), but also lower growth in population and therefore the economy’s supply capacity.’
“ Today, former Labor higher education minister Kim Carr said ‘caps are bad policy’, and analysts are warning that education exports could ‘plunge by around two-fifths’, slashing 0.7 percentage points off growth next year. How much clearer can the message be.
“Universities, leading economists, business and industry have consistently warned the government that a blunt cap on international students will be disastrous for our $50 billion international education sector.
“Of the 38 Australian universities ranked this year, 17 have declined in performance and only four have improved their positions. THE rankings highlight international education policy as a key reason for the decline.
“First, we had COVID and sent students home during some of the world’s longest lockdowns. Upon returning they’ve being given a clear message that they aren’t wanted and we are slamming the door shut yet again.”
THE’s chief global affair officer Phil Baty said, “While Australia continues to boast many of the world’s very best universities, the data from this year’s World University Rankings provide serious warning signs…I understand that many in the sector are very worried about forthcoming new international student caps, which may further erode income for some top institutions, as well as diminish Australia’s world-leading reputation as an open and internationally facing sector.”
“International education is vital to our economy and prosperity – international student spending was responsible for half Australia’s economic growth last year. It’s all downhill from here if the Australian Government persists with this fundamentally flawed policy,” said Ms Thomson.