More Australians getting a shot at university than ever before with extra places right across the country
More Australians will go to university next year than ever before.
We are increasing the number of fully funded places at uni and the total number of students universities can enrol.
The number of fully funded university places in 2027 will be 624,590, an increase of 3.8 per cent from approximately 601,500 places in 2026.
Every university in Australia will also be able to enrol more new students in total next year under the compacts they’ve agreed with the Australian Tertiary Education Commission.
At our oldest universities and our newest, in the big cities, in the suburbs and in the regions, in every state and territory, and in every capital city, unis will be able to enrol more new students.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:
“Next year more Australians will go to university than ever before.
“More jobs require more skills.
“That means we have to open the doors of our universities wider. In our big cities, in the suburbs and in the bush.
“This will mean we have more teachers, more nurses, more scientists, more engineers. It will mean more Australians getting the skills they need and that Australia needs.”
State or territory | 2027 extra fully | 2027 total fully | CSP growth |
|---|---|---|---|
ACT | 1,206 | 16,628 | 7.8% |
NSW | 11,449 | 180,079 | 6.8% |
Victoria | 8,539 | 162,013 | 5.6% |
South Australia | 1,884 | 43,389 | 4.5% |
Queensland | 7,207 | 114,930 | 6.7% |
Western Australia | 3,373 | 56,533 | 6.3% |
Tasmania | 858 | 13,296 | 6.9% |
Northern Territory | 820 | 5,527 | 17.4% |
Australian Catholic University and Notre Dame operate across multiple states and territories and are not included in the totals.
CSP growth is above ATEC’s core student load for the universities.
City | 2027 extra fully | 2027 total fully | CSP growth |
|---|---|---|---|
Sydney | 6,947 | 117,623 | 6.3% |
Melbourne | 7,575 | 155,078 | 5.1% |
Brisbane | 3,023 | 75,748 | 4.2% |
Perth | 3,373 | 56,533 | 6.3% |
Adelaide | 1,884 | 43,389 | 4.5% |
Hobart | 858 | 13,296 | 6.9% |
Canberra | 1,206 | 16,628 | 7.8% |
Darwin | 740 | 5,447 | 15.7% |
Figures aggregate whole-university allocations, including regional campuses. Melbourne includes La Trobe. ACU and Notre Dame are excluded.
CSP growth is above ATEC’s core student load for the universities.
University group | 2027 extra fully | 2027 total fully | CSP growth |
|---|---|---|---|
Regional universities | 9,650 | 108,573 | 9.8% |
Regional Universities Network | 6,162 | 69,820 | 9.7% |
Group of Eight | 8,204 | 180,097 | 4.8% |
2050 Alliance | 9,530 | 137,721 | 7.4% |
Australian Technology Network | 6,409 | 114,792 | 5.9% |
The university groups overlap. Some universities appear in more than one row, so neither the extra places nor the total places columns can be summed to produce a national total.
The regional universities category includes the seven Regional Universities Network members plus James Cook University, the University of Newcastle and the University of Wollongong.
CSP growth is above ATEC’s core student load for the universities.
Allocation process
The Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Act 2026 gives the Minister for Education to set the Total Allocation Pool of fully funded Commonwealth supported places.
The legislation ensures this pool cannot go backwards from one year to the next.
The Australian Tertiary Education Commission allocates these fully funded places to unis.
In addition, the ATEC can request more places where it thinks they are needed, including for students from poor backgrounds, the regions and the bush.
ATEC has also negotiated a total number of commencing places a university can enrol, covering fully funded places and other places.
Our legislation will mean an extra $3.6 billion in funding for universities and an extra 230,000 commencing students over the next decade.