fbpx
Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF
29th Jan 2020

Australia: ELICOS numbers holding stable into final quarter of 2019

The latest data from Australia’s Department of Education and Training (DET) reveals a consistently flat pattern for the country’s ELICOS sector (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students) for year-to-date October 2019. Commencements grew by .9% compared to the same period for 2018, and overall enrolment edged up by 1.2% year-over-year.

There were some notable shifts among leading sending markets throughout the year with overall Chinese and Brazilian enrolments dropping off -11.1% and -8.1% respectively. Even so, China remains the leading sending market for Australia’s language schools, and Brazil continues as the third-largest sender.

In contrast, notable gains were recorded by India (+30.6% YTD October 2019), Colombia (+20.2%), Nepal (+38.3%), Mongolia (31.3%), and Saudi Arabia (+20.6%). Each of these source countries has a place among the top 15 sending markets for ELICOS providers, notably Colombia at #2 with nearly 16,000 students enrolled and India at #6 with just under 6,300 students.

A similar pattern plays out with respect to commencement figures through October 2019, where Colombia, India, and Mongolia each figure in boosting overall sector enrolment.

A related analysis from English Australia points out that, in terms of commencements, India is now the fifth-ranked source market (after only China, Colombia, Brazil, and Thailand), based in part on stronger growth performance from August 2019 onward. Conversely, Mongolia, whose year-over-year growth rate spiked above 40% in the first months of 2019 has cooled in the second half of the year. As English Australia notes, visa grants have played a big part in the slowdown. “Since July 2019, Mongolia has seen its offshore grant rate collapse, dropping nearly 30% to a low of 38% in October 2019. This includes a drop of 25% for onshore applications and a drop of 34% for offshore.”

The marginal growth in ELICOS commencements can be compared to year-to-date performance for other education sectors as summarised in the following table.

Sector-by-sector commencements for Australian providers, year-to-date October 2019.
Sector-by-sector commencements for Australian providers, year-to-date October 2019. Source: DET

As the table indicates, overall foreign enrolment growth continues to be driven by the higher education and VET sectors with all other areas either flat or declining compared to the same period in 2018.

The same DET update for October indicates that Australia’s continues to track to another year of double-digit growth overall with a total foreign enrolment of 738,107 through October 2019. This represents a 10% increase over the year before, and, if it holds for the rest of 2019, will lead to Australia’s third consecutive year of substantial growth.

This trend is likely to solidify Australia’s position as the second leading study destination globally, with only the United States welcoming more visiting students. Our analysis reveals that among the world’s largest host countries, only Canada (+73%) and Japan (62%) saw their respective foreign enrolments grow more quickly between 2014 and 2018. Australia’s enrolment grew +53% over that same period, but on a larger base as of 2014.

For additional background, please see:

Most Recent

  • Language travel sector leaders call for a focus on value amid persistent discount pressure Read More
  • Canada: List of non-degree college programmes linked to post-study work rights has changed Read More
  • US administration revives proposal to limit terms of student visas Read More

Most Popular

  • Which countries will contribute the most to global student mobility in 2030? Read More
  • Research shows link between study abroad and poverty alleviation  Read More
  • Beyond the Big Four: How demand for study abroad is shifting to destinations in Asia and Europe Read More

Because you found this article interesting

Language travel sector leaders call for a focus on value amid persistent discount pressure A June 2025 forum convened by ALTO (Association of Language Travel Organisations) confirmed that price discounting in language...
Read more
Canada: List of non-degree college programmes linked to post-study work rights has changed The Canadian government is continuing its policy of linking eligibility for a post-study work permit (PGWP) – at...
Read more
US administration revives proposal to limit terms of student visas The Trump administration has given notice of a proposed rule change that seeks to limit the term for...
Read more
How have changes in policy settings impacted international student recruitment at Australian universities? Over the past couple of years, Australian universities have been operating within a policy framework that makes it...
Read more
New analysis sounds a note of caution for UK immigration reforms Within the UK’s higher education system, there are a group of institutions known as “Post-1992 universities”. The term...
Read more
US warns of expanded travel ban that could affect key African markets “The United States is considering restricting entry to citizens of an additional 36 countries in what would be...
Read more
Breaking: US resumes student visa processing On 18 June, the US State Department sent a cable to all US diplomatic posts abroad instructing them...
Read more
Is Canada valued more as a “pathway to immigration” or as a destination for education? During a 12 June 2025 webinar presented by the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) and IDP, IDP...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links