University Admissions in Australia: Multiple Pathways to the Same Destination

The undergraduate population in Australian universities is a diverse group. A mixture of age cohorts, and relatively large numbers of international students, as well as an increasing variety of entry pathways mean that examining policy and practice in admissions to university in Australia is very interesting while at the same time substantially complex. This chapter offers a background on the Australian university student population in order to highlight this diversity, and then explores different approaches to admissions within the university sector. Exploration of admissions policies and outcomes in Australia is timely. In recent years an emphasis on growth in the university sector, driven by government policy, has pushed enrolments in the system to new levels. Rapid expansion has led to widespread discourse about the extent to which quality and quantity can go hand-in-hand in universities.