No degrees: Queenslanders behind on higher education

Queenslanders have fewer university degrees than the national average, with three regions in particular falling a long way behind the rest of the nation.

QUEENSLANDERS have fewer university degrees than the national average, with Moreton Bay, Maryborough and western Queensland among the lowest.

Universities Australia is releasing the analysis as it ramps up pressure on the Federal government over university and funding freeze research cuts.

UA also conducted polling, to be released today, which showed two-thirds of people opposed the cuts.

Census data from 2016, compiled by the tertiary education sector, showed that just 28 per cent of Queenslanders, aged between 24 and 34, had a university degree, compared to 35 per cent of all Australians.

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Queenslanders have fewer university degrees than the national average

But North Moreton Bay had the lowest rate, with just 13 per cent of the people aged 24-34 having a higher education.

Only inner-city Brisbane areas exceeded the national average.

Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Cairns and Ipswich were also below the national and state average, with between 19-27 per cent of 24-34 year olds holding university degrees.

Universities Australia chair Professor Margaret Gardner said young Queenslanders were less likely to have a higher education than other states.

“Over the past decade, more Australians have gone to university than ever before — but there are still too many States and regions missing out,” she said.

“Cuts to universities are the wrong decision for Australia’s future. We urge Government to reverse them.”

University’s Australia chair Margaret Gardner wants the government to reverse university funding freezes and cuts to research funding.

UA’s polling was conducted across 1500 respondents by JWS Research.

It was in response to $328 million in cuts to university research funding unveiled in the mid-year budget update.

Of that money, $134 million was redirected to boost funding at five regional universities, including Central Queensland University.

Education Minister Dan Tehan has previously said this redirection was to enable regional and rural students to get the same opportunities as students in capital cities.

Mr Tehan has also previously defended the Government’s record on university research funding, saying its $2.2 billion Research Infrastructure Investment Plan ensured those funds delivered value for money.

“Because our Government has overseen continued strong economic growth where more than 1.1 million jobs have been created, we can pay for the infrastructure to support our world-class research,” he said.