Education Qld: Enrolments in uni teaching courses skyrocket

Enrolments in this university course are soaring across the nation, with a major campus in Brisbane up 41 per cent on last year.

Lachlan Quarmby, 27, Mischa Powell, 18, and Lily McConnell, 17, at Australian Catholic University. Picture: Tara Croser

Teaching course enrolments have soared in universities across the nation, with a major campus in Brisbane up 41 per cent on last year.

Major Queensland universities are boasting significant increases in students enrolled in teaching courses with the Australian Catholic University Brisbane campus spruiking one of the largest increases at a whopping 41 per cent.

Meanwhile, Griffith University’s estimated enrolments in both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programs have increased by 18 per cent compared to this time last year.

Acceptances for the University of Queensland’s undergraduate education programs have increased by 16 per cent in Semester 1.

According to UQ, there has also been a one-third increase in offers for the postgraduate Master of Teaching.

UQ vice-chancellor Professor Deborah Terry said they were excited to welcome the new cohort of future teachers and education leaders to campus.

“Teaching is a vital profession and these individuals will have a profound impact on their communities,” she said.

It comes after federal Education Minister Jason Clare released figures showing increased applications and offers for teaching degrees across the country in 2025.

Queensland Tertiary Administration Centre figures showed 3600 offers were made in the field of education last year, compared to 4336 this year.

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare

ACU has also seen a 46 per cent increase in enrolments of First Nations students in education courses with student Lily McConnell saying, as a First Nations student herself, she was excited see this.

“I was really, really inspired by my teachers and the support they gave me,” she said.

“I really want to be able to replicate that ... because the impact that had was just insane.”

And there’s a spike in high ATAR achievers – almost 60 per cent of ACU’s Brisbane-based teaching students scored 75 or above, while 40 per cent achieved 90 or more.

Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary) student Mischa Powell received an ATAR of 93.3 and said it was “encouraging” to know her cohort had high achievers.

“I’ve put in a lot of effort to get this far,” she said.

“I’ve kept that attitude coming into uni of doing the best that you can, even if you don’t have to.”

ACU National School of Education head Professor Donna King said they were seeing more school leavers and career changers choose to study teaching as well as more high-achieving and diverse students.

“ACU is committed to being a first-choice university to study teaching for high-achieving students and aspiring educators from groups that are often under-represented in higher education and within teaching itself,” she said.

Queensland Association of State School Principals president Pat Murphy said they welcomed the increase in students choosing teaching courses.

“It’s one piece in the puzzle that is positive in delivering a comprehensive teacher workforce,” he said.

Originally published as Education Qld: Enrolments in uni teaching courses skyrocket