Western Australia’s international education sector is entering a new phase, with universities focused on quality for students rather than volume, along with delivering the skills, industry partnerships and workforce capability businesses need.
ECU Dean of International Business Operations Marko Remes said the future of international education would be defined by quality outcomes, workforce needs and stronger connections between universities and industry.
“We are not talking about the post-pandemic recovery anymore or the unlimited growth era we had before the pandemic,” he said.
“This is now the managed era. The focus is now firmly on value over volume.”
Demand remains strongest in disciplines facing chronic skills shortages, including nursing, teaching, cybersecurity and engineering, creating opportunities for employers to engage with universities through placements, industry projects and graduate recruitment.
“It’s about matching the employer challenge or goal with student capability and the pipeline of talent that universities can provide,” Remes said.
“Placements can build capability for businesses and give students the local experience needed to launch their careers.”
Meeting workforce demand
Remes said global workforce needs were increasingly shaping student demand, with international students choosing courses and postgraduate programs that offered specialised skills, strong industry connections and clear employment pathways.
For WA businesses, this presented opportunities to access graduates with technical expertise, global perspectives and experience working on real-world projects.
Industry placements and university partnerships can help businesses build talent pipelines in sectors facing ongoing skills shortages.
Competition for students intensifies
According to IDP’s Emerging Futures October 2025 report, international students are placing greater emphasis on affordability, visa certainty and employment prospects when choosing where to study.
ECU Dean of International Business Operations Marko Remes
While Australia was the first-choice destination for 28% of international students, ahead of the UK (22%) and the US (19%), competition between study destinations is getting more fierce.
“Australia’s universities have always been attractive to international students and before the pandemic it was really the big four: Australia, USA, UK and Canada,” Remes said.
“But now there are the big 10 or even 14 – because the previous big four have increased their restrictions while new destinations have emerged with strong alternative value propositions.”
Despite the more competitive market, demand for Australian education remains strong.
In 2025, the majority of WA’s international students came from India (16.8%), Bhutan (12.6%), China (10.1%), Pakistan (6.1%) and the Philippines (5.8%).
“The demand is there. Australia still very much has that appeal, and students are quite willing to overcome many big hurdles to get to Australia,” Remes said.
“The future is not about just having a handful of high-volume source markets.
“It’s about having 20 to 30 markets that actually deliver that balanced, safe, high-quality mix.”
Investment opportunities emerge
ECU City. Image: Stephen Heath Photography
The sector’s growth is also creating investment opportunities, particularly in purpose-built student housing and supporting infrastructure.
ECU City, which opened in January this year, has already stimulated several accommodation projects in Perth’s CBD as the city strengthens its position as an international education destination.
“Accommodation is not an optional extra,” Remes said.
“It’s really core infrastructure – an absolute must for any city that wants to be an appealing student destination.”
Need for policy certainty
Affordability remains one of the sector’s clearest challenges.
Tuition fees, living expenses and visa costs were among the main reasons cited by prospective students who decided against studying abroad, according to IDP research.
Remes said education providers could adapt to changing policy settings, but long-term growth depended on clarity and certainty.
“We are ready to navigate any policy, but we just need a clear one,” he said.
ECU is a Corporate Member of CCIWA.
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