The graphs below show the enrolments of overseas students and local students in Australian universities over a ten year period

The line graph illustrates the enrolment comparison between overseas students and local students in Australian universities from 2001 to 2010.

Briefly, two graphs highlight a hike in the total number of students; However, the overseas students witnessed a more glaring growth than the domestic students. In terms of the commencing students, the international group had an ascending pattern, while the local one remained fluctuated.

To begin with, the total of international students started at 20,000, which was far below the rate of domestic students, amounting to 400,000 in 2001. Despite having a constant increment during a decade – except for the local group’s rate, which flattened out in the last four years, both groups shared a different degree of rising. With a quadruple increment, the international group reached around 80,000 in 2010, while the domestic hit 600,000; it was approximately only 1,5 times from the rate in 2001.

In addition, looking at the commencing student, the oversees student’s rate rose by around 30,000 people between 2001 and 2010. The pattern was not followed by the local student’s rate, fluctuating in the range of 180,000 to 220,000. At the end of 2010, the international group successfully achieved an unprecedented number of 41,000, although the rate could not catch up with the domestic group accumulating around 200,000 students.