In 2025, around 259,000 international students from around the world chose to study in Victoria.

This vibrant student community enriches the cultural and academic life of the state while driving economic growth, contributing approximately $17.9 billion to the state’s economy and supporting around 69,000 Victorian jobs in 2025 (DJSIR analysis 2026).

Victoria’s education ecosystem is globally recognised for its diversity and excellence. Home to world-class universities – including two ranked in the global top 50 – Victoria also boasts a strong network of public Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions, private education and training providers, English language colleges and schools. Qualifications on offer span school education, higher education, research, vocational education and training (VET), English language and professional training. Victoria’s global impact extends far beyond its border through transnational education (TNE), a rapidly growing sector, and hybrid learning and digital education delivery models embedded in the state’s education ecosystem.

Victoria’s welcoming, diverse atmosphere, combined with its commitment to student safety and inclusion, makes it an ideal destination for international students. Melbourne is consistently ranked as Australia’s best student city and among the most liveable cities in the world, offering a supportive environment where students can thrive. With top-tier student services and a culturally rich lifestyle, Victoria provides the perfect foundation for academic and personal success. International students who have lived and studied abroad with Victoria graduate with a unique strength – resilience forged through navigating new cultures and challenges, sharpening their adaptability and preparing them to thrive in an ever-evolving and dynamic world.

Victoria is committed to education quality and industry collaboration

Victoria’s leadership in education is underpinned by sustained government investment, robust quality assurance frameworks and regulation, a strong focus on education quality and student experience, and innovation and industry collaboration, ensuring institutions remain at the forefront of global academic and research excellence.

The state actively fosters partnerships between education providers, industry and research organisations to align learning with current and future workforce and skills needs across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. The Victorian Skills Plan guides the efforts of government, training providers, industry and learners to realise the shared vision of a skilled workforce that meets Victoria’s skills needs and strengthens economic growth and inclusion.

Innovative advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Learning Management Systems (LMS) are empowering education providers to enhance student support by providing personalised learning pathways and experiences that adapt to individual needs. These technologies enable education providers to offer seamless, on-demand assistance, helping students navigate their academic journey with greater ease and confidence – from personalised study tips and access to timely resources, to proactively identifying students who may need additional support – ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed.

This approach is why Victoria attracts top talent and equips students with in-demand capabilities for key industries such as technology, healthcare and engineering, producing graduates who are highly sought after not just in Victoria but worldwide.

Student choice is at the heart of Victoria’s international education delivery

Victoria provides a breadth of flexible choices and pathways for learners within a safe and inclusive environment. Victoria’s schools offer an important entry point to studying in Victoria with a world-recognised curriculum, preparing students for tertiary education and an increasingly complex and interconnected world and workplace through the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), including the VCE Vocational Major. Tertiary and further study options range from formal qualifications within the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) to outcome-based micro-credentials that respond to fast-changing industry needs in Victoria and globally.

Students can also access Victoria’s high-quality, industry-aligned education through innovative offshore and online delivery models. Victoria is at the forefront of TNE delivery in Australia, with the state's providers boasting the most extensive and enduring offshore education partnerships. In 2024, more than 50,000 offshore international students studied Victorian higher education qualifications overseas through branch campuses and partnerships with local institutions. At the school level, the VCE has been delivered transnationally since 2001 through the VCE Offshore program, a unique partnership model between offshore and Victorian schools. Over 90% of almost 9,000 graduates to date have chosen a post-school education pathway to Australia, and around 60% chose an institution in Victoria.

Digital delivery and learning are enabled through Victoria-based online program management companies (OPMs), expanding access and responding to growing global demand for online education and upskilling solutions.

Initiatives such as the Victorian Government’s $5 million Yes to International Students Fund, and the Global Education Network, which facilitate collaborations with international partners, are directly supporting this growth. These initiatives ensure global education opportunities are accessible, high-quality and sustainable, while opening doors to international partnerships and funding opportunities.

This integrated system gives students the confidence to move between and across sectors, to upskill and reskill throughout all stages of life and the flexibility to study with Victoria in a way that meets their needs. By continuing to support international students and the sector, we not only invest in its future but also in the long-term success of Victoria, ensuring that the state remains a leader in global education while embracing the strengths that come from this community.