Brisbane draws great strength from its education sector – boasting three world-class universities, outstanding technical and trade programs and comprehensive primary and secondary schooling.
Universities
• Brisbane is home to three world-class universities, each recognised for the quality of its graduates and its research and development initiatives.
• Griffith University is recognised as one of Australia’s most innovative tertiary institutions – the first to offer degrees in Asian studies and environmental studies. Today, the university offers more than 300 degrees across five campuses and is home to more than 40,000 students from 124 countries. Internationally recognised for its strengths in teaching and research, Griffith has formed links with many prestigious organisations including the United Nations and World Bank, and corporations like AstraZeneca and Pfizer.
• The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is a top Australian university with global connections and a reputation for quality undergraduate and postgraduate courses. With more than 40,000 students (including 6,000 from overseas), QUT courses are in high demand and span a wide range of studies and applied research areas specifically suited to the needs of industry and the community.
• The University of Queensland (UQ) is the oldest university in Queensland and one of only three Australian members of the global Universitas 21 alliance – a group dedicated to enhancing the quality of university outcomes through international benchmarking and a joint venture e-learning project with The Thomson Corporation. Placed among the top 50 universities in the world, UQ graduates have become leaders in all areas of society and industry, and the university is considered to be a pacesetter in discovery and translational research across a broad spectrum of disciplines, ranging from bioscience and nanotechnology to mining, engineering, social science and humanities.
• There are also several other universities operating in niche fields in and around Brisbane, including:
Australian Catholic University;
Bond University;
Qantm College;
University of New England;
University of Southern Queensland; and
University of the Sunshine Coast.
TAFE network
• The
Technical and Further Education (TAFE) network in Queensland trains more than 240,000 people annually in trades and technical skills including engineering, electrics, plumbing, information technology and hospitality.
Primary and secondary education
• Queensland has compulsory schooling for children aged six to 16.
• Brisbane has a network of both public and private; primary and secondary schools, offering one to two years of preparatory schooling with 12 years of formal schooling.
• Many schools have English language programs for international students to support and assist them with their studies.
• 97 per cent of eligible Queensland children attend a full-time prep year before school.
• Queensland leads the nation in school-based apprenticeships and traineeships (41 per cent of national pool).
International students
• In 2010 Brisbane was home to 83,000 international students from across 40 different nations – double the number from four years ago.
• Approximately 80 per cent of international students studying in Queensland have chosen Brisbane to pursue their academic goals, contributing $2.15 billion (AUD) into the city’s economy and creating 13,900 jobs – making it the largest export earner for the city.