International students coming to Australia for their education is a very big business. In total its about 22% of the student population, up to 40% at some insti

International students coming to Australia for their education is a very big business. In total its about 22% of the student population, up to 40% at some institutions. https://aei.gov.au/research/International-Student-Data/Documents/INTERNATIONAL%20STUDENT%20DATA/2013/2013%20Time%20Series%20Graph.pdf https://aei.gov.au/research/International-Student-Data/Docum... http://www.australianuniversities.com.au/directory/student-numbers/ http://www.australianuniversities.com.au/directory/student-n... Domestic university students in Australia have no upfront tuition fees. We have a student loan type system called HECS (Higher Education Contribution Scheme) which is sort of like a student loan but effectively interest free (it rises with inflation via the CPI). Payments are made automatically from your salary but only when you reach a thresholded salary (~$50k). Its been a very good system in that it achieves a specific objective - accessibility of higher education to most Australians.* If your parents arent rich you can still go to a good university. https://www.ato.gov.au/rates/help-repayment-thresholds-and-rates/ https://www.ato.gov.au/rates/help-repayment-thresholds-and-r... International students are not eligible for this system and pay full tuition fees. Fees vary considerably but you are looking at $50k-$250k depending on whether you are going for an arts degree or full medical school. It is a massive source of funding for universities in Australia. There are occassionally some minor scandals, for instance every now and then an academic passes an overseas student that should have failed because of administrative pressure. There is also a real concern that research is second place and the institutions are becoming undergrad sausage factories churning out graduates. Universities here are certainly more like businesses than they were 20 years ago (see comment below about our current government). But overall I think its been very positive for Australia. It aids multicultural thinking and integration with Asia. It also subsidises the cost of education for domestic students. * the current government are trying to change this so we have a system more like the USA. They have a fight on their hands.