Higher education levels in seniors
The education profile of older Australians is changing rapidly, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The figures reveal increasing higher education levels in all age ranges between 20 and 64 years.
The education profile of older Australians is changing rapidly, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The figures reveal increasing higher education levels in all age ranges between 20 and 64 years.
The target is for 40% of 25 to 34 year olds to have bachelor or postgraduate degrees by 2025. The degree qualified proportion of this age range has risen by almost half in the past decade, from about 25% in 2002 to nearly 37% this year.
But the degree qualified proportion of 55 to 64 year olds has almost doubled, from 13% in 2002 to 23% this year.
Higher education attainment has increased by about two percentage points for the age ranges in between, with 25% of 35 to 44 year olds and 23% of 45 to 54 year olds now degree qualified.
The increase is likely to reflect higher education expansion dating back to the 1970s, rather than a sudden surge in grey enrolments.
“In the older age groups, higher education enrolments – and therefore possible completions – are small relative to the younger age groups,” Grattan Institute higher education policy director, Andrew Norton, says.
He adds skilled migration could also raise the qualifications profiles of older age groups. However, migration affects younger age groups much more, largely because of the influx of relatively young international students.
Australian Council for Educational Research fellow, Daniel Edwards, says it is noteworthy that overall attainment levels had edged more than 25%.
“Across the board, our penetration of higher education is now more than one in four adults,” Dr Edwards adds.
The ABS figures are based on a survey of about 60,000 adults. While this is a substantial cohort, the agency stresses that sampling errors are a possibility.
