Arabic version: تسجيلات الطلاب الدوليين في جامعة أديلايد تهبط دون الأهداف

According to ABC News, Adelaide University is not on track to meet its international student targets and faces tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue following federal migration policy changes. The institution opened in January after the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia merged through a roughly three-year process backed by a $464.5 million state government package.

Adelaide University said it enrolled 16,677 individual international students in 2026, compared with 20,820 students enrolled by the two predecessor institutions at the same point in 2025. Its business case had projected the merged university could attract 6,000 additional international students by 2034, compared with the two institutions’ 2023 enrolments.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Nicola Phillips said in May that international enrolments were 40 per cent below target for semester one, producing a projected $90 million revenue shortfall. A university spokesperson said a similar percentage decrease was experienced in semester two. Professor Jessica Gallagher, deputy vice chancellor for international and external engagement, said recent federal policies had significantly affected the university’s attractiveness to international students.

The policy changes included higher student visa fees, more visa refusals, a soft cap on new international enrolments and a bar on international students bringing families to Australia. Professor Gallagher said Adelaide University had seen a stark rise in refusals and had been hit harder than other Group of Eight universities because it attracts more students from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

Monash University higher education policy professor Andrew Norton said the merger’s timing was bad because it coincided with a decision to reduce international student numbers. State Development Minister Chris Picton rejected suggestions the merger was poorly timed, citing the university’s ranking improvements and opportunities in defence, mining and critical minerals. Adelaide University rose to 79th in the QS World University Ranking this year, from 82nd previously.