Enrolments in Australian Catholic University’s (ACU) teaching courses have soared at its Brisbane campus. It’s a positive sign for the profession, which has suffered ongoing educator shortages across the country.
Figures show there has been a 41 per cent increase in teaching enrolments for semester one 2025, compared with the same time last year. There has also been a 46 per cent increase in enrolments of First Nations students in education courses, along with a 16 per cent increase in aspiring teachers from low SES communities.
Almost 60 per cent of the new ACU Brisbane-based teaching students also scored an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) of 75 or above, including 40 per cent who achieved 90 or more. Admissions of men into teaching degrees at the campus has also remained stable, with continued strong enrolments among students from non-metropolitan areas including regional and rural Queensland.
“Not only are we seeing more school leavers and career changers choose to study teaching, but more high-achieving and diverse students are seeing it as a viable and worthwhile profession,” ACU National School of Education Head Professor Donna King says.
“While the Brisbane intake represents a large spike, interest in ACU teaching degrees has been strong nationally in support of figures released by Federal Education Minister Jason Clare showing increased applications and offers for teaching degrees across the country in 2025.
“ACU is committed to being a first-choice university to study teaching for high-achieving students and aspiring educators from groups that are often underrepresented in higher education and within teaching itself.
“In addition to streamlining our entry processes for education degrees to remove barriers that won’t impact on the quality of our graduates, ACU offers flexible learning options including employment-based pathways, accelerated courses, and fully funded scholarships to help students become the teachers of today and tomorrow.”
Raising the profile of educators
ACU Queensland Head of the School of Education Associate Professor Tracey Sanders says Brisbane staff had worked hard to raise the profile of teaching courses statewide including in regional, rural and remote locations.
“We’ve built partnerships with schools, dioceses, and government and community education bodies in
metropolitan and far-flung places to drive home the message that teaching is a wonderful career path,” she says.
“ACU has a long and proud history of training high-quality teachers, and these Brisbane figures are both a testament to that and a positive sign for the future of the profession.
“Efforts at a local, state and national level to promote teaching as a noble and rewarding career path are working and our early learning, primary, and secondary school students are set to benefit from this.”
Indigenous student numbers also boosted
Kate Mochrie is the co-ordinator of ACU Brisbane’s Indigenous Higher Education Unit Weemala and welcomes the boost in Indigenous students choosing to study teaching.
“We are thrilled to see more high-achieving Indigenous students choosing a career where they can make a real difference in the lives of young people and be role models for First Nations communities,” she says.
“Weemala is ready to welcome and support our new Indigenous teaching students to achieve their education goals.”
