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Higher Education: ABS business counts

ANZSIC class 8102, in the Education and Training division.

Actively trading businesses in Higher Education (ANZSIC class 8102) across Australia, June 2025
708 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025.
Actively trading non-employing businesses in Higher Education (ANZSIC class 8102) across Australia, June 2025
375 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025.
ABS business entries in Higher Education (ANZSIC class 8102) across Australia: counted at June 2025 but not June 2024
95 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, 2024-25.
ABS business exits in Higher Education (ANZSIC class 8102) across Australia: counted at June 2024 but not June 2025
82 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, 2024-25.

About these figures

  • These ABS figures count actively trading businesses, not workers, sites or venues, each in its main state or territory.
  • Entries and exits compare two 30 June counts. They are not counts of openings and closures.
  • The ABS adjusts its counts slightly to protect confidentiality, so a small number or a zero is approximate, not proof that no such business exists.

Summary of the ABS class definition

In this class, the ABS counts businesses mainly engaged in providing undergraduate or postgraduate teaching.

Examples the ABS lists:

  • Colleges of education operation
  • Postgraduate school, university operation
  • Research school, university operation
  • Specialist institute or college
  • Teachers’ college operation
  • Undergraduate school, university operation
  • University operation

The ABS counts businesses mainly engaged in this related work in other classes:

  • operating student halls of residence are included in Class 4400 Accommodation
  • undertaking research in the agricultural, biological, physical or social sciences are included in Class 6910 Scientific Research Services

The ABS page for class 8102 gives the full definition and what the class leaves out.

By employment size

Higher Education businesses across Australia by employment size
BusinessesCount
All businesses708 businesses
Non-employing375 businesses
1 to 4 employees160 businesses
5 to 19 employees83 businesses
20 to 199 employees76 businesses
200 or more employees14 businesses

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025. Checked 15 Oct 2026.

By turnover

Higher Education businesses across Australia by turnover
BusinessesCount
Zero to less than $50k224 businesses
$50k to less than $200k151 businesses
$200k to less than $2m194 businesses
$2m to less than $5m63 businesses
$5m to less than $10m24 businesses
$10m or more52 businesses

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 3, June 2025. Checked 16 Oct 2026.

Entries and exits, 2024-25

Higher Education businesses across Australia over 2024-25
BusinessesCount
At the start of the year695 businesses
ABS business entries95 businesses
ABS business exits82 businesses
At the end of the year708 businesses

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, 2024-25. Checked 15 Oct 2026.

By main state or territory

Higher Education businesses by main state or territory
BusinessesCount
New South Wales277 businesses
Victoria205 businesses
Queensland108 businesses
Western Australia42 businesses
South Australia43 businesses
Tasmania11 businesses
Australian Capital Territory15 businesses
Northern Territory5 businesses
Other Territories or Currently Unknown3 businesses

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025. Checked 15 Oct 2026.

Sources

  1. Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2: Businesses by main state by industry class by employment size ranges (8165DC02.xlsx). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, June 2021 to June 2025, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 16 December 2025, checked 15 October 2026.

  2. Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 3: Businesses by main state by industry class by turnover size ranges (8165DC03.xlsx). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, June 2021 to June 2025, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 16 December 2025, checked 16 October 2026.

  3. Correspondence, GCCSA 2021 to GCCSA 2026 (CG_GCCSA_2021_GCCSA_2026.csv). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 4, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 22 July 2026, checked 15 October 2026.

  4. Greater Capital City Statistical Areas digital boundary file, 2026 (GCCSA_2026_AUST_SHP_GDA2020.zip). Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data, Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 4, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 22 July 2026, checked 15 October 2026.

  5. Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 (Revision 2.0): the detailed classification. Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data, Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 (Revision 2.0), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 26 June 2013, checked 16 October 2026.

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