Southern Cross Uni numbers jump, led by demand for Early Childhood Education

With enrolments increasing almost 10 per cent compared to the same time last year, the University has been transitioning to the new format over the last two years. The new learning model – called the Southern Cross Model – delivers a deeper, more engaged learning experience that increases student success, so far delivering an 11 per cent increase in student grades and 16 per cent increase in subject completion rates from 2019-2022.

Senior Manager of Student Management at Southern Cross Uni, Paul Robinson, said the stellar start to Term 1 showed people were continuing to bolster their skills and credentials alongside a strong job market.

“Among new students our most popular course is the Graduate Diploma of Education (Early Childhood) with new student numbers increasing six-fold, showing Southern Cross is the university of choice for international and domestic students pursuing a career in early childhood education and care services,” he said.

“This postgraduate course has skyrocketed in popularity now that international borders are open and students can build on their Bachelor degree to upskill and pursue their career.

“Other popular courses among new students include Bachelor degrees of Education, Nursing and Information Technology as well as our award-winning Preparing for Success Program (PSP) which is a pathway course to University for people who have been away from study for a while or perhaps didn’t finish high school or achieve the required grades but are now ready to pursue university studies.”

Mr Robinson said the most popular course across Southern Cross University, including both existing and commencing students, is now the Bachelor of Education, with the Bachelor of Nursing a close second, followed by the Bachelor of Information Technology, then the Graduate Diploma of Education (Early Childhood) and the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy.

“Other courses that made the list for biggest increase in equivalent full-time student load include the Bachelor of Psychological Science with Honours, Master of Teaching, and the Bachelor of Engineering Systems (Honours) and the Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management,” he said.

With main campuses at the Gold Coast, Northern Rivers and Coffs Harbour, as well as a burgeoning online cohort, Southern Cross is living up to its reputation as a leading young university in teaching and research, after making the top 200 young universities globally in the latest Times Higher Education rankings.