A snapshot of student diversity at Sydney

This article has been updated from the original (2021), and the 2022 and 2023 versions, to include data covering our current students.

Our students come from many countries and places, with varied life experiences, different learning backgrounds, and diverse perspectives. The University of Sydney is committed through its visions and values to cultivating a teaching and learning environment which is stronger because of this diversity. Our shared educational philosophy commits us all to build “a diverse, inclusive and intellectually exciting environment” for students, while our 2032 Strategy aspirations envision a community that is increasingly diverse and inclusive.

But what does this diversity actually look like in practice? Are our undergraduates all recent school leavers studying full-time? Which countries do our international students call home? How many of our students are the first in their families to attend university? Does our student body reflect the diversity of our city, state and region?

This diversity isn’t just numbers on a page – it’s the foundation of rich educational experiences that prepare our students for an interconnected world. When students engage with peers from different backgrounds, they develop critical thinking skills, cultural competence, and the ability to navigate complexity – all essential graduate attributes.

This article provides a snapshot of student diversity at Sydney based on our 2025 enrolment data, along with practical strategies for embracing this diversity in your teaching practice.

Student diversity at the University of Sydney

Student diversity at our university is multifaceted and intersecting. While some aspects are readily visible in our data – such as country of origin, age, or study patterns – others reflect deeper dimensions of student experience and identity.

Visible dimensions of diversity

Our students vary across numerous measurable characteristics:

Geographic and cultural backgrounds: Students arrive from many countries with different residency statuses, bringing varied cultural perspectives and educational experiences from different school systems and pedagogical approaches.

Demographics and study patterns: Our community includes students of all ages studying full-time or part-time, pursuing undergraduate degrees, postgraduate coursework, or higher degrees by research.

Equity backgrounds: Many students come from backgrounds that have been historically underrepresented in higher education, including those from low socioeconomic, regional/remote, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, disability, first-in-family, non-English speaking, refugee, mature-age, and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.

Beyond these categories, our students bring diverse:

• Values, beliefs, attitudes, and expectations about education
• Worldviews and cultural lenses that shape how they interpret and engage with learning
• Prior educational experiences that influence their learning preferences and approaches

Diversity can be visible and invisible, and often intersecting – we are never just one thing.

A snapshot of student diversity in 2025

At a glance, at the end of semester 1, 2025:

International and cultural diversity:

• 38% of undergraduate students are international (↑3% from 2021)
• 35% of all enrolments are from non-English speaking backgrounds
• Students represent many countries with varied educational and cultural experiences

Gender and identity:

• 55% of undergraduate students identify as female
• 59% of postgraduate coursework students identify as female
• 52% of research students identify as female
• Significant growth in students who do not identify as male or female (10x increase since 2021)

Equity and access:

• ~2,900 students from low socioeconomic backgrounds
• ~600 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
• ~5,300 students identify as living with disability (~13% of domestic students)
• ~2,500 students from regional areas
• ~80 students from remote areas
• ~2,000 students from non-English speaking backgrounds

Study patterns and pathways:

• 71% of new undergraduates came directly from high school (↓4% since 2022)
• 29% of undergraduates entered through alternative pathways

Key trends and insights:

• Growing international diversity: International undergraduate participation continues to increase
• Changing entry pathways: More students entering university through non-traditional routes
• Growing representation across equity groups: Significant participation from students with disability, regional backgrounds, and diverse cultural backgrounds
• Gender patterns vary by level: Higher female-identifying participation overall, with variations across study levels

Want current data for your specific cohort? Use the Knowing Your Students portal or Student Diversity dashboard to explore your students’ backgrounds and characteristics.

Valuing diversity

Making universities more diverse places has a number of benefits, including (but not limited to):

• exposing students to diverse experiences and opinions,
• exploring different ways of thinking about and living in the world,
• challenging existing power dynamics,
• expanding learning opportunities and methods, and
• opportunities to experience different ways of knowing, being, and doing.

The Green Guide emphasises that diversity is not just about representation—it’s about creating learning environments where all students can thrive by drawing on their unique strengths and perspectives.

Practical tips for getting to know your students

One of the best ways we can support and embrace diversity in our classes is by getting to know our students. By engaging with your students’ backgrounds, needs, learning preferences, and previous experiences, you demonstrate to your students that their voices and perspectives matter. This approach aligns with the Green Guide’s principle of building meaningful relationships as the foundation for equity-focused teaching. 

Tips and approaches for getting started:

• Get a quick insight into your student cohort with the Knowing Your Students portal.
• Access the Student Diversity dashboard for visualisations on Sydney Student data on equity groups, including student outcome information (access, retention, participation, success and attainment).
  • Pro tip: To access the Student Diversity dashboard, open the Insights Hub and select PowerBI. From your Power BI home, click Apps in the left menu and the Student Diversity dashboard should be in the list.

• Learn your students’ names – some students can go all the way through university without a single person learning their name! This simple act demonstrates that each student matters as an individual.
  • Pro-tip: you can use SRES to learn how to pronounce your students’ names
  • Pro-tip: use ‘name tents‘ in classes to help everyone learn each other’s names
• Be aware of the correct language to use in different contexts – for example, some students will appreciate recognition of the correct use of pronouns. This reflects the Green Guide’s emphasis on valuing diversity in all its forms.
  • Pro-tip: you can now add your pronouns in Canvas
• Listen to student needs – for example, you may organise regular office hours (or Zoom drop-ins for those off campus) every few weeks to talk through any problems they may be having. This approach helps identify and remove structural barriers that might be preventing student success.
  • Pro-tip: some (many) students might not know what “office hours” mean, so you may rename this to something that is accessible to all, for example, “chat with your tutor.”
• Use icebreaker activities that help you learn about your student’s prior experiences and circumstances, in addition to creating a welcoming and engaging learning environment. The Green Guide emphasises the importance of embracing strengths-based approaches by recognising the valuable knowledge and experiences students bring to their learning.
• Build a sense of community using platforms like Padlet or Canvas discussion board and reinforce these connections by referencing them in class! This helps create environments where students feel they belong and that their contributions are valued.

Want to go deeper? The Green Guide provides practical, accessible, evidence-based strategies for each of these approaches, including specific techniques for curriculum design, assessment, and feedback that support students from equity backgrounds.

More practical resources

We also have a few Teaching@Sydney articles that cover practical tips for getting to know your students:

• Welcoming students with SRES
• Knowing your Students dashboard gets a facelift
• Start this semester off with SRES
• Online Communication: Scale, Scope and Simplicity in FASS1000
• Making relationship-rich experiences the heart of higher education

Want to know more?

Explore the resources, tools, and professional development below to build your equity-focused teaching practice.

Understanding equity terminology and student groups

Taking it further: strategies and resources

Further reading and research