The Market in Australian Higher Education and the Concept of Student as Informed Consumer

Abstract

Government attempts to enhance the quality of higher education through the encouragement of market forces are based on an assumption that students are informed consumers making rational choices of higher education courses and institutions. This article examines some of the problems associated with this approach, in particular the limitations on applicants' knowledge and understanding of the higher education system, revealed in a recent survey of students in three Australian states. It canvasses some possible remedies associated with meaningful differentiation of institutional missions and approaches, and accurate dissemination of these differences to students facing this crucial choice.