The comparative academic performance of international students

International students do just as well as Australian students. This is the key finding from a study of the academic performance of 338,000 full-time students at 22 Australian universities in 2003. The results of the study are important to international education professionals globally at a time when there have been allegations that Australian universities were dropping standards to favour foreign students. The research proves these allegations to be untrue. Australian students passed 89.4 percent of courses attempted, international students 88.8 percent. The results suggest that in their recruitment of international students Australian universities set their standards at about the right level. Consistent with research globally, the study found a gender difference. Female students passed 91.6 percent of courses attempted, male students 86.5 percent