- 01Enrolments +26% to 7,489; higher ed +45%.
- 02New intake fell 13%, with VET and international weakness.
- 03Domestic and postgraduate growth offset visa headwinds.
EDU Holdings (ASX: EDU) has lifted group student enrolments by 26% to a record 7,489 in its latest 2026 enrolment update, driven by growth at its higher education business.
Higher education enrolments climbed 45% to 6,571, taking their share of the group total to 88% from 75% a year earlier.
The stronger overall numbers contrasted with a 13% decline in new group enrolments to 1,194, reflecting continued weakness in vocational education.
Domestic recruitment and postgraduate courses provided much of the momentum at the Ikon Institute, although changes to student visa and transfer rules present uncertainty for international intake.
Higher Education Expansion
Ikon recorded 1,074 new student enrolments, broadly unchanged from 1,072 in the previous corresponding period, despite softer international student conditions.
Domestic new student enrolments rose 78% against the PCP, accounting for 20% of Ikon’s latest intake compared with 11% a year earlier.
The group attributed the domestic improvement to investment in sales and marketing alongside postgraduate programs introduced during 2025 and early 2026.
Postgraduate students made up 28% of all higher education enrolments, double the previous 14%, and represented 45% of Ikon’s latest intake.
International new student enrolments, by contrast, fell 10% as regulatory changes affected students seeking to transfer between Australian education providers.
Vocational Intake Pressure
At Australian Learning Group, vocational education and training (VET) enrolments fell to 918 in the fourth term of 2026 from 1,425 in the comparable period.
New VET student enrolments were 61 in the fourth term and 59 in the third, down from 164 and 130 respectively in the corresponding periods.
Nevertheless, about half of the 918 current VET students are taking packaged courses with Ikon, maintaining a pathway into higher education.
Across the group, year-to-date enrolments reached 22,198, up 26% from 17,648, while new student enrolments were broadly flat at 3,320 against 3,333.
Visa Reform Complications
Changes effective from 2 October generally require many temporary visa holders and students seeking visa extensions to apply from offshore, subject to specified exemptions.
Those exemptions include some students progressing to a course at a higher Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level after completing their principal course.
A separate restriction has temporarily extended the period during which most overseas students cannot transfer education providers from six to 12 months, until 30 June 2027.
From 1 July 2027, the government intends to introduce a new student visa transfer stream requiring a new visa before a provider change, generally for courses at the same or a higher AQF level.
EDU expects the measures could influence the timing and composition of international commencements but notes domestic recruitment is unaffected and plans to maintain diversified recruitment channels.
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