What are school leavers worried about? Turns out it’s the same things as everyone else

COST of living is the top factor influencing school leavers as they prepare to vote for the first time, a report from the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) reveals. An overwhelming 86 per cent cited this as their top area of concern.

Australia’s largest survey of almost 18,000 school leavers found other key issues were housing affordability (69%) and job opportunities (61%).

While passion for the subject remains the most important factor when choosing a university course (79%), employment outcomes matter more now than ever before (66%).

In a further reflection of cost of living and housing affordability issues, 72% of school leavers plan to continue living at home. If they’re headed off to university, they want a campus close to home that has free wi-fi and free or low-cost food.

UAC Interim Managing Director Kim Paino says the data provides invaluable insights into the concerns of young people as they go out into the world beyond school.

We’ve been doing this survey for five years now and it’s really interesting to see the trends that have emerged in that time. We noticed a shift last year towards these costs of living metrics and this year it’s even more pronounced. While those entering university are still excited to pursue an area of study they’re passionate about, we know they’re also thinking very pragmatically about how to manage working while studying and what their future employment prospects might look like.

For more insights into the 18–year-old mindset and how this generation of students feels about the challenges and opportunities of the future, read the UAC Student Lifestyle and Learning Report 2025.

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For further information (media only) email media@uac.edu.au or contact:
Diane Jardine, Communications Coordinator, UAC on 0436 459 603, or
Kim Paino, Interim Managing Director, UAC on 0409 155 112.