ANU Poll 2008: Higher Education

This poll is the second in an ongoing series of polls being undertaken by the Social Research Centre for the ANU. Their purpose is to assess Australians' opinions on important and topical issues, with an emphasis on international comparisons. These polls are typically conducted three times a year, or about every four months. Some questions appear in every poll in order to provide information about changes in opinion over time; the majority of questions appear in one poll only. This research is used to inform public debate and policy about issues affecting Australia. This poll focuses on attitudes and opinions toward higher education in Australia. Variables include opinions about the way Australia is heading; the biggest problems facing Australia today; the state of tertiary education in Australia; whether Government funding for education is sufficient, or should be increased or decreased; job prospects for tertiary students; whether university is necessary; the importance of a university education; and opinions about the level of difficulty in obtaining a university education. Background variables include gender, age, household composition, country of birth, highest level of education, employment status and income.