What a difference six clicks can make, when it is the distance between the chancelleries at Uni NSW and Uni Sydney.
Uni Sydney released its results last week (FC Wednesday). Revenue last year was $3.9bn, flat on 2024 and $94m headline earnings were “considerably down” on $540m in 2024. What did increase was the $176m 2025 underlying loss, $100m worse than ’24.
The university’s top pay packet was between $1.215m and $1,229,999 last year. If that was VC Mark Scott, in 2024 he was paid somewhere in a range of $1.335m and $1,349,999 in 2024.
Across town, UNSW’s consolidated revenue was close to Uni Syd, $3.8bn – they just made more money on it, doubling headline earnings to $420m and nearly quadrupling the underlying result to $365m. While Uni Sydney sets out a range of reasons why times are hard, UNSW just revelled in enrolling more students.
It paid Vice-Chancellor Attila Brungs $1.18m last year, up from $1.150m in 2024.
Things also improved out along the Metro, where Macquarie U’s consolidated account (including its hospital) had a $52m turnaround on 2024, with a $43m surplus, on $1.437bn income. Staff costs were up 5%, making up 57% of expenditure, effectively unchanged on 2024. The highest paid executive, presumably VC S. Bruce Dowton, was paid what they were paid in 2024, between $1.050m and $1.059m.
Uni Newcastle doubled its net result on 2024, to $112m, cracking $1bn in income (up nearly 10%). Staff costs increased by just 3%. UoN did well, pretty much as usual, in the markets with $58m investment income, stable on 2024. The big win was a 38% increase in international student income on ’24, due “in part” to reduced visa restrictions. The university stripped out variables to report a $15m core operating surplus. VC Alex Zelinsky’s pay rose from a 2024 range of $1.020m – $1.029m to $1.030m -$1.039m last year.
UTS made a $54m consolidated loss last year, an improvement on $78m in 2024. A slab of that was due to an $89m (11%) increase in staff costs, to $893m. Revenue was just over $1.4bn. At 61% of operating outlays, staff pay was at the high end of the Australian university range. The university expected to be in surplus last year but attributes its failure to “above average inflation, ongoing costs of the Covid recovery and policy constraints (e.g. Job Ready Graduate Program and international student limits).” VC Andrew Parfitt’s pay stayed under $1m, down $4000 on ’24, to $932,000.
Charles Sturt U lost less money last year in 2025 ($12m) than in ’24 ($43.8m). Fees and charges were up 12% and revenue from the Feds increased 11%. Overall income was 9% higher at $653m. Costs were pretty much controlled, including wages up 4% to 61% of total expenditure.
This time last year stated Western Sydney U expected to lose $79mm on its consolidated accounts, the annual report states the loss was $126m. Income was flat, down $2m in ’25 from 2024, to $1.076bn, but expense increased 7% to $1.209bn
Uni Wollongong consolidated accounts returned a $16m loss, halving the deficit. Revenue was up 5% to $940.8m, just ahead of growth in expenses. Staff costs were 61% of outlays, fractionally down on 2024. International student fees were up 6% but management was looking for more, reporting that “changes to government migration policy on international student enrolments … significantly reduced revenue compared to budget from this cohort of students.” But off-shore operations and the local pathway college delivered a strong surplus of $36m.
Southern Cross U’s consolidated net result was $15m on $403m in revenue, up from break-even in 2024. A $30m lift in fees and charges income helped.
Uni New England reduced its net loss by a third, to $20.9m last year, containing costs and lifting revenue by 5%, to $406m. However, management does not disguise its circumstances, stating “organisational and external factors” stopped it meeting enrolment targets.