Almost a quarter of new UNSW undergraduates now come from under-represented schools and they’re thriving

As Mary Teague, Director of Student Equity at UNSW, explains, “Access to university isn’t just about opening the door and doing some feel-good initiatives – it’s about building the paths and providing concrete tools for students to access it. That’s what our Gateway Program is doing through its educational focus.”

The impact is clear. In 2021, just under 1 in 8 domestic undergraduates at UNSW came from Gateway schools or low SES backgrounds. In 2025, that figure has risen to nearly 1 in 4, putting the University within striking distance of its 2027 equity target of 25% of commencing domestic undergraduates coming from low socio-economic backgrounds and/or Gateway partner schools. Some faculties are already exceeding that goal, with 30% of commencing undergraduates in the Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture and 26.6% in Science.

• Gateway Equity Target Cohort

  Domestic Undergraduate

  90%

  91.3%

The University’s commitment to expanding access is also reflected in the broader student makeup. Today, about 60% of UNSW’s domestic undergraduates come from public schools and about 39% from independent or Catholic schools, with the remainder coming from overseas schools. This breakdown is on par with the state’s high school population and is a significantly higher proportion than other leading universities such as the University of Sydney (41% public; 59% independent or Catholic) and UTS (40% public; 60% independent or Catholic).

For Kelsie Mitchell, a student who grew up in Broken Hill, Gateway was a turning point. University had never felt like an option until she visited UNSW through the program while at high school. Now a media and communications student about to graduate, she is also a University Ambassador, returning to high schools like her own to support others imagine a future they may not have considered.

“I recently represented the University at the Year 11 Gateway Leaders Program and helped facilitate an exercise where students creatively reframed challenge statements into powerful poetic statements about their leadership visions, written on cardboard boxes,” Kelsie says. “One such poem, from student leaders at Blacktown Girls High School, read 'Only through human connection can the skills of humility and collaboration benefit the most affected communities'.”

Katy Head, UNSW’s Head of Program for Student Equity, says: “This creative leadership provocation-on-a-box activity is part of the Gateway Year 11 Leaders Program, held on campus in April. The program encourages young leaders to challenge and reframe limiting beliefs, communicate with influence and authenticity and connect with their motivating passions.”

• Gateway Equity Target Cohort

  Domestic Undergraduate

  91.8%

  93.7%

UNSW partners with schools to increase access and foster a sense of belonging from the ground up. This approach now spans more than 400 partner high schools and includes whole year-level engagement, targeted academic enrichment, HSC and study skills workshops and key information about early offers and university life.

These educational outreach experiences are led by current university student role models and give participants the chance to provide opportunities for students to connect with other highly motivated students, building a strong early sense of belonging and community. The program targets students from a wide range of under-represented backgrounds and schools, including those from regional areas, low socio-economic backgrounds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

In 2024, Gateway reached nearly 10,000 students through on-campus and online learning initiatives, with another 7000 others engaged directly in schools across New South Wales. So far this year, over 1500 Year 10 students have taken part in immersive on-campus experiences, alongside hundreds of Year 11 students who joined the leadership program in April.

“It creates a ripple effect,” says Katie Osborne-Crowley, the University’s Head of Strategic Projects and Impact Analysis for Student Equity. “Some of these schools used to send just one or two students to UNSW. Now they are sending 10, 20 or more. The difference is our program’s unique design that doesn’t just target top achievers but also helps build a culture where students lift each other and see success as something they can all share in.”

• Gateway Equity Target Cohort

  Domestic Undergraduate

  70.5

  72.7

UNSW offers a range of wraparound support services to ensure students are set up for success once they arrive. This includes access to scholarships, academic mentoring, peer networks and free resources like textbooks. These supports play a critical role in helping students not only stay at university but succeed during their studies.

Philanthropy plays a vital role in this success. Thanks to the generosity of alumni and donors, UNSW offers Equity Scholarships that empower students like Kelsie Mitchell, a Gateway participant and scholarship recipient, to pursue their academic goals with greater financial stability and confidence.

The full impact of these shifts is still unfolding. But like the leadership boxes that transform barriers into shared visions, Gateway is quietly reshaping the narrative around who belongs at university and how they get there. As questions of access and equity remain front and centre across Australia, UNSW’s model stands as a real-time example of what progress can look like when inclusion is embedded, evidence-based, and driven by community. It’s a shift that’s not just changing statistics but shaping the next generation of Australian leaders.