Artists' education and training

In 2008, 71,875 students in Australia were studying creative arts at higher education institutions. This is 6.7 per cent of students in total.

This data was collected by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Information is available on student enrolments in tertiary institutions by field of study and level of course.

In 2008 vocational training organisations such as TAFE (Technical and Further Education) institutes reported over 43,000 students enrolled in the creative arts. This data was obtained from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in May 2007, there were 7.2 million people aged 15-64 years with a non-school qualification. Of these, there were 86,500 people whose highest non-school qualification was in graphic arts and design studies or fashion design/textile design. Other arts and cultural fields are included in the table below.

Main field of highest non-school qualification, 2007

Field	Number of people
Architecture	36,100
Urban design and regional planning	10,300
Landscape architecture/interior and environmental design	14,300
Total(a)	61,900
Sociology	11,400
Anthropology	9,800
History	24,000
Other studies in human society	17,500
Total	62,800
Librarianship and information management	25,700
Total(b)	26,600
Music	31,100
Drama and theatre studies/dance	13,400
Total(c)	47,800
Fine arts	29,500
Photography	10,500
Crafts/jewellery making/floristry	15,200
Visual arts and crafts n.f.d./n.e.c.	15,800
Total	71,100
Graphic arts and design studies	65,700
Fashion design/textile design	19,800
Total(d)	86,500
Journalism	16,900
Religious studies	29,000