Australian PhD stipends average above poverty line but 16 universities pay below it

Australian PhD students continue to receive stipends that sit at or below the poverty line even after an independent expert panel delivered recommendations to the government in December. 26 in September 2025. 50 per hour for research on acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

He works a minimum of 38 hours per week on his project and supplements income through university tutoring and paper marking while renting a room in a share house with four others. 44 per hour on 1 July. The panel, which included Tesla chair Robyn Denholm and former chief scientist Ian Chubb, recommended a base stipend of $50,000 for students in national innovation pillar areas first, then for all fields.

The last significant increase to the RTP scholarship occurred in 2009 under former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. The stipend remains tax-free for full-time students but does not contribute to superannuation. A January 2025 report documented a nearly 10 percent decline in Australian PhD enrollments over the past decade.

Almost 60 percent of candidates are women. PhD students perform 54 percent of all research in the Australian university and higher education sector according to the latest ABS data. Universities may set stipends between the $34,315 minimum and a $53,608 maximum.

Sixteen universities paid below the poverty line for the December 2025 quarter. The University of Adelaide paid $36,500 for 2026, while the University of Sydney paid the highest rate at $42,754 as of January. The sector average sits $681 above the poverty line.

Education Minister Jason Clare stated that universities determine individual student payments and noted several institutions pay above the minimum. Independent MP Monique Ryan said pursuing a PhD is only possible for those with family support or independent wealth. Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi called the current situation a disgrace.