College Profile
Discover what sets ACPE apart from so many other education providers. From stellar ratings for both education quality and employability, here's how students around Australia voted in the recent Student Experience Survey (SES) and Graduate Outcome Survey.
Why choose ACPE?
Australian College of Physical Education (ACPE) has a reputation for quality education in sport spanning over 109 years. In the recent Student Experience Survey (SES) data, students from around Australia rated their experience across six indicators for Quality in Learning and Teaching (QILT). The most recent data showed ACPE increased its lead across key indicators – performing consistently and significantly higher than the national average, the Non-University Higher Education Institution (NUHEI) average and university averages.
Strong Sense of Belonging and Purpose
ACPE’s experience extends well beyond timetables and fosters a supportive, high trust community where students feel known, supported, and motivated by maintaining:
- Small, connected cohorts
- Authentic relationships with staff
- Shared purpose and identity
Career-First Focus Learning
Our career-first focused courses are intentionally shaped around real careers, real industries, and diverse professional outcomes, rather than abstract disciplinary study. Our students are prepared for where they want to go, not just what they want to know.
History of Proven, Specialist Education
With 109+ years of experience, ACPE combines longevity with specialisation. This means students benefit from an established history whilst industry connection keeps us moving forward. This depth of experience underpins a refined, evidence based approach to learning.
Lifelong Professional Network
Support does not end at graduation. ACPE’s community creates enduring professional connections, offering ongoing support, alumni connection, and continued professional growth within a trusted network.
Think of ACPE as your long term professional home. Students build networks from day one and return to be the network for others.
Non-Traditional Learning Model
We place emphasis on how knowledge is applied, ensuring students graduate knowing both what to do and having already done it in authentic contexts. ACPE providing hands on learning from day one; embeds real world learning; uses workshop style learning environments; and has a specialised focus to ensure graduates are prepared and ready to shape the future of the sport industry.
Industry Integration
ACPE distinguishes itself through close integration with industry professionals and organisations:
- Industry integrated learning
- Mentoring throughout the student journey to create professional capability and self-belief
- Learning alongside peers with shared professional goals, mirroring real workplace expectations.
Students create a strong connection between study and employment, accelerating professional identity formation and employability.
ACPE is rated #1 for
Teaching Quality in Sport Coaching in NSW
Students Overall Satisfaction Rate
Student Support in Sport courses
+
86.7% of graduates gain employment within 6 months
ACPE is proudly different. Being a smaller provider is a strength in many ways. It allows ACPE to be more agile and responsive to change which was particularly evident during the disruption of COVID. Additionally, having lower staff-to-student ratios enables ACPE to provide much higher levels of bespoke support and allows us to really get to know each student by name and as an individual. We understand that each student is unique, and therefore we endeavour to ensure that each student is supported throughout their journey. The 2021 – 2023 data says that our students agree. ACPE achieved stellar ratings for student support at 86.2%, which is 7.5% points above the national average.
ACPE courses in Sport Business which fall in the domain of Business and Management, achieved the #1 NUHEI ranking for teaching quality.
ACPE’s Sport Coaching courses which fall under the Humanities, Culture and Social Sciences study area, achieved a similar result with ratings that are 16% higher than the national average.
In terms of teaching quality in study areas, ACPE has retained its leading position in Health courses with a rating which is 13% higher than the national average.
Skills development in ACPE’s teacher Education courses scored 7% higher than the national average. Our teacher education courses are sought after with a 100% employment rate.
| How we compare in the latest SES Survey/QILT data | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institution | Overall Quality | Teaching Quality | Student Support | Learning Resources | Skills development | Employment Rate |
ACPE  |
81% | 88% | 84% | 87% | 88% | 86.7% |
| NUHEI Average | 78.8% | 84.1% | 78.7% | 78% | 83% | – |
| National Average | 74.4% | 79.8% | 72.7% | 81.7% | 79.8% | – |
| Western Sydney University | 75% | 78% | 71% | 84% | 82% | – |
| ICMS | 81.5% | 84.4% | 82.4% | 78.3% | 84.2% | – |
| UTS | 77% | 81% | 72.1% | 87% | 82% | – |
| Torrens | 79.9% | 83.4% | 76.3% | 78.6% | 80.8% | – |
| ACU | 77.1% | 79.7% | 72.5% | 84.3% | 83.8% | – |
The overall employment rate in the Graduate Outcome Survey indicates that 9 out of 10 students from ACPE are employed within the first 6 months of graduating. In fact, evidence suggests that most students gain employment prior to graduation as a result of engaging with our extensive partnership network and engagement with industry during their studies.
A positive and quality student experience is at the heart of everything we do at ACPE. For new students who are making decisions about where to study, the best source of information on what to expect at a higher education institution is to hear direct from students who have been there. This is why the positive ratings on the Student Experience Survey (SES) data is invaluable – it cuts through the sales spin. Feedback also informs many of the decisions we make and allows us to constantly adapt and tweak our courses and services to students and partners to ensure that our graduates are thoroughly equipped for their intended career and industry ready.
Our students’ experiences speak volumes about what it means to study at ACPE.
Data sources: QILT (Quality in Learning and Teaching) and GOS (Graduate Outcome Survey)