Danford College

What Danford College does

Danford College, trading as STAR GAZERS EDUCATION PTY LTD, is a private vocational education and training (VET) and higher education provider headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 2007, the institution operates three campuses in the Melbourne CBD (Level 9 Flinders Street serving as headquarters, William Street, and King Street) and delivers on-campus, face-to-face instruction to a primarily international student cohort drawn from 45+ countries. The college is regulated by ASQA as RTO 21979 and holds CRICOS provider registration 02996A, enabling it to enroll overseas students under Australia's ESOS framework.

The college's curriculum spans vocational diplomas, certificate programs, and postgraduate qualifications across Engineering Technology, Trade courses (Painting, Plastering, Building), Business, IT, Banking, Project Management, Leadership & Management, Travel & Tourism, and Civil Construction Design, with Engineers Australia provisional accreditation on the 22700VIC Advanced Diploma of Engineering Technology. Program durations range from 26 weeks to 104 weeks, with tuition fees from AUD $6,000 to $34,000. The technology stack is built on standard educational platforms, including CANVAS LMS, Turnitin for academic integrity, RTO Manager for compliance, the TRACKTEST internal English assessment, DocuSign for digital enrolment, and Zoom for delivery.

Revenue is generated primarily through international student tuition, supplemented by OSHC distribution via Bupa, accommodation services, airport transfers, and administrative fees. Student acquisition is driven by a global education agent network across 45+ countries and direct online enrolment. Academic partnerships with Danford Higher Education and Melbourne Polytechnic provide articulation pathways and guaranteed credit transfer, enhancing student retention and the value proposition. The institution employs 44 staff and operates without disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or significant leadership changes.

Name

Danford College

Legal name

STAR GAZERS EDUCATION PTY LTD T/AS DANFORD COLLEGE

Website

https://danford.edu.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Danford College is a Melbourne-based private VET and higher education provider founded in 2007, serving international students from 45+ countries across three CBD campuses with vocational and postgraduate programs in engineering, trades, business, and IT.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Education and Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Apprenticeship Training (611513)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Cooperative Education (Co-op) Technical Universities (EDAHAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional & Applied Skills Noncredit Certificates (Non-licensure) (EDAAAEAD), Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE)

Keywords

• Vocational education training
• International student programs
• Higher education pathways
• Registered training organization
• Vocational certificate programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. International Student Tuition Fees: Danford College generates revenue primarily through tuition fees charged to international students enrolled in vocational and postgraduate programs. Fees vary by program, ranging from AUD $6,000 for shorter certificate courses to $34,000 for advanced diplomas. Additional charges include material fees, digital access fees, enrolment fees, and re-assessment fees.
2. Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC): Danford College assists international students in arranging OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover), which is mandatory for student visas. The college facilitates Bupa health insurance with pricing ranging from AUD $46/month (single) to $5,373/year (family cover). Revenue is collected as part of the enrolment package.
3. Accommodation and Airport Transfer Services: The college provides and generates ancillary revenue from airport transfer services ($150 one way) and temporary accommodation arrangements upon arrival in Melbourne (AUD $150-$180 per week), as well as homestay arrangements ($150-$220 per week including bills).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Danford College delivers nationally recognised vocational education and training (VET) programs from Certificate III through Advanced Diploma, plus English-language and pathway programs that articulate into bachelor's and master's degrees at partnered Australian universities. The college is registered as a CRICOS provider (02996A) and RTO (21979), with three Melbourne CBD campuses serving a primarily international student cohort recruited via overseas agents.

Product overview

Danford College is a vocational education and training provider offering a portfolio of nationally recognized qualifications across two main categories: vocational programs (Certificates III and IV, Diplomas, Advanced Diplomas) and postgraduate programs (Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma). The programs span diverse industry areas including Engineering Technology, Trade Courses (Painting, Plastering, Building), Building and Construction, Business, Civil Construction Design, Information Technology, Project Management, Banking Services Management, Leadership and Management, and Travel and Tourism Management. Student support is delivered through the CANVAS Learning Management System (LMS) for coursework and the RTO Manager platform for administrative functions. The institution operates as a registered training organization (RTO 21979) regulated by ASQA and as a CRICOS provider (02996A) for international students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vocational Education and Training (VET) programs CRICOS-registered vocational programs ranging from Certificate III to Advanced Diploma covering business, information technology, community services, hospitality, leadership and management, delivered on-campus across three Melbourne CBD locations to international and domestic students.
• University pathway programs (bachelor and master articulation) Pathway programs designed to articulate graduates from Danford College vocational diplomas into bachelor's and master's degrees at partnered Australian universities, including Victoria University, Australian Catholic University, Griffith University, Flinders University, University of Tasmania and Charles Sturt University.
• English language and academic preparation programs English-language and academic-preparation courses preparing international students for entry into CRICOS-registered vocational and university pathway programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Qualifications at Danford College can contribute to credit transfer towards a Bachelor's degree at partnered institutions (Danford Higher Education and Melbourne Polytechnic).
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Danford Higher EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanford Higher Education is an affiliated higher education institution that has a guaranteed credit transfer agreement with Danford College. Students completing vocational qualifications at Danford College can progress to bachelor's degree programs at Danford Higher Education in fields such as Accounting, Business, IT, and Hospitality Management. This partnership provides a clear AQF pathway for students seeking to advance to higher education.
• Melbourne PolytechniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMelbourne Polytechnic is a public vocational education and training provider with a guaranteed credit transfer agreement with Danford College. Students who complete qualifications at Danford College can receive credit transfers towards bachelor's degrees at Melbourne Polytechnic. Credit transfer duration typically ranges from 6 months to 1.5 years depending on the program.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Education Centre of Australia (ECA): Private VET/HE provider in Melbourne and Sydney delivering vocational certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, and postgraduate programs to international students. Highly comparable operating model, geographic footprint, and customer segment.
• Think Education (Top Education Group): Private Australian higher education and vocational provider listed on the ASX, offering diplomas, advanced diplomas, and pathway programs to international students in Sydney and Melbourne. Directly comparable as a private, international-student-focused VET/HE operator competing for the same agent-recruited cohort.
• Academies Australasia Polytechnic: Private Australian VET provider (part of listed Academies Australasia Group) delivering certificate and diploma programs, including trade and business streams, primarily to international students across multiple campuses. Comparable in program breadth and international student mix.
• Australian National Institute of Management and Commerce (IMC): Sydney and Melbourne-based private higher education and VET college focused on international students across business, IT, and management disciplines. Directly comparable in scale, course mix, and CRICOS-led recruitment.
• Kaplan Business School Australia: Private higher education provider in Australia focused on business and management programs for international and domestic students, part of the global Kaplan group. Comparable in targeting international students with vocational-to-degree pathway programs.

Broad incumbents

• Holmesglen Institute: Large public TAFE-equivalent VET provider in Melbourne with significant international student enrolments across trade, business, and IT disciplines. Comparable in program mix and geographic market but operates at materially larger scale as a public institution.
• Melbourne Polytechnic: Public VET and higher education provider in Melbourne offering certificates through bachelor degrees across trade, business, IT, and engineering. Comparable in course catalog and serves as one of Danford's actual pathway partners, illustrating both cooperation and competitive overlap.
• William Angliss Institute: Specialised public VET and HE provider in Melbourne focused on tourism, hospitality, and culinary arts, with substantial international student enrolment. Comparable on the international student recruitment model and Melbourne CBD footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/danford-college

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Danford College