Danford Higher Education

What Danford Higher Education does

Danford Higher Education (DHE) is a private higher education provider based in Melbourne, Australia, operating from a single campus at Level 7, 525 Flinders Street in the Melbourne CBD. The institution is registered with the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA, PRV14360) and holds CRICOS registration (04122B), authorising it to enrol international students on Australian student visas. Danford offers five accredited programs across two disciplines: Business (Diploma of Business, Bachelor of Business in Accounting, Bachelor of Business in Digital Marketing) and Information Technology (Bachelor of IT, Master of IT), with qualifications aligned to Australian Qualifications Framework Levels 5 through 9.

The instructional model is a 3+3+2 trimester structure (8 units per year with three annual intakes) delivered via face-to-face on-campus classes supplemented by blended learning through the Canvas Learning Management System. Danford supports a small-class-size positioning and offers student support services including in-house counselling, disability support, and an International Student Handbook. The institution is pursuing professional accreditation pathways for its accounting program with CPA Australia and CA ANZ.

Danford operates a tuition-based business model with per-unit pricing; international student fees substantially exceed domestic fees (for example, AUD $2,500/unit vs. AUD $2,000/unit for the Bachelor of IT) and total course fees range from AUD $40,800 to AUD $60,000. Revenue is supplemented by a AUD $250 non-refundable enrolment fee and a AUD $100 annual digital access fee. The go-to-market combines direct website applications (via Zoho Forms) with a global network of authorised education agents recruited internationally, and a referral partnership with the Study Melbourne Student Centre. Customer segments are split between international students (primary) and domestic Australian students, with education agents serving as a channel partner rather than a direct customer. The organisation is small, with 7 employees and no disclosed funding, parent company, or acquisition history.

Name

Danford Higher Education

Legal name

Danford Higher Education Pty Ltd

Website

https://danfordhe.vic.edu.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Danford Higher Education is a private, TEQSA- and CRICOS-registered higher education provider in Melbourne offering Diploma, Bachelor, and Master programs in Business and Information Technology to international and domestic students via face-to-face and Canvas LMS blended learning.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Competency-Based Universities (CBE) (EDAHALAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Subject-Specific Short Courses & Academies (e.g., STEM, Business, Arts) (EDAIAIAC)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Vocational diploma programs
• Business degrees
• Information technology degrees
• Pathway programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees - International Students: International students pay course fees on a per-unit basis. Fees vary by program: Diploma of Business at AUD $1,700/unit, Bachelor programs at AUD $2,450-$2,500/unit, and Master of IT at AUD $2,750/unit. Total course fees range from AUD $40,800 to $60,000 depending on program and duration.
2. Tuition Fees - Domestic Students: Domestic students pay lower tuition rates: AUD $1,700/unit for Diploma and Bachelor programs (total AUD $40,800), and AUD $2,250/unit for Master of IT (total AUD $36,000).
3. Non-Tuition Fees: Additional fees include a non-refundable enrolment fee of AUD $250 and an annual digital access fee of AUD $100 per year. These are charged separately from tuition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Danford Higher Education is a private Australian higher education provider that delivers accredited Diploma, Bachelor, and Master degree programs in Business (Accounting, Digital Marketing) and Information Technology. Courses are taught on-campus in Melbourne CBD using face-to-face instruction supplemented by blended learning through the Canvas Learning Management System. The institution operates under a 3+3+2 trimester model with three annual intakes (January, May, September) and offers pathway progression from Diploma to Bachelor to Master levels.

Product overview

Danford Higher Education is a higher education provider based in Melbourne, Australia, offering a portfolio of five accredited vocational and degree programs across Business and Information Technology disciplines. The core product suite comprises one AQF Level 5 Diploma (Diploma of Business), three AQF Level 7 Bachelor degrees (Business Accounting, Business Digital Marketing, and Information Technology), and one AQF Level 9 Master degree (Information Technology). All programs are delivered via a blended learning model combining face-to-face on-campus instruction with the Canvas Learning Management System as the digital platform. The institution provides integrated student support services including counseling, disability support, and an International Student Handbook, positioning the programs as comprehensive educational offerings with embedded student lifecycle support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Information Technology A two-year full-time postgraduate degree (AQF Level 9) providing advanced IT knowledge in network security, data analytics, and software development. Delivered on-campus in Melbourne with face-to-face and blended learning via Canvas LMS. Requires a Bachelor degree in a relevant discipline with minimum 50% marks.
• Bachelor of Business (Accounting) A three-year full-time undergraduate degree (AQF Level 7) providing comprehensive business and accounting knowledge covering financial reporting, auditing, tax, and management accounting. Accredited by CPA Australia and CA ANZ and prepares graduates for professional accounting careers.
• Bachelor of Business (Digital Marketing) A three-year full-time undergraduate degree (AQF Level 7) providing theoretical and practical knowledge in digital marketing covering social media, SEO, content strategy, analytics, and e-commerce. Designed to address the current digital marketing skills gap.
• Bachelor of Information Technology A three-year full-time undergraduate degree (AQF Level 7) providing comprehensive IT skills in networking, programming, databases, and support. Emphasises software development, cybersecurity, data management, and cloud computing, aligned with AQF Level 7.
• Diploma of Business A one-year full-time diploma (AQF Level 5) providing foundational business skills across accounting, marketing, entrepreneurship, and management disciplines. Functions as a pathway to Bachelor of Business degrees with advanced standing of 8 units (96 credit points).

Quantifiable outcome

• Advanced standing of 8 units (96 credit points) available for Diploma of Business graduates entering Bachelor programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Study Melbourne Student CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanford Higher Education refers students to the Study Melbourne Student Centre for information, referral, and practical support services for international students in Victoria. This is a government-backed support ecosystem rather than a formal commercial partnership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kaplan Business School Australia: Private Australian higher education provider focused on Business and IT programs delivered to international and domestic students across multiple campuses. Highly comparable to Danford because of overlapping program mix (Accounting, IT), similar tuition band, and identical reliance on the agent-driven international recruitment channel.
• Holmes Institute: Small private Australian higher education institution offering Business and IT programs to international and domestic students in Melbourne and other cities. Closely comparable to Danford on institution size, Melbourne footprint, AQF-accredited Business/IT catalog, and reliance on international student fees.

Broad incumbents

• Torrens University Australia: Larger private Australian higher education provider offering Business and IT degrees nationally and to international students. Comparable because it operates in the same regulatory regime (TEQSA/CRICOS), targets similar international student cohorts, and competes for the same agent-driven recruitment pipeline as Danford, but at much greater scale.
• La Trobe University: Major public Australian university with a large international student cohort in Business and IT, including pathway and diploma programs. Comparable because it competes for the same international applicants in Melbourne and runs similar Business/IT programs, but operates at significantly larger scale and brand recognition.
• RMIT University: Melbourne-based public university with substantial international student enrollment in Business and IT disciplines. Comparable to Danford because of geographic overlap (same Melbourne market), overlapping program portfolio (Accounting, IT), and competition for the same international applicant pool.

Emerging players

• Navitas: Global education provider operating pathway, diploma, and degree programs, with significant Australian operations enrolling international students into Business and IT fields. Comparable because Navitas's pathway model and diploma-to-degree articulation mirror Danford's vertical stack, and both compete for the same international fee-paying cohort.
• Study Group: International education group running pathway and pre-degree programs that feed into partner universities, with Australian operations. Comparable because of its pathway model and international student recruitment channel, but operates at substantially larger scale and primarily as a feeder rather than direct degree conferrer.

Regional players

• Federation University Australia: Australian public university with Business and IT programs and a notable pathway/diploma structure feeding into bachelor degrees. Comparable on product mix and pathway architecture, but primarily regional and competes in a different geographic segment from Danford's Melbourne CBD focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@DanfordHigherEducation
• Facebookfacebook.com/DanfordHE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/danfordhe
• Instagraminstagram.com/danfordhe/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@danfordhighereducation

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Danford Higher Education