Private preview · For Australian university CFOs & Directors of Finance
See how your disciplines compare to the sector — and where you can improve
Pilbara Benchmarks shows where every field of education sits against the Australian sector on cost, margin and staffing — at 2-digit and 4-digit level, built from real institutional cost models, not surveys. Request access to a real sample of the benchmarks before your next planning conversation.
12
Australian universities
9B+
Rows validated
4 yrs
Trend data
Request preview access
We'll send your secure access code within one business day.
Model-based, not survey-based
Benchmarks your CFO can actually defend
12
Australian universities
100M+
Validated records (from 9B+ rows)
22
Core financial & non-financial measures
4 yrs
Multi-institution trend data
SOC 2
Type II audited compliance
Comparisons are built from raw institutional data, standardised through consistent activity-based cost models for true like-for-like comparison — by discipline, degree level and year. Methodology is aligned to Professor William F. Massy's economic models for higher education.
See what you'll get
No black box. See the actual benchmarks before you decide
The preview gives you a real sample of the benchmarks in an interactive explorer — the same structure and methodology as the full dataset, on a focused set of data for review. Here's what's inside the full benchmarks.
Discipline benchmark explorer
Plot every discipline's Margin per EFTSL, Cost per EFTSL and Revenue per EFTSL against volume, with your institution highlighted against the sector — instantly spot the outliers worth a closer look.
Your position at a glance
Compare your institution against the sector median, mean, min and max across 22 measures — with the delta and % gap called out on every row.
Track the trend over time
Follow any measure across four years against the sector median and mean — so you can see whether a gap is widening or closing before you act.
Pilbara Intelligence
Ask “why?” — and get structured analysis, not just a number
Pilbara Benchmarks incorporates Pilbara Intelligence, an AI solution designed specifically for higher-education management. Traditional benchmarking gives you static tables. Pilbara Intelligence is an interactive insight engine — ask why your cost per EFTSL is higher and get a structured explanation, not just a figure.
Component 1
SQL Agent
Interrogates the underlying database directly, ensuring calculations are accurate, traceable, and trustworthy — every answer traces back to the real numbers.
Component 2
Large Language Model interface
Lets leaders explore the benchmarks in natural language. Ask questions conversationally and receive structured, evidence-based insights you can act on.
Pilbara Intelligence is a support tool and not a substitute for strategic judgment.
Works where you do
Bring the benchmarks into Excel — where the work already happens
Most higher-education finance and planning teams live in Excel. The Pilbara add-in brings the benchmark data and the Pilbara Intelligence AI straight into your spreadsheet, so the sector comparison lands where you already model, forecast and report.
Insert benchmarks as a native table
Pull sector benchmark data straight into your workbook by field of education, degree level and measure — ready to model against.
Ask Pilbara Intelligence inline
Ask questions in natural language and get structured, executive-ready insights next to your numbers — then export the answer.
No switching between tools
Analyse where you already build your forecasts and board reports, instead of exporting from a separate portal.
The shift
From “how do we compare?” to “why?”
Australian universities are under real financial pressure, and finance leaders are being asked to justify every resourcing decision. Internal numbers tell you what things cost. They can't tell you how that compares to the sector for each field of education — or where there's genuine room to improve.
Without sector benchmarks
- Cost debates run on internal assumptions and gut feel
- No like-for-like comparison against real peer institutions
- Funding and investment decisions are hard to defend to council
- You know how you compare overall — but not why
With Pilbara Benchmarks
- Every discipline benchmarked against the sector on cost, margin and staffing
- Standardised, activity-based comparison across real Australian universities
- Evidence-based cases for growth, protection, review or restructure
- Move from 'how do we compare?' to 'why?' — and what to do about it
What's included
A real look, free — before you commit to full participation
The private preview uses the same structure and methodology as the full benchmark dataset, so you can evaluate real discipline-level results before deciding to participate.
| Included | Private PreviewFree | Full BenchmarksWith your cost model |
|---|---|---|
| Field of Education (FOE) detail | 2-digit | 2 & 4-digit |
| Benchmark years | 2021–2023 | 2021–2024 |
| Core financial & non-financial measures | All 22 | |
| Cost per EFTSL, Ac FTE per EFTSL, staffing ratios | ||
| Bachelor, postgraduate & sub-bachelor | ||
| Pilbara Intelligence AI insights | ||
| Microsoft Excel integration | ||
| Requires a Pilbara cost model | ||
| Data submission required | None | Joins shared pool |
Full sector benchmarks are included free for institutions with a Pilbara activity-based cost model that contribute their standardised data to the shared benchmark pool (with your permission). The same model also gives you your own true program, course and research costs.
How full access works
The full benchmarks come free with your cost model
The preview is a free sample. Full sector benchmarks are included for institutions with a Pilbara activity-based cost model who contribute their standardised data to the shared pool. The model is what powers both your own true program costs and like-for-like comparison across the sector.
Start with the free preview
Request access and explore a real, discipline-level sample of the benchmarks — same structure and methodology as the full dataset, no data submission required.
Build your cost model
Pilbara builds your activity-based cost model from your own institutional data. That model gives you the true cost of every program, course and research activity — defensible and on demand.
Unlock the full benchmarks — free
With your model in place and your permission, your institution joins the shared benchmark pool and gets free, ongoing access to the full sector dataset. The more institutions participate, the richer the comparison for everyone.
Private invitation
Request your Pilbara Benchmarks preview
We're inviting a limited group of Australian university finance and academic leaders to evaluate the benchmarks before full participation. Request your secure access code below.
- Free access to real discipline-level benchmarks
- No data submission required to preview
- Each request is manually reviewed — no automated sales sequence
- Access code sent within one business day
Request preview access
We'll send your secure access code within one business day.