Western Australian students could lose course choice if overlapping degrees are consolidated under a proposed merger of Curtin University, Murdoch University and The University of Western Australia, a higher education policy expert has warned.

The warning comes after the WA Government announced this month it would develop a business case into a potential three-way merger. The Government said the work would examine whether a merger could reduce duplicated offerings and improve the student experience.

The 2025 University Feasibility Study found Western Australia’s public universities offered many similar courses and broadly similar entry requirements.

Monash University professor of higher education policy Andrew Norton said reducing course duplication could come at a cost for students.

“Reducing duplication of courses may look efficient but it also reduces choice and convenience for students, if the course they want to do is, after the merger, only taught at a distant campus,” he said.

The WA Government said the existing Curtin, Murdoch and UWA campuses would remain if a merger proceeded, while each institution’s specialties could become centres of excellence rather than duplicating offerings across universities.

A Government-commissioned rapid cost-benefit analysis found the three-way merger offered the largest potential benefits of the options assessed. It also found it would be the most complex to implement.

The report estimated merger costs could range from $175 million to $522 million and said potential benefits could exceed costs if key risks were managed.

Professor Norton said disruption from the process itself could also affect students.

“Merging three universities would cause years of disruption for uncertain future benefits,” he said.

“Just announcing the possibility of a merger will deter academics from seeking work at any of the three affected universities and encourage current academics to look for more stable employment elsewhere.

“That cannot be good for students.”

Curtin University speech pathology student Chloe Domoney said accessibility and course availability were major reasons she chose Curtin.

Ms Domoney said speech pathology had been offered at only three WA universities when she chose when she was deciding where to study.

She said Curtin’s student community, reputation and campus culture had also influenced her decision.

“The government should consider what type of institution students want to belong to and be mindful that each university has its own reputation which appeals to different students,” she said.

Nursing courses already differ across the three universities. Murdoch offers a three-year Bachelor of Nursing. Curtin offer a three-and-a-half-year Bachelor of Science (Nursing). UWA offer a four-year Bachelor of Nursing (Honours).

Murdoch University nursing student Melany Lukei said she had chosen Murdoch partly because of its calmer campus environment and three-year nursing course.

Ms Lukei said she was concerned a merger could mean studying somewhere she had not chosen.

“I don’t want to go anywhere new and study at a different campus,” she said.

“Why should I have to do that when I chose to go to Murdoch University?”

Professor Norton said the separate universities also carried reputational value that could be difficult to replace.

“The three universities have at least decades of reputational value attached to their names, and much longer for UWA,” he said.

“The new university would take years to build a brand.”

The Government’s business case will begin in late 2026 and is expected to be completed in 2027 before a final decision is made.

A rally opposing the merger is being held in the WA Supreme Court Gardens today.