Study in Australia

When it comes to studying abroad, Australia is a very trendy destination among students. More than 600,000 students come to study in Australia yearly, which has been increasing as time goes on due to the great universities and living environment that students crave. 

Why should you Study in Australia?

There are so many reasons why you should choose to study abroad in Australia. Australian cities have excellent universities that constantly appear on the university rankings lists. They also offer great internships and student jobs for students attending University degrees there. These internships allow students to have real work experiences and try out positions to know if they want to take this career path in the future or not. 

 International students who choose to study in Australia often talk on and on about their great experiences with a great student environment that is welcoming to students of all cultures and backgrounds. Some cities even offer international students special offices to help them make the move to the area, get a good job and help them with anything they may need. Melbourne has been named one of the top international cities for international students several times. 

 If you’re an adventurer, Australia is the perfect study abroad destination for you. With excellent opportunities for natural adventure with oceans, deserts and mountains, if you love thrills and adventures, you’ll never be bored on your study abroad journey. 

How much does it cost?

After learning about the exciting advantages of living and studying in Australia, you may want to know how much it costs to be an international student today. Unfortunately, Australia isn’t one of the cheapest places to study, with average undergraduate fees in the range of 22,100 US Dollars per year. For postgraduate studies, you’ll need to cough up about on average 22,700 dollars yearly, with masters and PhD degrees costing a wide range from 14,000 USD annually to approximately 26,000 USD. 

If you choose to pursue expensive degrees that need costly materials and courses like medical degrees, you’ll need to pay even more. 

Students will also need around 14,000 USD per year as living costs, but that will also depend on student visa requirements. We will go into more depth about costs of living and visa requirements in the following sections of the country profile.

Living in Australia

When it comes to living costs in Australia, there are different options for accommodation that cost different amounts of money. There are also other living costs that you will need to consider when planning your monthly expenses. This section talks about these costs of living in detail. 

Accommodation costs 

When it comes to living in Australia while pursuing your studies, several accommodation options are available for you, each with its own costs and details pertinent to them. 

The most common accommodation types for students are homestay accommodations, residential college accommodations, private student dormitories and private rentals separate from university campuses.  

Homestay : 

A homestay is one of the most suitable options for students who have just arrived in the country and don’t have much experience with accommodation there. A homestay typically means you live with a local host family, giving you a unique look into Australian culture. The university you are joining will recommend homestay providers for you so that they are safe and secure. Depending on the provider and your needs, you can decide to stay at a homestay for a short period or for more extended periods. 

Students who choose a homestay will be provided with a furnished room with a host family, and an airport pick up, if they want one. They will also receive meals and have all utilities like water, electricity, and internet. The university typically also provides an agent to help with any issues that may occur and might come over to give you an orientation session with your host family. 

 Cost of Homestay: 

 How much your homestay experience will cost differs based on the host and the kinds of meals you want to eat, in addition to room types and utilities offered. In a general sense, homestays cost international students between 180 to 260 US dollars per week.

 Residential colleges 

The residential colleges are another easy option for students who are too shy or aren’t comfortable staying at a homestay. Most international students find it very convenient to live on the campus of the university they are studying at. 

 Students who live in residential college dorms receive benefits like a room with furnishings, fully cooked meals, weekly cleaning services and access to special college libraries. They also get wireless internet and may also benefit from private tutors available around the clock.

Costs of residential college dorms

Like Homestays, costs for residential college dormitories also vary. They are more expensive than Homestays and cost you between 145 and 550 USD weekly, depending on amenities and services offered and how fancy the dorm is. 

Private student dorms

The third option for international students is private student dorms. These are buildings that have the purpose of housing many students in them. These rooms are either single or twin rooms, with twin rooms having a shared bathroom and kitchenette. Private student dorms with bigger rooms might even be able to house several students in one room.

 Amenities offered by private student dorms are a bedroom that is furnished with basic furniture for living like a bed, study desk, chair and wardrobe, and personal security services. They also have laundry rooms in the building and free parking. They may also have study rooms, bars or lounge areas, and gyms. Some even have outdoor barbecue facilities and television rooms. 

Costs of private student dorms:

Costs of private student dorms range from 70 to 300 USD per week, including utilities like electricity, heating, water and gas and internet, depending on the services and facilities offered onsite.  

Private rental apartments:

Another option for international students that most students go for, especially in the long run, is private rental apartments. Students can choose to live alone or with friends or family, splitting rental costs between them. This type of living accommodation is typically cheaper than other types.

Unfortunately, there are typically no amenities available with these kinds of accommodation, so you need to pay for your own gas, water and electricity separately. There is no furniture too, so you have to bring your own along.  

Cost of private rental apartments:

The cost of rental apartments differs depending on the apartment itself. On average, it will cost from 75 USD per week to 365 USD per week. 

 Other Costs of living in Australia

In general, other costs of living in Australia besides accommodation aren’t very expensive. You will need to spend from 50 to 200 USD weekly on groceries and eating at restaurants, 10 to 40 USD weekly on public transport, and 60 to 100 dollars on entertainment. If your accommodation doesn’t have utilities involved, you should expect to pay from 25 to 100 USD weekly for gas and electricity and from 15 to 40 dollars weekly for phone and internet services. 

In conclusion, you’ll need around 200 US dollars per week to live comfortably. 

Universities in Australia

Universities

There are many good universities to choose from in Australia if you want to study abroad there. The country has over forty universities, and many of them are highly ranked. Most of the universities in the country are public schools, with only a tiny minority of private institutions. There are also many remote campuses for Australian universities located abroad. 

Degrees Available 

If you choose to study in Australia, you can study for undergraduate bachelor’s degrees and postgraduate degrees. Postgraduate degrees that exist include both research masters and professional masters. Research masters require a thesis, and entry requirements are related to bachelor’s degrees or relevant work experience with a first-year master’s degree. A professional master’s, on the other hand, has entrance requirements being extensive work experience, hence the name “professional master’s”. Australia also offers PhD, or doctorate, degrees to students who have completed their master’s degrees. 

Top Ranked Universities 

When it comes to top-ranked universities in Australia, the ultimate five are the Australian National University, University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, University of New South Wales and University of Queensland. We will talk more about these universities in this section, so you can get to know them better. 

 

1. Australian National University: 

Location: Canberra, Kioloa, Brinkin 

Located mainly in the capital of Australia, Australian National University has the number one ranking as a university in Australia. When compared with international universities, it ranks at a number 31. 

The university offers many degrees at seven academic schools: School of Arts and Social Sciences, School of Business and Economics, School of Engineering and Computer Science, School of Medicine, Biology and the Environment, School of Asia and the Pacific, School of Physical and Mathematical Science and finally, School of Law. 

Students who choose to study Geology, Politics and Sociology at the university will be attending classes at one of the top 20 best global universities for those subjects. The same goes for students who want to study philosophy degrees. The academic staff of the Australian National University are the best in Australia as 95 per cent of them have master’s and doctoral degrees. 

2. University of Sydney: 

Location: Sydney 

Located in Sydney, the University of Sydney is the first university in Australia. It was declared one of the most attractive campuses in the world, with nearly half of students there being international students. 

The university offers 400 study programs, through 8 schools: School of Arts and Social Sciences, School of Engineering, School of Medicine and Health, School of Science, School of Architecture and Design, School of Business,School of Music and School of Law. It also ranks as one of the top 50 universities worldwide for 21 subject areas. 

 

Fields that the university is most well known for are Sports subjects, Law, Nursing and Veterinary, ranking in the top 20s in each of the fields. The student-faculty ratio is also pretty impressive with a 19 to 1, Student to professor range. 

 3. University of Melbourne

Location: Melbourne, Shepparton, Creswick, Dookie

University of Melbourne is Australia’s second university with the campus being in the city and neighbouring areas. Creating an idea called the “Melbourne Model”, this idea follows the idea of giving students 9 degrees that are general, rather than with specific undergraduate programs. These undergraduate programs are the following:

-Bachelor of Arts

– Bachelor of Architecture 

-Bachelor of Biomedicine

-Bachelor of Commerce

-Bachelor of Design

-Bachelor of Fine Arts

-Bachelor of Music 

-Bachelor of Oral Health and Science  

Postgraduate courses, on the other hand, are highly specialized. However, this means if you decide to pursue your masters at Melbourne university, you might be subject to a generalized degree first. 

The best areas of study at the University of Melbourne are Law, Education, Accounting and Finance, ranking among the top 20 in the nation. 

4. University of New South Wales 

Location: Sydney, Canberra

University of New South Wales ranks as the 44th across the globe, with half of the students being international students. The university offers over 400 courses through degree programs in the faculties of Arts and Architecture, Engineering school, Business school, Law school, Medicine school and School of Sciences. 

A founding member of the “Group of Eight” universities in Australia, it has an incredibly strong reputation for research, ranking high across the country. It’s also the number one for entrepreneurs with their own startups across the globe. The university has also been said to produce the highest number of graduates who became millionaires in Australia. 

5. University of Queensland

Location: Brisbane, Lockyer Valley Region

University of Queensland ranks at the number 46 in the world and is the oldest university in Queensland. It also has a third of its student population as international students. It has a stunning main campus in Brisbane. 

The university offers around 400 course modules and 21 subjects rank in the top 50 around the globe. These subjects are mainly in areas like Agriculture and Forestry, environmental sciences and sports sciences. In fact, as a testament to its excellence in sports-related subjects, more than 1000 alumni of the University of Queensland have gone on to compete in the Olympics. 

The university is associated with many research partners and has over 400 partnerships spanning the globe. It is the number 2 ranked university when it comes to research in areas of Medicine, Technology and Science and is a founding member of edX, and part of the “Group of 8” universities. 

Examples of other Universities in Australia

Besides the top five universities mentioned above, there are many great universities in Australia. Some of these include the University of Canberra, University of Newcastle, CQ University Australia, RMIT University and the University of Western Australia. 

The “group of 8” universities are also worth looking into if you want to indulge in research, as they are Australia’s leading research universities. They include some of those mentioned above but also others. The “Group of 8” are the University of Melbourne, the Australian National University, the University of Sydney, the University of Queensland, the University of Western Australia, the University of Adelaide, Monash University and UNSW Sydney.

Australia also offers a certification called the TAFE certificates for vocational training and education. These are for students who want to be highly specialized in business areas.

 

Student Visa - Australia

If you find Australia an interesting country of study, you will need to look into getting a study visa. There are several requirements that you need to fulfil in order to be granted the visa: Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement, Financial requirements, English language requirements and Health and Character Requirements. 

 Students must apply for the Student Visa (Subclass 500) online. They will also need to present a Confirmation of Enrolment from the institution applied to, proving that you’ve been accepted to the study program, through an online code that the university will give to you. They may also ask for you to pay part of your tuition fees. 

 GTE Requirement

First of all, the Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement says that the visa applicant must be able to prove they are only going to Australia to study on a temporary basis or to accompany a spouse or child while studying. Those filtering for the student visa will look into circumstances of home country, what you intend to do in Australia, how much the study program will add value to you and your immigration history. 

Financial requirements

Other requirements are financial ones, which include proof that you have enough money to cover tuition, travel and living costs. You need to have living costs of about 14,000 USD per year, separate from tuition and transportation costs. If you are travelling with spouse or children, you will also need to prove you can pay for their things, including school fees if they are children. You can also show that your spouse or parent will be able to pay for you if they earn a minimum of 40,000 USD per year.  

English language requirements 

Suppose you come from a country that isn’t English speaking and don’t have five years of experience learning in an English language-based accredited institution. In that case, you’ll need to present other evidence of your English language proficiency, such as IELTS, TOEFL, PTE or CAE test results. There are often also cutoff scores that you’ll need to pass, but that will depend on your degree and whether you intend to take an intensive English course once you get to Australia. 

Health requirements

Some students may also need to present a medical checkup if they are pursuing a degree relating to health. Students must do this checkup at an entity approved by the Australian immigration department. 

 All students, except those coming from Belgium or Norway, must also buy a type of health insurance called the Overseas Student Health Cover. They will allow you to purchase this through your intended institution or directly from an approved provider. Approved providers include Australian Health Management, BUPA, Medibank, Allianz or NIB OSHC. Costs will vary based on the time period purchased for, but you can expect them to average at about 1500 USD for a three year time period. Students from Sweden who have Kammarkollegiet health insurance will not need to buy health insurance again.

Character requirements

Another requirements to obtain an Australian student visa are character requirements which means you should be of good character with no criminal record and with a penal clearance or police statement. You may also need to fill out a Character Statutory Declaration Form. 

Documents needed 

The Australian Department of Affairs say that to obtain a student visa, students need to present the completed student visa application, paid visa fee which is around 400 USD, a copy of their passport, the certificate of enrollment from the institution, besides the previously mentioned requirements of financial, English language, health and character nature. You’ll also need to present four recent passport-sized photos. 

Student visas in general take about four weeks to process, so keep that in mind when applying.

How to apply - Australia

When it comes to applying to study in Australia, there are several steps you should follow. First of all, you choose the university and the course degree you want to study then you apply. Afterwards, you have your application processed, then accept the offer and then prepare for departure to Australia. 

Step 1: Choose University and degree program

First of all, you should study and research the best universities and then choose the degree program you want to pursue. When you have chosen a program, look at the different courses and see which specialisation you will choose. 

You can also do the opposite and choose your major and specialisation first then select the best Australian university that offers it and suits the requirements that you personally have. Look at the available facilities on campus to make sure they are suitable to your major and are interesting to you.

Step 2:  Complete your application 

Once you have picked a degree program and a university, you should find out what the application process for your university of choice is like. You should check all requirements and make sure that you fulfil them all, such as English proficiency requirements and others that may be requested. If there are some requirements missing, see if there’s a possibility to take a foundation course and be accepted.

Make sure to keep track of important deadlines and note them down in your personal calendars to avoid missing any. If you; ’re sending any by post mail, make sure to factor the extra time in. 

Most universities have their applications directly on their website to apply to. Most applications will request information like personal details, proof of English language abilities, information about your previous academic courses and proof-like transcripts, preferences for majors and a CV that summarizes your professional experience, if it is relevant to the degree you are applying for. 

If you still haven’t finished your high school degree and the deadline for applying is coming up, you can also submit interim grades until you are able to hand in the final transcript. If your documentation is in a language other than English, you will have to go to a certified translator to get them translated into English. 

Keep in mind that most applications will cost from 40 to 70 USD dollars, which must be paid at the time of application. You should also check your visa requirements to make sure that you are eligible for the student visa. You can find more details about this in the previous section of the country profile. 

Step 3: Wait for your application to be processed

When you have applied to the university and they receive your application, they will look over it and in a few weeks, you will receive a result. This process takes a longer amount of time for postgraduate applications, so don’t be surprised if it takes longer. 

 Step 4:  Look over Offer Letter 

If you are accepted, you will receive an offer letter. You should look over it carefully and make sure you fulfil all conditions for acceptance. These conditions will all need to be met before you’re able to receive a confirmation of your enrollment (CoE). Depending on the institution, you may also need to pay a deposit of your fees. 

 Step 5: Get ready to travel 

Once you have fulfilled acceptance conditions, you can now start to apply for your student visa. As previously mentioned, you will find the in-depth process in the previous section. You’ll need this CoE in order to apply for your student visa.

You will also need to buy your flight tickets, buy health insurance and then look over accommodation ideas and then choose one. You should also look over other costs and make sure you have enough money ready. 

Scholarship in Australia

Because tuition fees aren’t the cheapest, many students may look for scholarships when applying to universities in Australia. The Australian government gives up to 320 million dollars in scholarships to students from developing countries, so getting a scholarship is possible. However, you’ll need to plan in advance in order to be able to get a scholarship to Australia. 

First, you should research the programs and universities you are applying to and see if there are any relevant scholarships. The Australian government also offers scholarships, so you should look into that area as well. Your home country may also have scholarships available so research well.

Next, you should check your eligibility for scholarships, making sure they are applied to international students and not just local ones. Some factors that may consider you eligible or not are your academic grades, English proficiency test scores, the country you are applying from, your personal financial situation and finally, the area you want to study in. 

Scholarships will typically need a lot of documentation prepared so be sure to check all eligibility requirements before you start applying, so you don’t waste time. 

Next, you should gather the needed documents and submit your application. But even if you don’t get accepted easily, you should keep researching and trying to apply. You may also get the chance to receive a scholarship offered by the university if you have done well in the first or second semester of your study.