Study in Australia

Overview

Officially called the ‘Commonwealth of Australia’, this sovereign country is home to twenty-five million people. The capital city of Australia is Canberra. Melbourne and Sydney, the two largest cities in Australia are the economical and cultural hub of the country.

The most interesting fact about Australian universities is that almost seven universities among the top 100 universities in the world are located in Australia. Australian universities have been constantly securing the top ranks in the surveys or assessments conducted by different ranking agencies or organisations. Among the 30 best cities in the world, five cities are located in Australia where a student can get quality and affordable education with a greater scope of employability.

Australia has become one of the foremost global powerhouses of education and is now providing education to more than 8,00,000 foreign students every year. The international students in Australia are mostly from India, China, Nepal, Brazil and Vietnam. Over 50% of the international students are from these five countries. The educational institutions in Australia have been providing the students with groundbreaking innovation and knowledge and world-class study patterns. Australia has the third-highest number of international students intake, after the US and the UK.

Source: Department of Education, Australian Government

An important and surprising fact about Australia is that almost 2.5 million international students who completed their studies/higher education in Australia are working in top companies/organisations/firms across the country. There are several other advantages to pursuing higher education in Australia like international education recognition, job opportunities while studying, and beautiful peaceful locations among others.

All the details about Australian universities, the education system, courses, the average cost of living, hostel accommodation, application procedure, admission process, etc. can be checked here.

Also Read:  Flying from India to Australia in 2022? Know about Travel and Vaccination Requirements

Why Study in Australia?

Australia is preferred by international students due to its flexible education system, the wide range of major and minor subjects offered, quality education and a high standard of living. Some of the major reasons that justify why a student must study in Australia are listed below.

High-Quality Education: Over the years, Australia has emerged as the third most popular destination in the world for international students. Among the English-speaking countries, Australia is one of the best options for international students who are looking for high-quality education at affordable prices.

International Recognition: The degrees awarded by Australian universities have international recognition and high value in the job market. Australian universities have a good reputation across the world, and students graduating from these universities have good chances of securing jobs in any part of the world.

Cost of Living: Living expenses and tuition fee are low in Australia as compared to many other top nations proffering education to international students. Students pursuing higher studies in Australian universities can take up part-time jobs to cover their living expenses. International students pursuing higher studies in Australia may also apply for scholarships.

Diversity of Education: Australian universities offer a wide range of courses and degrees. Therefore, it is flexible for international students to choose a course or degree as per their interest and career aspirations. Also, international students in Australian universities have the flexibility to switch between qualification levels and from one educational institution to another.

Scope for Scientific Research: Students in Australian universities have a greater scope to take up scientific research. The universities in Australia give more emphasis to innovation, scientific research and technology. On the other hand, Australia comprises impressive technological resources, which students can access for their educational needs. 

Flexibility to Take Up Part-Time Jobs: International students pursuing higher education in Australian universities have the freedom or flexibility to take up part-time jobs so that they can cover their living expenses.

Australian universities have graphed an increase of about 54 per cent in the intake of foreign students over the last five years. According to a news broadcasting website in Australia, most of this increase has been in these fields of education: Vocational Education and Training (VET) schools, English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) and non-award sectors. The Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the value of international education has bounced up 22 per cent to $32.4 billion in 2018 from $28.1 billion in 2016.

There are two main laws which promote quality education for international students in Australia. They are - Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000 and the National Code of Practice. This maintains the standard of Australia as a country and as a global leader in providing education.

Education System in Australia

With a wide variety of over 2,200 study programmes and more than 1,200 institutions available in the country, Australia is one of the largest study abroad destinations in the world.

Vocational Education

To start with the higher education system in Australia, the vocational education system comes first. The Australian vocational education system is called Technical and Further Education (TAFE). Vocational education institutes or TAFEs are directly funded by the government, and these institutes award Certificates, Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas. In certain areas of study, TAFEs award Bachelor’s degree as well.

Bachelor’s Degree

As far as university education is concerned, there are around 37 public-funded universities in Australia, which are funded by the Commonwealth.

Usually, the duration of Bachelor’s degree courses in Australia is three years, and the candidates can also take up the fourth year in a Bachelor’s course, which is referred to as ‘Honours’. However, students taking up Honours courses are required to write and submit a thesis to be awarded the degree. Candidates who complete an Honours course are awarded an honours qualification as a part of the degree. For example, Chemistry with Honours, Zoology with Honours, etc.

Apart from the Major course, a student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Australia has an option to choose ‘Minor’ courses in a specific field. Usually, minor courses are fewer than majors and minors are treated as specialisations in a specific academic area.

Some Australian universities allow students to pursue double degrees. Students taking up double degree courses are required to complete major courses in two fields of study.

Master’s Degree

When it comes to Master's courses, the duration/length of the course is of two years atin most in Australian universities. The best universities to pursue master’s courses in Australia are included among the best international universities, such as Australian National University, UNSW Sydney, The University of Queensland, University of Melbourne, and University of Wollongong.

The most popular master’s courses to apply for in Australia are STEM, business and management, economics, architecture, etc. The majority of regional universities in Australia offer taught and research based master’s courses. The natural resource enrichment of the country is most pivotal in its role of offering honours and research based courses in the relevant fields and streams.

Examination System

Australian universities conduct one or two exams per term, and the final assessment of students is done on the basis of performance in these exams. Certain courses in Australian universities require laboratory work/language classes, and these courses place more emphasis on attendance, assignments and participation.

Student participation/involvement is one of the major components of the Australian education system. At universities, students are encouraged to express opinions, ask questions and speak up in lectures. The examination system of Australian universities places more emphasis on the critical thinking of students rather than the mere memorisation of subjects/topics/lectures.

More details about the Australian education system, levels of courses, duration and course details can be checked below.

Admission Process of Australian Universities

Admission process is an internal administration matter of the universities and varies for different institutions. However, there are many aspects that could be generalised among the admission processes. The main reason is the presence of a common education system. While exact timelines, deadlines, eligibility criteria, fees, courses offered, and class size might differ, there is a general schedule or process which could be understood

The admission process of Australian universities for international students can be summarised as follows:

Step 1: Shortlisting Universities

Students need to check out the fee schedule and eligibility criteria of the Australian universities offering their desired programmes. On the basis of their research work, they need to shortlist the universities which are most compatible with their own goals.

Step 2: Attempting Study Abroad Tests

After shortlisting the universities, students need to prepare, register, and attempt the study abroad entrance exams. These exams shall be mentioned in the eligibility criteria of the university.

Step 3: Compiling Application Documents

Once the results have been declared of the entrance exams then students need to compile the application documents for their shortlisted universities. The document requirements may differ for different universities and the collateral processes may also be extensive. It is strongly recommended that students start preparing the application documents on a tentative basis and well before applications start being accepted.

Step 4: Applying before Deadlines

Once the universities declare the admission dates and deadlines for the applications, students need to submit their applications to their respective universities. It is beneficial to apply early in the admissions season to ensure proper attention and less competition.

Step 5: Await Decision and Prepare Student Visa Application Documents

After applying for the documents and gaining confirmation of application from the respective universities students need to await the Offer Letter of Acceptance. While waiting for the offer letter they can start preparing the documents required for the Australian Student Visa application.

Intakes In Australia

The admission processes of Australian universities are underway in two intakes, namely February and July. International students along with domestic students can apply for admission to Australian universities during these intakes. Both the intakes allow students to apply for varying programmes, ranging from bachelor’s to master’s and doctoral degrees, and from STEM courses to business and management courses.

Each intake season has its own deadlines and international students are strongly encouraged to apply well in advance once the admissions have been declared as ongoing. While a tentative guideline can be ascertained for each intake, varying universities have different deadlines for their admission processes. 

Every intake season shall carry the following characteristics for international students:

• Both the intakes are considered as main admission seasons in Australia and students can apply for various qualifications and streams.

• Students may find that certain master’s and doctoral courses are not available for application along with other courses. Such programmes admission window is either quite short or slated to lie in the later legs of the intake season.

• A sub-intake season is also available for international students to apply for admission to Australian universities. The November intake season is open for only certain courses.

• In case the desired course is slated for the admissions process in the November intake, then international students are advised to avoid the high competition rate of the main intakes.

• International students need to start preparing for their admission intakes at least seven to eight months before the intake is slated to begin.

• In order to ensure that early application can be made, students need to be well prepared with their entrance exam scores, language proficiency scores, academic transcripts, LORs, SOP, etc.

• In case of multiple admission applications, students are strongly advised to direct their applications specifically to the varying universities rather than applying through a single application.

Grading Scale in Australia

The grading system followed by the higher education institutes in Australia is majorly based on alphabetical grading system. The conversion of these grades can be implied in terms of percentage and numeric grade point scales. The rules of conversion have been mentioned further in this section.

University Grading

Grade Points

Honours Grading

TAFE and VET Grading

Cost of Studying in Australia

International students in Australia need to pay the tuition fees for a specific course as defined by the respective institute under the international student category. The fees vary depending on the level of studies and type of the institute.

An international student can expect the average cost of study in Australia as per the details mentioned below:

Apart from this, the weekly accommodation cost can range between INR 5,500 - INR 14,000 depending on the type of accommodation like on-campus stay, sharing or single occupancy or private rented accommodation.  

Cost of Living in Australia for International Students

In addition to educational expenses, international students need to incur living expenses as well while studying abroad in Australia. These costs include various components and differ on the basis of different cities.

The components included in the living expenses of international students in Australia are:

• Rent Expenses

• Travel Expenses

• Medical Expenses

• Food and Other Necessities

• Electricity and Utilities

• Entertainment Expenses

• Miscellaneous Expenses

The living expenses differ on the basis of cities as well, while mega urban cities like Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney are comparatively costlier, regional areas are far more affordable to live in. There are special provisions for students graduating from regional universities and hence it is often better to enroll in them in comparison to urban campuses.

Scholarships for International Students

The overall educational expenses to study abroad in Australia are estimated to be at least two to three times costlier than in India. This makes it inevitable for students to consider the options which can significantly reduce their financial burden. While education loans and waivers are widely chosen, scholarships are prioritised by the students. The main reason is the permanent removal of financial burden.

Scholarships not only allow students to pursue their higher education in Australia without finances being a barrier but also eliminates the future burden of repayment as well. International students can apply for various scholarships in Australia depending on the eligibility criteria. Each scholarship has its own set of rules, eligibility criteria, limited beneficiaries, future conditions, and award amount or components. While certain scholarships have a fixed amount, others mention the expenses covered by the scholarship and the extent of such coverage. Similarly, there are also varying types of scholarships available on the basis of eligibility criteria, such as merit-based scholarships, need-based scholarships, etc. Other than eligibility, scholarship programmes can also be bifurcated on the basis of awarding organisations, such as government, university, or trust funds organisations.

Students need to apply for scholarships after they have been accepted by the universities for their applied courses. The overall process of applying to the scholarships for international students in Australia can be serialsed as follows:

Step 1: On receiving the confirmation letter of enrollment, students need to explore the scholarship programmes available for them to pursue their chosen course programme at the university.

Step 2: They have to further shortlist the scholarship programmes whose eligibility criteria they manage to satisfy.

Step 3: They then have to compile their documents according to the eligibility criteria of the shortlisted scholarship programmes and apply for the respective programmes before their deadlines.

Step 4: Await the final decision of the selection committee.

The students are hereby informed that the eligibility criteria and conditions of the scholarship programmes do not cease on granting of the award. In the majority of cases, students need to continuously satisfy the eligibility criteria until they are benefitting as an awardee of the respective programme. In fact, many merit scholarships mention the minimum aggregate that the beneficiary students need to maintain to continue getting the award.

The documents which commonly need to be submitted by the students as part of their scholarship application are as follows:

• Letter of Enrollment

• Scholarship Essay

• Academic Transcripts

• English Language Proficiency Proofs

• Standardised Test Scores

• Financial Sources and Bank Statements (if based on financial need)

• Nationality Proof (if limited to certain international students)

Types of Higher Education Institutions in Australia

Higher education institutions in Australia comprise both government and private institutions that are broadly divided into the following two categories:

Universities

In Australia, universities offer higher education qualifications at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels to make graduates ready for professional careers. Currently, there are 42 universities in Australia, of which three are private universities and two Catholic universities.

The universities offer degrees including bachelors, postgraduate certificates, postgraduate diplomas, masters and doctorate degrees along with lower-level qualifications (advanced diplomas, associate degrees and diplomas) and non-award courses (bridging courses and foundation studies). 

Universities in Australia are represented by Universities Australia, the peak body of the sector. In its list, eight universities have formed a group to be called the ‘Group of Eight’ or ‘Go8’. Each university in the country has its own establishment legislation and receive a huge portion of their public funding from the government of Australia.

TAFE Institutes

Apart from the degree programmes offered at a bachelor’s and master’s level, international students can pursue vocational courses from Australian which are offered by Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes. These institutions across the country are the prime providers of Vocational Education and Training (VET) and usually offer short courses, diplomas, certificates I, II, III, IV, and advanced diplomas in a wide range of areas.

List of Higher Education Organisations in Australia

The higher education organisations include accreditation agencies, university associations, the Ministry of Higher Education, qualification authorities and other religion, local or international organisations. Here is the list of the same:

• Australian Technology Network

• Universities Australia

• Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, Australia

• Worldwide Universities Network

• Innovative Research Universities, Australia

• Group of Eight

• Department of Education and Training, Australia

Top Universities in Australia

The best universities in Australia have been ranked time and again by the global ranking charts, and in the top ranks as well. Over 25 Australian universities have been ranked by the reputed charts among the top 500 universities of the world.

There are varying parameters taken into account when deciding the ranks of the universities. Here is the overall ranking of Australian universities as per the 2023 rankings of THE and the QS:

Apart from overall global rankings, the universities are also ranked on basis of subjects, region, employability, etc.

Subject Rankings

The best Australian universities considered among the top 100 global universities to study varying subjects as per THE 2023 subject rankings have been tabularised below.

Engineering

Computer Science

Clinical and Health

Law

MBA and Business Rankings

University Reputation Rankings

In addition to subject and educational rankings, the QS also determines the overall reputation and ROI of the university on basis of varying parameters. Here is how Australian universities are ranked by the QS among the top 100 global spots.

Graduate Employability Rankings

Sustainability Rankings

Best Student Cities 2023

Best Places to Study in Australia

Australia is not only recognised as a popular destination for quality education but it is also known as one of the most beautiful and attractive places to study abroad. The institutes in Australia are located at various locations and each place has its own significance in terms of ambience, facilities, opportunities and number of institutes. Based on these criteria the best places to study in Australia are listed below along with some of the best institutions in the location:

On-Campus Student Life, Athletics & Extra-Curricular Activities at Australian Universities

International students choose Australia not only for the high-quality education it offers but also for the unique cultural experience that it provides. Australian universities conduct special student events for students living on campuses such as biweekly snack nights, biweekly bar nights and a number of recurring activities that help students meet new people from all over the world every semester.

Living on-campus means students are closer to the academic buildings, classes and social clubs and organisations. No matter how large or small the university is, all schools and universities in Australia will have several student organisations, ranging from small study groups to specialised activity clubs for activities such as surfing, cycling, rowing, drama, and many more.

As one nears graduation, they may realise how learning outside of the classroom has had a key role to play in their student life experience in Australia. In addition, although not many know,  sports in Australia is booming like never before. Universities in the country have exclusive organisations that let students participate in sports like cricket, boxing, football, fencing, archery, among others. They focus on wellbeing, health and athletic excellence, paving the way for a holistic campus experience.

Student Visa Process for Australia

As a non-native of Australia, students need to apply for Australian visas to get immigration rights to the country’s territorial boundaries. In order to get the visa approved it is necessary to apply for an appropriate visa type.

International students need to apply for Student Visa in order to study abroad in Australia. The requirement is applicable in cases where the student is required to register their physical presence to study the course they are enrolled in.

Visa Requirements

In order to apply for the Australian Student Visa, international students shall need to submit the following as part of their student visa application:

• University Acceptance Letter

• Academic Transcripts (X & XII Marksheet)

• Student CV

• Visa SOP

• English Language Proficiency Test Scores (IELTS/TOEFL/PTE/Duolingo)

• Bank Statement

• Financial Statements as Proof of Educational Funds

• Nationally Accredited ID

• Birth Certificate

• Address Proof

• Proof of Nationality

• Passport

Job Opportunities in Australia

The job opportunities in the Australian economy are ample, however, not all can take the benefit of these opportunities. As non-natives of the country, people need to gain immigration rights of working in Australia. These rights are granted by the type of visa they hold.

The type of visa one holds determines the types of jobs and work that they can apply for when in Australia. There are mainly two types of jobs available for international individuals in Australia:

• Part-time Jobs: Students need to hold a student visa to be able to work on a part-time basis. They can work for up to 20 hours per week while studying for any full-time or part-time courses in Australia.

• Full-time Jobs: The graduates who complete their higher education from Australian universities need to apply for Post Study Work Visa to be able to work on a full-time basis. Alternatively, international job seekers require a Work Permit of Australia to work in Australia as a full-time employee.

Apart from job opportunities the varying national laws and regulations of Australia are also applicable to the international students and graduates who are working there. This includes the National Minimum Wage, which determines the minimum wage that any person with working rights is entitled to earn in return for their services to the employer. The current minimum wage in Australia is USD 14.54 which is approximately AUD 21.41. All international students are entitled to earn this hourly minimum wage in return for their services.

Since the provisions of minimum and sustainable income are applicable to international students in Australia, the laws in relation to income and wealth tax are also applicable. This means, if the students are able to amass an income from their part-time jobs, which after income deductions and exemptions record an amount that can be taxed as per the Australian income tax slab rates, then they need to pay the tax levied on their earnings as a result. Similarly, if the students are able to amass a net worth and assets which can be subjected to the Australian wealth tax, then they need to pay the direct tax towards the countrys economy. These provisions are applied in relation to the Australian land and territorial laws, that is the source of income and location of assets must be within Australian territorial boundaries to get taxed by the Australian government.

International students can approach their respective university administrations to understand better the working and earning facilities in Australia from which they can benefit.