Top Universities and Colleges in Australia - Courses, Fees, Scholarships, Admission Requirements & Grades

Australia is among the top five study-abroad destinations for international students planning to pursue their higher studies and comprises more than 100 globally renowned universities. Among the best universities, the University of Melbourne, the University of New South Wales, the University of Sydney, and Monash University are some Australian institutions which rank among the top 50 universities in the world as per the QS World University Rankings 2025.

In order to get enrolled as a student in any Australian university, all interested students must appear for at least one of the following English proficiency exam(s): IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Duolingo. If possible, students must prioritize IELTS scores as it is accepted by all the universities in Australia. A lot also requires other entrance exams like GMAT/GRE scores of universities.

As of Aug 2024, there are about more than 960,000 international students in Australia, which is a 15% growth from the previous record. China, India, Nepal, the Philippines, and Vietnam are the top five overseas contributors to the student population in the country.

Universities in Australia: Highlights

Parameter	Statistics
Number of universities in Australia	More than 100
Tuition fees of universities in Australia	INR 10 L - 40 L
Top Streams in Australia	UG Diploma MBA/PGDM BBA MIM MS
English language exams required	IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Duolingo
Entrance exams required	GMAT/GRE

Why Study in Australia?

Australia is a very favourable destination for overseas students, as it is home to several globally renowned universities. Australia offers higher education degrees that are accepted and recognized throughout the world and the majority of Australian courses encourage students to obtain experience while they are enrolled, providing them with professional experience. More than 100,000 scholarships are available to support education, and one of the main draws to Australia is the country's affordable educational system. Via their dedicated job portals, all 38 Australian universities provide internship and full-time employment opportunities. International students studying in Australia are permitted to work part-time jobs for up to twenty hours per week, and they are also permitted to work full-time during the summer.

Here’s all you need to know about studying in Australia.

Top Universities in Australia

University of Melbourne, University of New South Wales, University of Sydney, Australian National University, and Monash University are some of the top-ranked universities in Australia, which are a part of the top 50 universities in the world. Given below is the list of the top 10 universities in Australia as per some of the top university ranking bodies:

University Name	QS World University Rankings 2025	THE World Rankings 2025
University of Melbourne	#13	#39
University of Sydney	#18	#61
University of New South Wales (UNSW)	#19	#83
Australian National University (ANU)	#30	#73
Monash University	#37	#58
University of Queensland	#40	#77
University of Western Australia	#77	#149
University of Adelaide	#82	#128
University of Technology Sydney	#88	#154
RMIT University	#123	#251-300

Here’s detailed information about top-ranked universities in Australia:

Best Business & Management Universities in Australia:

As per the QS World University Rankings for Business & Management, the top universities in Australia are:

University Name	QS Subject Rankings
The University of New South Wales	#35
The University of Melbourne	#45
The University of Sydney	#54

Best Engineering Universities in Australia:

As per the QS World University Rankings for Engineering & Technology, the top universities in Australia are:

University Name	QS Subject Rankings
The University of New South Wales	#31
The University of Melbourne	#49
The University of Sydney	#68

Best LLM Universities in Australia:

As per the QS World University Rankings for Law & Legal Studies, the top universities in Australia are:

University Name	QS Subject Rankings
The University of Melbourne	#10
The University of New South Wales	#12
The University of Sydney	#16

Read more:

Top-ranked MS universities in Australia

Top-ranked LLM universities in Australia

Top Cities in Australia to Study in

Australia is one of the most popular study-abroad destinations for higher education among international students and is home to a lot of cities that rank among the top student cities, as per the QS Best Student Cities Rankings 2025. Melbourne and Sydney are two of the best locations for overseas candidates, with the rank #5 and #6 respectively. Apart from this, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth and Gold Coast are some of the best cities to live/stay in.

City Name	QS Best Student City Rankings 2025
Melbourne	#5
Sydney	#6
Brisbane	#25
Adelaide	#28
Canberra	#29
Perth	#35
Gold Coast	#93

Top Courses in Australia

Australia is known for its quality of teaching and world-class programs all around the globe. Most of the Australian universities offer popular courses such as the UG Diploma, BBA, MIM, BE/BTech, MBA/PGDM, MS and more.

Top Courses in Australia	Count of Universities
UG Diploma	81
MBA/PGDM	61
BBA	58
MIM	57
MS	53
BE/BTech	52
PG Diploma	43
BSc	41
BA	36
MA	35

Admission Requirements in Australia

Entrance exams accepted by universities in Australia:

A few universities in Australia require GMAT/GRE scores as an entry requirement and international students must fulfil this criterion to secure admission, especially in Business & Management courses.

Entrance Exams Accepted	Count of Universities
GMAT	9
GRE	4

English language requirements by universities in Australia:

In order to get into a university in Australia, all international students are required to provide proof of proficiency in the English language, as an admission requirement. Majority of the Australian universities accept IELTS/TOEFL/PTE/Duolingo score(s) for their English language requirements. In Australia, all the universities accept IELTS scores, hence students must take this test (if possible).

English Proficiency Exams Accepted	Count of Universities
IELTS	122
TOEFL	108
PTE	103
Duolingo	13

Cost of Studying in Australia

On average, the cost of studying in Australia might be a little expensive for international students as the tuition fees of the top-ranking universities are on the higher end. However, majority of the Australian universities have an annual tuition fee under INR 10 L, which makes them ideal study-abroad options.

First-Year Tuition Fee Range	Count of Universities
Up to INR 10 L	80
INR 10 - 20 L	40
INR 20 - 40 L	2
More than INR 40 L	18

Cost of Living in Australia

Australia is a popular choice among students all around the globe even though its cost of living is quite heavy on the pocket. On average, the annual cost of living in Australia for international students ranges between AUD 20,000 - AUD 40,000 (INR 11 L - 21 L). However, the expenses are very subjective, depending on the lifestyle and purchasing power of the student residing and studying in a university in Australia.

Conversion Used: 1 AUD = INR 53.96

Scholarships Offered by Universities in Australia

Several universities in Australia offer scholarships to international students and some are publicly funded, to help students cut down the expenses of studying abroad. It is interesting to note that the University of Melbourne also accepts GMAT score as an English proficiency exam score waiver. Some scholarships which can be availed by Indian students while studying in Australia are listed below:

Scholarship Name	Maximum Disbursement Amount
K.C. Mahindra Scholarships for Post-Graduate Studies Abroad	INR 8,00,000
Haini Zeini Scholarships	INR 82,500
Narotam Sekhria’s Scholarships	NA

Jobs in Australia

Studying in Australia is very fruitful for students around the world as the return on investment is huge. Some of the most popular and highest-paying job sectors for international students in Australia are Medicine, Finance, Engineering, IT & Technology and Law professions.

University Name	Average Salary
The University of Melbourne	INR 1.3 Cr
The University of New South Wales	INR 64.7 L - 86.3 L
The University of Sydney	INR 70 L - 1.5 Cr
Australian National University	INR 40.5 L
The University of Queensland	INR 47.2 L

Conversion Rate: 1 AUD = INR 52.62

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Anushree Sinha03-22-2024 14:52