Study in Australia

You can undertake courses at any level of education in Australia, including vocational education and training, English courses, and higher education. Tertiary education in Australia encompasses VET and postsecondary education.

University degrees are the highest education level in Australia. There are 43 universities in Australia, with one or more main campuses in each territory or state. Many colleges in Australia offer diploma, certificate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral research programs. Teaching at Australian universities usually happens in tutorials involving small groups and lectures with large groups of students, especially for bachelor’s and master’s programs.

TAFE and other government-funded institutes and private institutions offer vocational courses that focus on industry training and practical skills. Many schools in Australia offer students credits towards university-level programs.

The Australian Qualifications Framework sets the education system in Australia apart from the systems in several other nations. The AQF is a policy in Australia that includes qualifications from postsecondary education and VET, as well as the Senior Secondary Certificate of Education.

An Australian VET qualification offers a way of getting into a university or the workforce in the country. There are several institutions in Australia that offer VET courses in fields like Information Technology, business services, tourism, hospitality, arts, logistics, childcare, manufacturing, mining, and construction. Besides VET programs, university pathways in Australia include English preparation courses and foundational studies.

There are three intake periods at universities in Australia: February, July, and November. The February intake is the best-known intake among international students in Australia, followed by the July intake and the November one. The second and third intakes offer fewer courses than the first one. The second intake is not as limited in terms of the number of participating universities and programs as compared to the third one. A vast majority of courses are available in the July intake, including some that feature in the February intake.

Students missing out on the February intake are the ones who apply for the July intake, so there is a lesser number of applicants for it. The number of courses and applicants is very limited in the November intake. It is advisable to apply to a university to study in Australia from the Philippines well before the intake deadline, which varies according to the school and level of study.

Here is a table with some general information about university intake deadlines in Australia:

There are over 20,000 courses at more than 1,000 institutions in Australia. Universities in Australia also offer courses in many different disciplines, but some fields are more popular than others among international students. It can be challenging for you to pick the best course from such a myriad of options. Here is a list of the best known courses in Australia to help you make the best choice.

• Accounting
• Agricultural science
• Computer science
• Health science and nursing
• Psychology

Bachelor’s courses usually take three years to complete, honours degrees require four years of study, master’s courses last two years, and doctoral programs necessitate four years of study in Australia. However, there are also shorter and longer versions of higher education courses in Australia at all levels, depending on the university. Some schools in Australia are more appropriate for programs in certain fields than others.

Contact an AECC counsellor to pick the best university and course for you in Australia. Our counselling experts are always available to answer your queries and make your study abroad experience seamless

If you plan to study in Australia, then you should know which the best universities in the country are. There are many top-class universities in Australia, including Group of Eight members. Many colleges in Australia perform well in global university rankings, especially in areas like teaching quality and research output.

Are you looking to pursue an undergraduate, postgraduate, or doctoral qualification in Australia? If so, the rankings offer an idea about whether a particular university is the right choice for you. University-ranking providers such as Times Higher Education and QS are recognised across the world. Therefore, it is a good idea to use their university rankings as part of your research before you apply somewhere to study in Australia.

Australia has 37 top universities, as per the 2023 Times Higher Education’s Rankings, and some of them appear in the THE top 100 rankings. This means that international students in Australia have a lot of university options to pick from.

The best universities in Australia are situated across the nation, from Perth to Brisbane to Darwin to Hobart. Whether you look at the west, east, north, or south of Australia, you are sure to find at least one top-class university there. Scroll down for our list of the best colleges in Australia for international students.

Bachelor’s Level:

• Successful completion of Year 12, with a score of at least 65% in it
• English language proficiency

Master’s Level:

• A qualification that equals a bachelor’s degree in Australia
• English proficiency
• Work experience (if the specific course requires it)

Doctoral Level:

• Bachelor’s and master’s degree in relevant fields
• English proficiency
• Work experience and/or a written thesis 

It is important to note that admission requirements vary from one university to another. So, regard the aforementioned as only a basic guideline.

Documents Required for University Admission in Australia

Entry requirements vary by school and course as well, but here are some of the pieces of documentation necessary for admission to any course at a university in Australia:

• Prior educational certificates
• English proficiency test: Universities in Australia accept PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, C1 Advanced, and Duolingo tests for admission.
• Academic transcripts

Documents Required for a Student Visa (Subclass 500) in Australia

The documents that you need to qualify for a student visa (subclass 500) are as follows. There may be a greater number of requirements, subject to your circumstances when applying. For example, if you have ever changed your name, you will need to submit a document proving it.

• Proof of the intended study
• Proof of identity
• Evidence of health insurance
• Proof of welfare arrangements and housing in Australia (for someone who is not aged 18 years)
• A curriculum vitae with the full history of your education and employment

The cost of living in Australia varies depending on your location, commute options, lifestyle, and so forth. You can make your financial plans well in advance of your visit if you have some knowledge about living expenses in Australia. Short-term or shared accommodation is the best possible way of minimising your living costs in Australia.

If you take multiple factors into account, the cost of living in Australia will amount to approximately AUD $33,000 per year. It is a good idea to know how much the Department of Home Affairs requires you to possess to qualify for a student visa in Australia. However, what your visa requires is only the minimum you must possess to meet the criteria of the immigration department of Australia. Living costs are likely to exceed what your visa requires because they vary from one location to another.

The Department of Home Affairs in Australia offers the Temporary Graduate Work visa (subclass 485) for eligible bachelors, masters, and PhD holders in the country. The visa allows eligible graduates to work for a certain number of years in Australia. The visa also acts as a pathway for permanent residency in Australia, because it lets you have work experience in Australia, a factor that will impact your PR points.

Your maximum work duration will depend on your Australian qualification, as you can see in the following table. The immigration department made some changes to this visa that include a two-year extension to the duration for each eligible qualification. For bachelor’s and master’s degree holders, the eligibility requirements for the visa include the following fields of study:

• Psychology
• Medicine
• Pharmacy
• Optometry
• Engineering
• Teaching
• Agriculture
• Information and communication technology
• Food technology

On the other hand, international graduates with a PhD in any field of study can apply for the visa. Australia needs international graduates to fill the labour shortage in the country, and the visa is one of the ways for the immigration department to achieve this goal. Scroll down to find out how long you can work in Australia with the visa.