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, Australian National University, The University of Queensland & Monash University are some Australian institutions which rank among the top 50 universities in the world as per the QS World University Rankings 2026.

All interested students must appear for at least one of the following English proficiency exam(s): IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, or Duolingo to get enrolled as a student in any Australian university. 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 for universities.

As of Aug 2024, there are 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

Below are some interesting facts about the universities in Australia:

Parameter	Statistics
Number of universities in Australia	973
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. All 38 Australian universities provide internship and full-time job opportunities to its students through their dedicated job portals. 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	Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2026	Shiksha Popularity Rankings 2025
The University of Melbourne	#19	#1
University of New South Wales (UNSW)	#20	#4
University of Sydney	#25	#2
Australian National University (ANU)	#32	#6
Monash University	#36	#3
The University of Queensland	#42	#5
The University of Western Australia	#77	#7
The University of Adelaide	#82	#8
University of Technology Sydney	#96	#9
RMIT University	#125	#12

Here’s detailed information about the 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	Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Subject Rankings
The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney)	#35
The University of Melbourne	#50
The University of Sydney	#56
Australian National University	#68
Monash University	#77
The University of Queensland	#81
RMIT University	#149
Deakin University	#151-200
Macquarie University	#151-200
Queensland University of Technology	#151-200

Best Engineering Universities in Australia:

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

University Name	Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Subject Rankings
The University of New South Wales	#25
The University of Melbourne	#50
The University of Sydney	#60
The University of Queensland	#68
Australian National University (ANU)	#76
Monash University	#78
The University of Adelaide	#102
University of Technology Sydney	#107
RMIT University	#152
The University of Newcastle, Australia	#164

Best LLM Universities in Australia:

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

University Name	Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Subject Rankings
The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney)	#12
The University of Melbourne	#13
The University of Sydney	#18
Australian National University	#26
Monash University	#39
The University of Queensland	#61
University of Technology Sydney	#79
The University of Adelaide	#101-150
The University of Western Australia	#101-150
Griffith University	#151-200

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 7  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 other Australian cities that fall under the Best Student Cities category of QS.

City Name	Quacquarelli Symonds (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	849
UG Certificate	669
PG Diploma	461
BBA	109
MBA/PGDM	92
BE/BTech	87
PG Certificate	86
MIM	83
MS	83
BA	75

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	10
GRE	5

English language requirements by universities in Australia:

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

English Proficiency Exams Accepted	Count of Universities
IELTS	973
TOEFL	108
PTE	103
Duolingo	15

Cost of Studying in Australia

On average, the cost of studying in Australia is moderately expensive for international students as the tuition fees of the top-ranking universities are on the higher end. However, the majority of 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	870
Up to INR 20 L	956
Up to INR 40 L	966
More than INR 40 L	37

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 29,710 - AUD 40,000 (INR 16.5 L - 22.24 L). However, the expenses are very subjective, depending on the lifestyle and purchasing power of the student residing and studying at 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 scores 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 10 L
Haini Zeini Scholarships	INR 86,777 (USD 1,000)
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 Psychiatrist, Project Director, General Practitioner, Staff Specialist & Engineering Manager.

Job Sector	Average Salary in AUD	Average Salary in INR
Psychiatrist	AUD 236,055	INR 1.31 Cr
Project Director	AUD 232,682	INR 1.29 Cr
General Practitioner	AUD 232,450	INR 1.29 Cr
Staff Specialist	AUD 222,503	INR 1.23 Cr
Engineering Manager	AUD 181,703	INR 1.01 Cr
Engineering Lead	AUD 171,441	INR 95.5 L
Financial Planning & Analysis Manager	AUD 167,445	INR 93.2 L
Electrical Supervisor	AUD 164,545	INR 91.6 L
Reliability Engineer	AUD 158,347	INR 88.2 L
Functional Consultant	AUD 155,266	INR 86.4 L

Source: Seek Australia

Conversion Rate: 1 AUD = INR 55.69

Akash Gaur09-16-2025 16:28