Australia has a firmly established place among the world’s most popular destinations for international study, and the significance of this for the country’s economy has been widely reported. Education is now the nation’s fourth largest export (behind iron ore, coal and gold), and almost 300,000 international students were set to commence study in Australia in 2014, most of them in higher education.
Around 110,000 international postgraduate students are enrolled at the 42 universities in Australia, comprising almost a third of all graduate-level students in the country. Among these, the majority are studying master’s by coursework programs, with around one in six pursuing advanced doctoral studies. More generally, the country’s academic and research community is highly international; according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, at least half of Australian residents who hold a doctoral degree were born elsewhere, while nearly a quarter of those with doctorates who join the workforce each year are from overseas.
Given its geographic location, it’s unsurprising to find Australia attracts especially high numbers of international students from Asia. Figures from Universities Australia, the organization which represents Australian universities, show the top five countries of origin for international students to be China, India, South Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam. But the appeal of international study in Australia is very much a global one – thanks to the well-established reputation of Australian universities, combined with the equally widely perceived attractions of the famously laidback, culturally diverse and outdoors-oriented Aussie way of life.
Top universities in Australia
Australia’s leading universities perform consistently well in the international rankings tables. The QS World University Rankings® 2014/15 features a total of 33 Australian universities, of which five are within the global top 50.
| Top 10 Universities in Australia Based on the QS World University Rankings® 2014/15 | ||
|
| World rank | Location |
| Australian National University (ANU) | 25= | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |
| University of Melbourne | 33 | Melbourne, Victoria |
| University of Sydney | 37= | Sydney, New South Wales |
| University of Queensland (UQ) | 43= | Brisbane, Australia |
| University of New South Wales (UNSW) | 48 | Sydney, New South Wales |
| Monash University | 70 | Melbourne, Victoria |
| University of Western Australia (UWA) | 89 | Perth, Western Australia |
| University of Adelaide | 100 | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Macquarie University | 254= | Sydney, New South Wales |
| University of Newcastle | 257= | Newcastle, New South Wales |
Australia’s combination of prestigious universities, high quality of life and diverse communities makes it the second-most represented country in the QS Best Student Cities 2015 – a ranking of the world’s top 50 cities for students – with only the US claiming more entries. Melbourne is ranked the world’s second best city for international study in 2015, while Sydney is fourth. Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth are also all included in the top 50.
Best places to study in Australia
Other similar exercises have also highlighted Australian cities as being among the world’s most desirable locations for students. For example, in a recent study conducted by consultancy firm A.T. Kearney, based on the size of international student populations in cities featured in its 2014 Global Cities Index, Sydney emerged as the overall winner.
Combining vibrant economies, booming cultural scenes and often close proximity to some of the world’s most stunning stretches of coastline, Australia’s urban hubs are consistently ranked among the world’s “most livable”. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2014 Global Liveability Ranking is one instance of Australia’s dominance of these lists, with Melbourne claiming the top spot, followed by Adelaide (5th), Sydney (7th) and Perth (9th).
Working in Australia after you graduate
Unsurprisingly, many international students are keen to keep living the good Aussie life for a little longer, taking advantage of post-study work visa rights which have been extended in recent years, as part of a wider overhaul to improve the country’s student visa system and international offering. As of 2013, international graduates of bachelor’s and master’s by coursework degrees are eligible to apply for a two-year working visa, while those who have completed a master’s by research or doctoral qualification can stay on for up to four years.
Zain Nabi, currently completing a master’s degree at Monash University in Melbourne, strongly advises incoming students to consider extending their time in Australia to gain some work experience. But regardless of where you’re headed next, a postgraduate qualification from an Australian university is likely to be viewed favorably by employers worldwide.
Dr Erik Lithander, pro vice-chancellor (international and outreach), at Australian National University, highlights a focus on preparation for employment – whether local or international – as a major strength of the Australian system. “Australian universities have high levels of graduate employment, and students who are interested in spending time abroad during the course of their study will find many exciting opportunities for student exchanges and other types of mobility.”
Costs and funding for international students
In short, Australia pretty much has it all; perhaps the only downside is that Australia’s high-ranking universities and even higher-ranking cities come with a price-tag to match. As Zain puts it, irresistible as the country’s offering may be, “the world would not mind if the cost of living and study were a little less expensive”. Indeed, a 2013 study of overseas study costs conducted by HSBC put Australia above even the US and UK, with the combination of international tuition fees and living costs coming out at an average of around US$38,500 per year.
If that number has your head reeling, then get ready for an even bigger number, which comes with brighter news: each year the Australian government invests more than AU$200 million (approx. US$163m) in providing scholarships and grants for international students. Major government-funded international scholarships schemes include the Australia Awards and the International Postgraduate Research Scholarships (IPRS) program. The government provides a searchable database of funding opportunities, and a dedicated listing of postgraduate-level scholarships is also compiled by JASON(Joint Academic Scholarships Online Network).
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