Australia Universities, Colleges, and Polytechnics

Overview

Overview of Higher Education in Australia

Australian higher education is provided through over 30 high-quality public universities as well as numerous other private institutions known as higher education providers. Additionally, vocational training institutions offer programs resulting in certificates, diplomas and a limited number of degrees.

The Department of Education, Science and Training administers funding and creates higher education policy. Universities are autonomous entities that are self-accrediting while most other higher education providers are accredited by the state or territory they operate in.

Undergraduate admission to universities is centralized within each state or territory. Admission criteria vary by state or territory but usually include some combination of secondary school grades, standardized exams grades and prerequisite courses taken.

Most students attend a university or other public school as a commonwealth-supported student which means the government pays a large portion of their tuition. A smaller number are fee-paying students who are responsible for paying for all school costs themselves. Commonwealth-supported students pay up to about $9000 AUD per year whereas fee-paying students pay substantially more. Fee-paying students and private school students are eligible to obtain government-sponsored loans.

Types of Schools and Degrees

There are over 30 public universities and a few private and foreign universities that confer bachelor's, honor's bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in a broad range of subject areas. Other higher education providers are private and tend to specialize in a limited number of subject areas. Depending on the school, programs leading a certificate, diploma, advanced diploma, bachelor's and master's degree may be available at these non-university schools.

Vocational training and university bridge programs are provided by public Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes that fall under the administration of the state or territory where they are located. They primarily offer certificates and associates degrees in a wide range of vocational subject areas that lead directly to careers. Some programs are structured as bridge programs for students who want to transfer into a university.

Bachelor's degrees typically take three to four years to earn and master's degrees usually take another year or two. Degrees earned in Australia are generally recognized as equal to the same degrees earned in elsewhere in the world.

International Students

International students are a large component of Australia's higher education population with about 19 percent of their students coming from abroad in recent years. About 20 percent of these international students study at TAFE institutes with most studying business, economics and computer science.

Admission of international students requires English proficiency and completion of secondary school equivalent to that of Australia's. Depending on the school and program, some admissions have course prerequisites. International students apply to individual institutions, unlike citizens who apply to public institutions through a centralized system. Tuition for international students varies by school and program but typically falls in the general range of $8000 - $20,000 US a year for undergraduate programs and higher for graduate programs.

The Australia government's official Study in Australia website provides more information for prospective international students.

About Australia

Australia is a country with the sixth largest land mass in the world and a population of 22 million people. The majority of the population lives along coastal areas, particularly in the temperate climate of the southeast. Due to the negligible population living in the immense central semi-arid and desert landscape, known as the outback, it has one of the lowest population densities of the world. However, the cities, especially the largest city of Sydney are as densely populated as any other large city.

Australia is a developed country that ranked 2nd in the world on the United Nations Human Development Index in 2009. It ranks highly on many other economic and quality of life indexes as well. Its per capita GDP is slightly higher than the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France.

Resources

Australian Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations

Going to Uni – Higher Education for Students in Australia

TAFE Australia

Study in Australia