While the United States, with thousands of higher education institutions and over a million international students may be a global leader in overseas higher education, Australia, in the last decade has emerged as one of the favorite higher education destinations for international students. This is mainly due to a number of factors such as the lower cost of higher education (compared to the United States), pro-immigrant policies of the government, and better job and career prospects after graduation.

In this blog, Student Cover tries to provide insight into the types of courses and higher education institutions that are available for international students in Australia.

Classification and regulation of Higher Education in Australia

Higher education in Australia is regulated by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). According to the available information, there are about 170 institutions that are registered under TEQSA and include Australian universities both inside Australia and those that have branches abroad. Similar to the United States, universities in Australia offer a wide range of certifications such as Diplomas, Advanced Diploma or Associate Degrees, bachelor's Degrees, Honours Degrees, master's Degrees, and PhD.

Course Duration

While the duration of the Bachelor's Degree course in Australia is 3 years, those opting for an ‘honors’ degree have to study for an additional year consisting of both taught coursework and research thesis. Besides that, universities in Australia also offer double degrees where a student can pursue two different degrees simultaneously.

This of course has a longer duration. The duration of the Masters Degree program is two years and consists of both taught and research components.

Top Ranked Higher Education institutions in Australia

According to QS World University Rankings 2020, seven Australian universities feature in the list of top 100 universities in the world whereas there are 27 Australian universities in the list of top 500 universities in the world. Australian National University (Ranked 29 globally) is the highest-ranked Australian university in the world followed by the University of Melbourne (Rank 38), the University of Sydney (Rank 42), University of New South Wales (Rank 43), and the University of Queensland (Rank 47).

TOP RANKED STUDY PROGRAMS IN AUSTRALIA

Arts and Humanities

Australian National University and the University of Melbourne are among the top-ranked universities in the world for Arts and Humanities subjects with both universities sharing 16th position in global rankings. They are followed by the University of Sydney (Rank 22), the University of New South Wales (Rank 42), and Monash University (Rank 48).

Engineering and Technology

In Engineering and Technology, the University of New South Wales is ranked globally at 37 whereas the University of Melbourne, Monash University, and the University of Sydney are ranked 41st, 54th, and 61st respectively by QS World Rankings.

Life Science and Medicine

The University of Melbourne is best ranked globally at 22 in the Life Science and Medicine category whereas the University of Sydney, the University of Queensland, and Monash University are ranked 24th, 37th, and 39th respectively. Students willing to pursue medical science should check these and other such high-ranked universities for admission.

Natural Sciences

Among Universities in Australia, the Australian National University is top-ranked in the country for Natural Sciences. Its global rank is 37. The Australian National University is followed by the University of Melbourne, the University of Sydney, and the University of New South Wales which are ranked 46, 49, and 75 respectively.

Social Sciences and Management

There are as many as 6 Universities that are ranked among the top 50 universities in the world for Social Sciences and Management subjects. While the University of Melbourne is ranked 1 in Australia, globally it is ranked 17. The University of Sydney, Australian National University, and the University of New South Wales are ranked 25, 29 and 34 respectively.

Let’s Wrap Up

For international students, Australia offers a diverse range of study programs and higher education institutions that they can choose from. Not only are its institutions among top-ranked in the world but also the study programs they offer. For Engineering and Technology as well as Social Sciences and Management courses, there are 6 institutions that feature in the list of top 100 globally ranked courses. Moreover, when it comes to infrastructure and quality of teaching, Australia offers the best quality education at a comparatively lower cost.

Following the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns and travel restrictions, many of these universities are expected to witness a fall in the number of applicants in 2020. To address this, the Australian government plans to reform its current work visa regime to make it more accessible to students, including those who are currently pursuing it through online mode. Therefore, international students now have an opportunity to not only secure admission to these higher education institutions in Australia but also get work visas to stay and work in Australia for 2-4 years.

Disclaimer: The content of this blog is based on the personal research of the writer. Reader’s discretion is advised. Neither Student Cover nor the writer will be held responsible for any wrongful interpretation of the content of this blog.