The best universities in Australia for international students don’t just provide good teaching and a world-class degree. They also provide good value (low tuition fees). They are also likely to be popular study choices for international students.

Our rankings list of the best universities for international students uses 3 factors: quality, demand and value. Based on these factors: the top universities are the University of Wollongong, University of Melbourne and RMIT University.

Top Universities for Studying in Australia

Rank University Aust rank Intern'l students Tuition (avg)
1 University of Wollongong 2 12,429 (41%) $26,000
2 University of Melbourne 1 15,534 (29%) $35,000
3 RMIT University 35 26,391 (45%) $29,000
4 Monash University 7 23,298 (35%) $36,000
5 Curtin University 19 15,205 (31%) $29,000
6 James Cook University 13 6,211 (29%) $25,000
7 University of Southern Queensland 17 4,548 (18%) $21,000
8 Griffith University 12 8,432 (19%) $24,000
9 Charles Darwin University 20 1,820 (18%) $20,000
10 University of New England 11 933 (5%) $20,000
11 University of Adelaide 3 6,573 (25%) $33,000
12 La Trobe University 14 7,811 (23%) $26,000
13 Victoria University 39 9,903 (36%) $23,000
14 CQUniversity 26 4,437 (25%) $23,000
15 Swinburne University of Technology 30 8,425 (25%) $24,000
16 Flinders University 18 4,063 (17%) $24,000
17 Murdoch University 33 9,961 (43%) $27,000
18 Deakin University 10 7,528 (15%) $27,000
19 University of Newcastle 16 5,338 (16%) $25,000
20 University of Queensland 6 11,236 (23%) $34,000
21 University of Canberra 31 3,952 (24%) $24,000
22 University of Western Australia 4 5,207 (20%) $34,000
23 Federation University Australia 38 6,652 (48%) $25,000
24 Charles Sturt University 34 6,847 (18%) $22,000
25 University of Tasmania 23 4,809 (17%) $26,000
26 University of South Australia 22 6,084 (20%) $27,000
27 Australian National University 5 5,977 (27%) $37,000
28 Edith Cowan University 24 4,009 (16%) $25,000
29 Queensland University of Technology 21 7,525 (16%) $28,000
30 University of Technology Sydney 32 9,722 (26%) $29,000
31 Western Sydney University 29 4,537 (11%) $24,000
32 University of the Sunshine Coast 36 1,121 (11%) $21,000
33 University of New South Wales 8 12,283 (24%) $37,000
34 Southern Cross University 40 1,921 (14%) $21,000
35 University of Sydney 9 13,000 (24%) $38,000
36 Macquarie University 27 8,790 (23%) $33,000
37 Australian Catholic University 37 2,635 (9%) $24,000
38 Bond University 28 1,763 (35%) $33,000
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Updated: 4 November 2015

For details about components, see Australian rankings and tuition fees.

The ranking formula combines scores for quality (Australian ranking), demand (number and % of students from abroad) and value (indicative annual tuition fee for bachelor degrees).

How the Rankings are Calculated

The rankings depend on a university’s combined score on 3 factors.

  1. Quality is measured by a university’s score in general university rankings. It depends on reputation, course ratings and graduate pay results.
  2. Demand measures both the number of international students attending the university and the percentage of students who are from abroad. It reflects both demand for and availability of international student placements. ‘Demand’ also indicates how experienced the uni is at receiving international students and how likely a student is to meet people from the same country.
  3. Value measures how cheap international tuition fees for the university are compared to other universities.

The university that is best for you depends on your individual circumstances. Value is important if you are on a tight budget. Otherwise, you may care more about quality. Location is another of many possible considerations.

You may also be interested in: subject rankings.