List of Universities in Adelaide, South Australia

Adelaide is an affordable study destination with three main universities: Adelaide University, Flinders University and Torrens University Australia. Australian Catholic University and CQUniversity also operate specialist centres in the city.

Type	University	Area	Campus or location
Main city campus	Adelaide University	Adelaide	City Campus, East and West precincts
Suburban campus	Adelaide University	Magill	Magill Campus
Suburban campus	Adelaide University	Mawson Lakes	Mawson Lakes Campus
Research campus	Adelaide University	Urrbrae	Waite Campus
Main campus	Flinders University	Bedford Park	Bedford Park Campus
City campus	Flinders University	Adelaide	City Campus, Festival Plaza
Innovation campus	Flinders University	Tonsley	Tonsley Campus
City campus	Torrens University Australia	Adelaide	Wakefield Street Campus
Specialist centre	Australian Catholic University	Thebarton	Adelaide Leadership Centre
Research institute	CQUniversity	Wayville	Appleton Institute

Adelaide Universities

Course choice and campus location vary sharply between the three main providers.

• Adelaide University is the largest local university and South Australia’s Group of Eight member. Its main presence runs along North Terrace. Magill, Mawson Lakes and Waite retain specialist roles.
• Flinders University has its main campus at Bedford Park beside the Flinders health precinct. Festival Plaza provides a central city option. Tonsley concentrates on engineering, technology and innovation.
• Torrens University Australia is a private university with a compact Wakefield Street campus. Courses offered there include health, business and design. Many Torrens students also study online or at campuses interstate.

Smaller University Locations

Australian Catholic University operates a specialist theology centre in Thebarton. CQUniversity’s Wayville location is centred on the Appleton Institute for sleep, human factors and wellbeing research. Neither location is a full general campus.

Studying in Adelaide

Students can choose between central city locations and larger suburban campuses. North Terrace, Festival Plaza and Wakefield Street are close to public transport and student accommodation. Bedford Park, Tonsley, Magill and Mawson Lakes require a longer commute from the CBD.

Adelaide generally has lower living costs than Australia’s larger capital cities. Accommodation near North Terrace and the CBD can still be expensive. Compare housing and travel costs alongside course satisfaction ratings before choosing a university.

Updated: 5 August 2026