Australia has the 3rd highest number of international students in the world behind only the UK and the USA. This isn’t surprising if we consider Australia has seven of the top 100 universities in the world! The highest ranked university is the Australian National University (ANU) which is ranked top 20 in the World by QS. Australia has also produced 15 Nobel prize winners and every day over 1 billion people around the world rely on Australian discoveries and innovations – including penicillin, ultrasound and Wi-Fi.
Australia has 5 of the 30 best cities in the world for students based on quality of life, student mix, and employer activity. The capital city of Western Australia, Perth, is only 4.5 hours away from Singapore. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane can all be reached within 8 hours. Australia’s proximity and familiarity to Singapore make Australia a popular education destination for Singaporeans. There are about 3,000 Singaporean students join Australian universities every year.
Australia education system
| Bachelor’s degree | 3 Years |
| Bachelor’s degree (Engineering) | 4 Years |
| Master’s degree | 1.5 – 2 Year |
There are 43 universities in Australia and 40 of them are public universities. All of them are highly ranked and well recognised in the world. The Group of Eight (Go8) universities are some of the largest and the oldest universities in Australia, they are:
| Name | Location | QS World Ranking |
| Australian National University | Canberra | 20 |
| Monash University | Melbourne | 60 |
| University of Adelaide | Adelaide | 109= |
| University of Melbourne | Melbourne | 41= |
| University of New South Wales | Sydney | 45 |
| University of Queensland | Brisbane | 47= |
| University of Sydney | Sydney | 50 |
| The University of Western Australia | Perth | 93= |
How much does it cost?
| Business / Social science: | A$ 28,000 – A$ 42,000 /year |
| Engineering / Science: | A$ 25,000 – A$ 35,000 /year |
| Medicine / Dentistry: | 1st-5th year: A$ 65,000 – A$ 75,000 /year |
| Big mac | A$ 5.5 |
| Half litre of beer | A$ 6 |
| Can of coke | A$ 2 |
| Bottle of water 1.5l | A$ 2 |
| Cinema ticket | A$ 10 – 15 |
| Second hand car: | A$ 2,000 – A$ 8,000 |
| Student accommodation: | A$ 7,000 – A$ 12,000 / year |
How & When to apply?
The main intake for Australian universities is February & July. Most degrees are available for both intakes except Medicine/Dentistry/OT etc which normally start only in February.
- If you are currently in A’ levels, you can apply at any time with your forecast result. Please note that you need to apply for Medicine / Dentistry / OT etc as early as possible;
- If you are currently in polytechnics, you should apply when you have first 5 semester results. Australian universities offer 1-2 year credit exemptions if your diploma is relevant and your GPA is good;
- If you are currently in O’ levels applying for Foundation year program, you can apply with the preliminary result for January intake, or apply with the actual result for other intakes (April / July / Oct);
To apply, you can fill in this online application form. For your own benefit, it is more advisable for you to speak with one of our friendly consultants before applying – it is a free service funded by universities.
Are you in Singapore? You are eligible for our free services.
We are the overseas university application centre in Singapore. Fully funded by universities, our services are free for students in Singapore. Contact us to get free advice and assistance on your application, visa and accommodation.
- If you are ready to apply, please complete the online application form
- For inquiries, call (+65) 6737 6734 (Mon-Fri, 9.30-17.00), or visit our Application centre at Orchard Gateway@Emerald (Opp. Somerset 313)
- Read more about the Free University Application Service