University of Southern Queensland

Ranked among the favourite study-abroad destinations, Australia is among the top five countries where international students seek admission. In the year 2025, Australia recorded a footfall of 4,50,000 international students, and out of these, around 138,579 were Indian students. Despite the admission cap of 250,000 for international students in 2025, 1.3+ lakh Indian students were admitted to Australian universities. But for 2026, the cap has been increased by 45,000.

More and more international students are studying in Australia because of the high number of job openings in sectors such as Business, Healthcare, Engineering, Medicine, etc. Plus, Australia offers good remuneration as well to its workforce. Also, studying in Australia for Indian students is a good option because its education is globally recognised, universities globally rank in the top 100, and there are good internship plus research opportunities. These reasons together make Australia among the top destinations abroad for study.

Latest Updates for Studying in Australia in 2026

The latest Australia student visa processing rules 2026 for Indian students have been released. Those who plan to apply for admission in any of the three intakes, must know them.

Top Reasons to Study in Australia 2026

There are numerous reasons to study in Australia as an international student. One of the major attractive factors is Australia’s cost-effective education, since over 100,000+ scholarships are available to support education. Other than this, there are a couple of more reasons cited below for reference:

• The higher education qualifications offered in Australia are globally recognised and accepted. Majorly, there are public universities in Australia which also rank in the top 100 globally.

• Most of the courses offered in Australia encourage students to gain experience while studying, hence giving students professional experience.

• All 38 Australian universities offer internship and full-time job opportunities through their designated job portals.

• In Australia, an international student is allowed to work 48 hours a fortnight part-time. During holidays, full-time work is also allowed.

• Over 64,000+ jobs are added to attract a new workforce every six to seven months in Australia. Thus, there are ample job opportunities for international students.

There are several reasons to study in Australia for Indian students after 12th or after a bachelor's degree from India. The ones mentioned above are among the most popular.

Study in Australia for International Students Highlights

Education System in Australia

The education system in Australia is typically divided into three parts - primary, secondary and tertiary education. Higher education comes under tertiary education like VET courses, English courses, undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral courses. In fact, foundations, commonly known as pathway programs, are also a part of tertiary education in Australia. Education in Australia is regulated by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) for all major levels of study, starting from Level 1 to Level 10 in tertiary education. Some of the different types of educational institutions for higher education are bifurcated this way:

• Go8 Universities in Australia : These include the ANU, UniMelb, USyd, UNSW, UQ, Monash, UWA and the University of Adelaide.
• Level 1 Universities in Australia : The Level 1 universities in Australia are 11, including ANU, UniMelb, USyd, UNSW, UQ, Monash University, UWA, University of Adelaide, UTS and University of Wollongong.
• TAFE Institutions : There are over 50 TAFE institutions in Australia. Some popular names are - TAFE NSW, TAFE Queensland, TAFE SA and others.

Top Courses in Australia 2026

Australian universities are ranked for various courses across 51 disciplines of Engineering in Australia, Business courses, Arts & Humanities, also Medicine courses in Australia and Sciences. The top-ranking courses in Australia for international students are:

• Nursing in Australia

• Computer Science

• Business Analytics in Australia

• Cybersecurity

• MBA in Australia

• Automotive Engineering

• Architecture

• Aerospace Engineering in Australia

• Accountancy

• Social Work

• Law in Australia

• Psychology

Some of the courses for which Australian universities have been ranked as per QS Subject Rankings in 2025. The top-ranking Australian universities subject-wise are as follows:

• The University of Melbourne ranks #15 for its Life Sciences & Medicine courses. UniMelb also ranks #23rd for its Arts & Humanities courses.

• The University of Sydney ranks #12 for its Nursing course.

• UNSW ranks #25th for its various Engineering courses.

• RMIT University ranks at #15 for its Arts and Design courses.

Cost of Studying in Australia for International Students

Studying costs in Australia usually vary with the kind of courses an international student pursues. The cost of studying in Australia varies between AUD 300 a week to AUD 50,000 annually. Following is an approximate cost of studying based on the level of courses pursued in Australia for prospective international and Indian students:

*VET courses are offered across TAFE institutes in Australia. These institutes are different from Australian universities.

**English courses in Australia are referred to as ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students).

Thus, students must not confuse the cost of studying with the cost of living in Australia. Some universities may or may not include the living costs in the study costs in Australia.

Cost of Living in Australia for Indian Students

Apart from studying costs, international students also have to cover their living costs in Australia. These costs vary based on the area of residence, on-campus accommodation and food costs. The cost of accommodation in Australia varies between AUD 1,990 and AUD 2,410 annually.

Following is a list of daily essentials that are required to sustain in Australia and their costs:

Overall, cost of living in Australia for international students is AUD 2,475 per month. Annually, the cost of living in Australia for international students is approximately AUD 29,710. Applicants will have to show this annual cost to obtain their student visa for Australia.

Admission Requirements to Study in Australian Universities

The admission requirements for international students for Australia varies based on course, level of course and CRICOS registered university. Commonly, both sets of students will have to submit the following documents:

• Transcripts for class XII or IB scores (for UG) and Bachelor's scores (for PG)

• Statement of purpose (SOP).

• Letters of recommendation (LOR) - two or three

• Essays

• Resume

• Admission essays may also be required

• Work portfolio

• Standardised test scores for postgraduate admissions like GRE or GMAT

• English language proficiency test scores like TOEFL / IELTS / PTE / Duolingo

Undergraduate Admission Requirements:

If the applicant chooses to apply for undergraduate courses, then they will have to submit SAT or MCAT / NEET UG scores along with the required scores and other requisites. They must fulfil the basic admission requirements equivalent to ATAR scores or class 12th scores, depending on the course of choice.

Postgraduate Admission Requirements:

Whereas, for admission to master’s courses in Australia, international students will be required to submit GRE/GMAT scores or LSAT scores for Law courses.

Australia Student Visa

Once the admission process is completed and applicants have obtained their CoE, they can apply for student visa Australia, which is also known as the Subclass 500 visa. This visa is applicable for both UG and PG applicants.

Applicants are required to submit their student visa application on ImmiAccount with documents like:

• Passport
• CoE
• OSHC
• Transcripts
• Financial capacity evidence showing AUD 29,710 in the account
• GS requirements fulfilment
• SOP (SOP Sample for Australia)
• Recent passport-size photos as well

Applicants, upon attaching these documents to their student visa application, can submit it. The Subclass 500 visa costs around AUD 2,000, which is approximately INR 1,23,184 (approx) for Indian applicants. Based on the latest Australia student visa processing timeline will have to wait for their applications to get processed. After the applications are processed and if applicants get a confirmation, they can plan their travel to Australia and head for their studies.

Top Student Cities to Study in Australia

The best city in Australia for Indian students is Melbourne. Sydney is equally at par with Melbourne. In terms of QS Best Student City Rankings 2026, Melbourne tops the list, while the capital city, Canberra, ranks at #38, recording a fall by 9 points. Following is a list of the best cities in Australia for study for international students

Scholarships to Study in Australia from India

There are over 120,000+ scholarships available for international students to study in Australia. Scholarships in Australia for international students are either offered by the education providers or are externally offered scholarships. Following is a list of university scholarships and externally funded scholarships offered to international students in Australia:

All scholarships offered to international students applying for admission in Australia are either merit-based or need-based. But there are also fully funded scholarships in Australia for Indian students. The above-given scholarships are limited, more scholarships to study in Australia for international students can also be found.

Education Loan to Study in Australia

International students can apply for education loan to study in Australia through private or public banks to demonstrate financial support while they study in Australia. Since financial proof is a significant aspect of the Australian student visa application, it's important for international students to keep their options open if they are not offered any scholarships for studying in Australia.

Various private and public banks offer students low-interest student loans to study abroad. For more details, check out public v/s private education loan providers, the documents required, and other details on eligibility criteria for education loans.

Part-Time Work Options for International Students in Australia

International students studying in Australia are permitted to work part-time for 24 hours a week or 48 hours a fortnight. The average hourly pay for part-time workers in Australia is AUD 43 an hour on average. Some of the popular part-time jobs in Australia are:

• Tuition teachers

• Retail salespersons

• Administrative or hospitality staff in hotels or restaurants

• Clerical jobs

RA/TA in Australia are also paid stipends. Most of these are regular jobs and do not require major skills. They are easily available on campus or off campus for students holding a Subclass 500 visa. On a student visa in Australia, applicants can work for 48 hours a fortnight. They may be allowed to work full-time when college is not in session.

Post-Study Work Permit in Australia

The Post-Higher Education Visa in Australia is a post-study work permit. This visa allows recent graduates from various Australian universities to live, study and work in Australia temporarily. The duration of the applicant's stay will range from two to four years. Certain rules or eligibility criteria apply for getting this PSW visa in Australia. They are as follows:

• Students must be under 50.

• Applicants should have applied for and been granted their first student visa on or after 5 November 2011.

• Should also have held the student visa for the past six months before applying for the visa.

The Temporary Graduate 485 (subclass) visa in Australia costs AUD 4,600, and the students are allowed to bring along their family members as well, for which a separate application would be required. Recently, TGV Costs Doubled from March 1, 2026.

Australia PR Option for Indian Students

Students holding a student visa while studying in Australia can apply for a PR. after completing their studies, irrespective of the fact whether the students have a job in hand or not, they are still eligible to apply for a PR in Australia. Applications for obtaining permanent residency in Australia are accepted online, and PR is offered to applicants based on their duration of stay in Australia and other deciding factors.

With the increasing unemployment gap, an increasing number of students are being encouraged to work for longer hours part-time, and the time they stay back in Australia has also increased. There are certain courses commonly referred to as PR courses in Australia that may prove beneficial in getting a PR in Australia. However, there is no hard and fast rule that a limited set of courses can be targeted to get PR in Australia.

Despite caps and slower processing of student visas at capped Australian universities, lakhs of Indian students still apply for admission. To study in Australia for Indian students, it is necessary that they keep their documentation complete and apply well within the timeline in 2026.