Australian Universities

Australian Universities have a great reputation for excellence throughout the world but if you are familiar with the US system and terminology be careful as there are some differences. Here we explain the basics about universities in Australia. For all the details why not contact your local GetSet centre and our knowledgeable counsellors will give you all the information you need.

How many universities are there in Australia?

Currently there are 41 universities in Australia. This figure also includes 2 foreign universities which have campuses in Adelaide, South Australia – Cranfield University (UK) and Carnegie Mellon University (USA)

How are they ranked?

Australia doesn’t official rank its universities but most people look to the world ranking from the London Times and QS. The Times ranks the world’s top 400 universities and Australia has 20 universities entries.

QS ranks 700 universities worldwide and Australia has 31 universities entries. This means that according to the QS World University ranking, about 75% of Australian universities are world class.

The QS World University Ranking has Australia’s top university as the Australian National University but the Times ranks Melbourne University at number 1.

What’s the difference between a university and a college in Australia?

In Australia the terminology is different to that in the USA. University and college are different institutions. Australian universities offer higher education which means undergraduate bachelors, postgraduate master’s and PhD degree courses.

Colleges in Australia offer vocational courses leading to diplomas and certificates in various areas of vocational training.

Are Australian Universities private or state owned?

Unlike the USA where there are both many private and state owned universities, all Australian universities apart from 2 are state owned. The private universities are Bond University and the University of Notre Dame.