Article Index
Choosing Australia
Costs in Australia
All Pages

With the rise in tuition fees and the overall costs and debt associated with going to university, now might be the time to think of Australia for your degree.

Choosing Australia

It has often been assumed that going to an Australian university was too expensive, too far and what sort of quality of degree would you end up with? Things have changed massively over the last 20 years, and are changing even faster now. It doesn’t take someone with three A* A’levels (or Highers) to understand why increasing numbers of ‘Poms’ are heading ‘down under’ to study in Australia. 

Travelling to Australia still takes a fair time (21 hours overall to somewhere on the east coast like Sydney); but it is more convenient and cheaper than it’s ever been. With several carriers and flights every day, by picking the less popular times you can get to Oz from around £600 return, upwards.

As for quality of degree, Australia has (and has had for a number of years) an independent government endorsed degree monitoring system, that ensures a high minimum quality. Further, Australian universities are governed by law as to how they can deal with and recruit international students (you).

Quality and Choice

In general terms, think of a British based system of university degrees and level of quality, with an American style range of choices with major and minor subjects (as well as conventional single subject honours courses). Choice will not be a problem. If anything, Australian universities can sometimes seem paranoid about ensuring quality, and far more switched on as to seeing you as both customer as well as student (British universities please take note).

As far as graduate employment is concerned, Australian degrees are now seen as high status and academically rigourous as anywhere else. Australian graduates work all over the world and are world leaders in a variety of sectors including finance, business, insurance, the media, banking, the tourism and travel industry and a huge variety of commercial and industrial sectors. They are employed in France and Europe as some of the best graduate wine makers, agriculturalists and food retail managers.

Australia is also justifiably proud of its scientific and technical expertise, with graduates from Australian institutions achieving leadership positions in Britain, the US, Europe and in Asia and the Far East. The Australian higher education reputation in the Arts and Performance has always been high, but this now also includes serious opportunities for those of you interested in classical music, opera, dance and drama. Oh, and they seem to be quite good at sport as well!