Study in Australia

About education in Australia

Australia offers a diverse range of study options for international students, with more than 1,200 institutions and over 22,000 courses to choose from.
You can study at all levels of education from primary and secondary school, to vocational education and training (VET), from English language courses to higher education (including universities).

Regardless of what you are studying or how long you are studying for, Australia’s laws promote quality education and protection for international students.
The Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000 and the National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2007 (National Code) provide nationally consistent standards for providers of education and training for international students.

As an international student on a student visa, you must study with an institution and in a course that is registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). CRICOS registration guarantees that the course and the institution at which you study meet the high standards expected by international students. You can search for courses and institutions here on the Study in Australia website.
Along with the ESOS Act and National Code, there are also regulatory and quality assurance organisations for higher education and VET institutions. These government organisations are responsible for registration/re-registration of institutions and accreditation/re-accreditation of courses. These organisations are:

Higher education - Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA).

VET - Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA).

So no matter the type of course you want to study, how long you want to study for or where you want to study, you can be assured that in Australia you will have a high quality and rewarding study experience.

Universities in Australia

Universities in Australia have a strong reputation worldwide. Indeed, only the US and the UK have more universities in the top 100 of the QS World University Rankings®. Australian universities are also known to be strong proponents of internationalization, and are well-prepared to welcome large numbers of international students each year. All but one of the members of Australia’s Group of Eight (similar to the US Ivy League) make it into the global top 100, and a total of 37 Australian universities are featured in the rankings. Australia also lays claim to the highest number of institutions featured in the QS Top 50 Under 50 and Next 50 Under 50 – which celebrate the world’s leading young universities..

The Australian Education System

Australian education qualifications are regulated through The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), which links Australian schools into one national system. This allows students in Australia to easily move from one education level to the next within a nationally-accredited system. The Australian education system has three main sectors of higher education: universities, vocational institutions, and English language institutions. Read more on these three types of education through the links below. The week before the start of the semester, higher education schools in Australia usually arrange an Orientation Week to help international students get to know the campus and student life in Australia. Different student organizations provide information about their activities and recruit new members. Orientation Week also includes social activities – the perfect opportunity to make new friends. Australian educational institutions have nurtured the needs of international students for many years; most have departments with competent staff whose job it is to help international students specifically coming to study in Australia.