Australia

At a glance

Who it suitsStudents who want an English-taught degree with a clear route to work afterwards, and who would rather not wait until September to start.

Academic year starts

Late February, with a second intake in early August [6]

Main deadline

1 December of the year before, for a February start [6]

Student visa fee

From A$2,500 from 1 July 2026 [4]

Money you must show

A$29,710 a year in living costs, on top of tuition and travel [3]

Work during term

48 hours a fortnight [4]

Stay and work after

Temporary Graduate visa, usually 2 to 3 years; you must be 35 or under when you apply [5]

Which qualification leads where

• A-LevelGood route

  Scored from your best two to four A2 subjects, with A* counting 6 down to E counting 1. [8]

• IB DiplomaGood route

  Accepted once the full diploma is complete; UNSW publishes a score per degree. [8]

• AP and a US high-school diplomaGood route

  Three or four AP subjects at grade 3 or above, with evidence that you finished high school. [8]

• GaokaoGood route

  Used directly, as a percentage of your province's maximum — this is one of the few destinations where the Gaokao is a first-class route rather than a fallback. [8]

• Chinese high-school diploma onlyHard

  A foundation year usually comes first.

English you need

IELTS

6.5 [7] Prepare for IELTS →

TOEFL iBT

4.5 [7] Prepare for TOEFL →

Sydney asks for 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0. The student visa has its own English requirement, which is published by the Department of Home Affairs rather than on the pages cited here.

Universities to look at

• University of Sydney Sydney, New South Wales

  Accepts IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6.0.

  Tuition a year A$49,200 for arts and nursing, up to A$60,600 for engineering and computer science (2026)

  Admissions page → [1]

• UNSW Sydney Sydney, New South Wales

  Accepts Publishes a direct-entry table mapping A-Level, IB, AP and Gaokao onto each degree.

  Tuition a year A$51,000 for a Bachelor of Arts, A$61,500 for engineering (2026, first year)

  Admissions page → [8]

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Choose and apply

• Shortlist degrees, not universities: each degree has its own fee and its own entry score.
• Find your qualification in the university's direct-entry table and check the score for your degree. [8]
• Apply to the university directly — you only go through UAC if you are taking an Australian Year 12 or an IB inside Australia. [6]
• Submit by 1 December for a February start, or 29 May for the August intake. [6]
• Meet the English requirement: 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0 at Sydney. [7]
• You are considered automatically for Sydney's Vice-Chancellor's scheme once you hold an unconditional offer — no separate form. [9]

Visa

• Accept your offer and get the electronic confirmation of enrolment your visa application needs.
• Show A$29,710 a year of living money, on top of tuition and travel. [3]
• Apply for the subclass 500 student visa; it costs from A$2,500 from 1 July 2026. [4]
• Arrange Overseas Student Health Cover for the whole of your stay.

Before you fly

• Apply for university accommodation as soon as you accept — Sydney housing is the biggest part of the cost. [3]
• Remember the seasons are reversed: February is late summer, and July is winter.

Dec 2026 Feb 2028

1. Dec 2026 14 months before

   Research degrees and find your qualification in each university's entry table.

2. Apr 2027 10 months before

   Sit an English test if you need one, and ask your school for predicted grades.

3. Nov 2027 3 months before

   Apply: 1 December for a February start. [6]

4. Dec 2027 2 months before

   Accept the offer, pay the deposit and get your confirmation of enrolment.

5. Dec 2027 2 months before

   Apply for the student visa and buy your health cover. [4]

6. Jan 2028 1 month before

   Book accommodation and flights; February is peak arrival season.

7. Feb 2028 At the start

   Arrive, enrol in your units and open a bank account.

A year

¥370,000 – ¥490,000

Whole degree

¥1,100,000 – ¥1,500,000 over 3 years

Converted to RMB at two significant figures — the rate moves and the ranges are wide. Rate: European Central Bank: euro foreign exchange reference rates, 18 September 2026, checked 2026-09-19.

Tuition

A$49,200 to A$61,500 a year at Sydney and UNSW (2026); smaller universities charge less [1]

Living costs

A$28,860 a year living modestly on campus, up to A$40,820 living alone and going out often [3]

Money to show for the visa

A$29,710 a year — a visa test, not a budget [3]

Student visa

From A$2,500 from 1 July 2026 [4]

Scholarships and funding

• Sydney: Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarships Scheme [9]

  A$5,000, A$10,000, A$20,000, A$40,000 or A$60,000, depending on the award.

  No application. Every student holding an unconditional offer by the closing date is considered automatically.

• Sydney International Student Award [10]

  20 per cent of your tuition fee, for the whole of your course.

  This one does need a personal statement, submitted with your degree application.

Visa

• The subclass 500 student visa lets you stay for the length of your course, up to five years. [4]
• You need an electronic confirmation of enrolment from the university before you apply.
• Overseas Student Health Cover is a condition of the visa for your whole stay.

Work during and after studies

• During term you may work up to 48 hours a fortnight, and without a limit outside teaching periods. [4]
• After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa usually runs 2 to 3 years depending on your qualification. [5]
• You must be 35 or under when you apply for it, with some exceptions. [5]

When you arrive

• Enrol in your units before classes start; Australian universities expect you to build your own timetable.
• Open a bank account and get a local SIM in the first week.
• Your health cover has a waiting period for some treatments, so register with a doctor early.

Common mistakes

• The visa's living-cost figure of A$29,710 is a test you must pass, not an estimate of what a year costs — UNSW's own estimate runs to A$40,820. [3]
• The year starts in February, so a December deadline sits in the middle of your final school year — earlier than the UK or the US. [6]
• Fees are quoted per degree, not per university: engineering at UNSW costs A$10,500 a year more than its arts degree. [2]
• The Temporary Graduate visa has an age limit of 35, which is worth knowing before you plan a long postgraduate route first. [5]

Sources

1. University of Sydney: international student tuition fees checked 2026-09-19
2. UNSW Sydney: Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), indicative fees checked 2026-09-19
3. UNSW Sydney: cost of living in Sydney checked 2026-09-19
4. Study Australia: student visa subclass 500 checked 2026-09-19
5. Study Australia: temporary graduate visa subclass 485 checked 2026-09-19
6. University of Sydney: application dates checked 2026-09-19
7. University of Sydney: English language requirements checked 2026-09-19
8. UNSW Sydney: international direct entry table checked 2026-09-19
9. University of Sydney: Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarships Scheme checked 2026-09-19
10. University of Sydney: Sydney International Student Award checked 2026-09-19

Rules and fees change. Everything here was checked against the official pages on the date shown. Confirm on those pages before you apply or pay.