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The most affordable Australian universities for international students

Australia is not a cheap place to study, but the gap between the most and least expensive universities is wide. A year at a sandstone university in Sydney can cost more than double a year at a regional or specialist provider.

This list ranks universities by estimated first-year budget: the cheapest international tuition we have on record plus the indicative annual living cost for that city, plus a rough allowance for one-off setup costs. It is not ranked by prestige. Several of these universities are strong in specific fields and sit in cities where your money goes further.

  1. South Metropolitan TAFEA$50,000 first-year budgetPerth, WA. International tuition from A$18,000 a year.
  2. TAFE NSWA$52,000 first-year budgetMulti-campus, NSW. International tuition from A$18,000 a year.
  3. TAFE QueenslandA$52,000 first-year budgetMulti-campus, QLD. International tuition from A$18,000 a year.
  4. Avondale UniversityA$54,000 first-year budgetCooranbong, NSW. International tuition from A$24,000 a year. Living costs here are below the Sydney and Melbourne average.
  5. Australian Institute of BusinessA$55,000 first-year budgetAdelaide, SA. International tuition from A$24,000 a year. Living costs here are below the Sydney and Melbourne average.
  6. Melbourne PolytechnicA$55,000 first-year budgetMelbourne, VIC. International tuition from A$19,000 a year.
  7. Victoria University PolytechnicA$55,000 first-year budgetMelbourne, VIC. International tuition from A$19,000 a year.
  8. Box Hill InstituteA$56,000 first-year budgetMelbourne, VIC. International tuition from A$20,000 a year.
  9. Federation University AustraliaA$56,000 first-year budgetBallarat, VIC. International tuition from A$26,000 a year. Living costs here are below the Sydney and Melbourne average.
  10. Greenwich CollegeA$56,000 first-year budgetSydney, NSW. International tuition from A$18,000 a year.
  11. University of DivinityA$56,000 first-year budgetMelbourne, VIC. International tuition from A$20,000 a year.
  12. Charles Sturt UniversityA$57,000 first-year budgetMulti-campus, regional NSW. International tuition from A$27,000 a year. Living costs here are below the Sydney and Melbourne average.
  13. University of Southern QueenslandA$57,000 first-year budgetToowoomba, QLD. International tuition from A$27,000 a year. Living costs here are below the Sydney and Melbourne average.
  14. Charles Darwin UniversityA$58,000 first-year budgetDarwin, NT. International tuition from A$26,000 a year.
  15. University of New EnglandA$58,000 first-year budgetArmidale, NSW. International tuition from A$28,000 a year. Living costs here are below the Sydney and Melbourne average.

How this list was built

We took each university's lowest published international tuition (university-wide or its cheapest individual program), added our city-specific living-cost estimate and about AUD 4,000 in setup costs, then sorted low to high. Specialist and pathway-only providers are included where they grant degrees. Always confirm the fee for your specific course.

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