Where To Apply

The best Australian universities for information technology

Information technology degrees cover much the same ground as computer science with a more applied, industry-facing slant, and several universities of technology build an assessed placement into the program. The master's usually accepts a bachelor's in any discipline, which makes IT a common conversion path for career changers. Entry sits around a credit average and IELTS 6.5.

There is no official ranking of Australian universities by field of study, so "best for information technology" comes down to research reputation, industry links, and how seriously a university invests in the area.

This shortlist is the universities with a genuine reputation in information technology, with a note on what sets each apart. For the full list of every university that teaches it, plus the cheapest programs, see the information technology subject page.

The Professional Year: a structured bridge from degree to visa

The ACS Professional Year in IT is a 44-week program (32 weeks of classroom training plus a 12-week workplace internship) built specifically for recent IT graduates on a 485 graduate visa, and it's worth planning for before you finish your degree rather than discovering it afterwards. Completing it within four years of your visa application adds 5 points on the general skilled migration points test for eligible occupations, on top of giving you the local workplace experience and references that are otherwise hard to get straight out of an international student's degree.

It's a separate, ACS-approved provider program, not something your university runs, and it only makes sense once you're already ACS skills-assessed and holding (or about to hold) a 485 visa, so it's a post-graduation decision rather than something that affects which university or degree you pick now.

  1. University of Technology Sydney

    A$76,000 first-year budgetSydney, NSW. Practice-based studios and one of the strongest industry-placement models for IT in the country.

  2. RMIT University

    A$75,000 first-year budgetMelbourne, VIC. Applied, industry-linked IT with a central Melbourne campus and strong employer connections.

  3. Queensland University of Technology

    A$68,000 first-year budgetBrisbane, QLD. Mandatory industry placements built into most IT degrees, closer to a co-op model.

  4. Swinburne University of Technology

    A$71,000 first-year budgetMelbourne, VIC. Professional placement years and a genuine focus on work-integrated learning.

  5. Curtin University

    A$69,000 first-year budgetPerth, WA. Applied IT reflecting WA's resources and services economy, in a regional-classified city.

  6. Monash University

    A$82,000 first-year budgetMelbourne, VIC. Large Faculty of IT with cybersecurity, AI, and data science specialisations and an industry-studio capstone.

ACS assessment and which IT roles count

Information technology sits under the same ACS skills-assessing framework as computer science, but the occupation list is broader: ICT Business Analyst, Analyst Programmer, and ICT Security Specialist join Software Engineer and Systems Analyst on the Core Skills Occupation List, alongside less technical roles like ICT Project Manager. Which ANZSCO occupation your degree and work experience map to matters more for a skilled visa than which university you attended, so check the specific occupation before picking a specialisation.

A general IT degree without a strong major (networking, security, or software development, for example) can be harder for ACS to match to a specific skilled occupation. Universities that clearly label their IT specialisations make that mapping easier when you apply for the assessment.

How this list was built

Curated from the research strengths, specialist facilities, and industry links each university is known for in information technology. It is not a league table, and a strong department at a lower-ranked university can beat a weak one at a famous name. Check the specific program.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between computer science and information technology degrees for migration?

Both go through the same ACS skills assessment and can lead to the same ICT occupations. Computer science tends to be more theory- and software-development-heavy; IT degrees are often broader and can include networking, security, or business-systems specialisations, so the occupation you're assessed against depends more on your major and work history than the degree title.

Is the ACS Professional Year worth doing after an IT degree?

If you're on a 485 graduate visa and planning a skilled visa application, generally yes: it's the most direct way to add 5 points and get supervised local work experience, and both count toward occupations that are otherwise hard to build a local track record for straight out of a degree. It costs money and takes 44 weeks, so weigh that against how close you already are to the points threshold without it.

Do I need work experience before applying for an IT graduate role in Australia?

Not formally for an entry-level graduate role, but international graduates without local internships or a placement built into their degree often find the local-experience expectation is the real barrier, not the degree itself. A degree with an industry placement, or completing the ACS Professional Year afterward, addresses this directly.

Other decision guides

We use essential cookies to run this site, and analytics cookies only if you accept them. Privacy policy