Study in Australia from India

Apply through the university's own international application portal, or through an agent that the university has authorised. Several universities, particularly in Western Australia, only accept applications from Indian citizens through an authorised agent. Edith Cowan University, for example, lists India among the countries that must apply via an agent. Check each university's how-to-apply page before you start.

Deadlines can fall earlier for Indian applicants. The University of Western Australia closes international applications for citizens of higher visa-scrutiny countries, India among them, several weeks before the date for other countries. Curtin closes applications 10 weeks before the course start for those countries, against 4 weeks for others. Apply three to four months ahead.

Most universities assess applications on a rolling basis and run February and July intakes. Use the universities directory to filter by state, tuition, English requirement, and intake, and check the deadline calendar for the recommended dates.

Tuition runs from the low A$30,000s at regional and newer universities to the high A$40,000s and beyond at the Group of Eight. Living costs depend on the city: budget around A$30,000 a year, more in Sydney and Melbourne, less in Adelaide, Perth, and regional centres.

On top of that: the A$2,500 student visa, roughly A$500 to A$700 a year for single Overseas Student Health Cover, flights, and initial setup. See the cost-of-living breakdowns by city and the most affordable universities.

A three-year Indian bachelor's degree is accepted for direct entry to most Australian master's programs. Some competitive programs, and a few universities, prefer a four-year degree or first-class marks, so read the specific program's entry requirements.

How your percentage converts to an Australian grade depends on which university or board awarded your degree. Universities publish India-specific entry tables. A 60 percent aggregate is a common minimum, with 65 to 75 percent for competitive courses.

For English, you can use IELTS, PTE, or TOEFL, and many universities also accept a medium-of-instruction letter confirming your degree was taught and assessed in English. The university sets its own score. The student visa has its own English rule, and whether an English-taught degree is enough for the visa depends on your circumstances, so confirm both separately.

International students hold the subclass 500 student visa. You apply after you receive and accept an offer and the university issues a Confirmation of Enrolment. You must meet the Genuine Student requirement, which replaced the Genuine Temporary Entrant test in March 2024, and show genuine access to funds.

In January 2026 the Australian Government raised India to student-visa Evidence Level 3, the highest tier, after a rise in forged bank documents and fake degree certificates. In practice that means more upfront evidence: several months of bank statements rather than a single balance, a clear source-of-funds trail, and authenticated academic transcripts. Processing also runs longer. Check the current level when you apply, as these are reviewed.

The common reasons Indian applications are refused: money that appears in an account only days before applying, unexplained gaps in study or work, and a course that does not build on what you have already studied. A savings history that predates your decision to apply is the strongest single signal that the funds are genuine.

Full detail on the visa itself, conditions, and family members is on the subclass 500 page.

Most bachelor’s and master’s graduates qualify for a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), which gives two to three years of full work rights. That skilled work is the usual step toward permanent residence through the points-tested visas.

Check where you stand with the points calculator and track demand in the SkillSelect invitation rounds.