Study in Australia
Study Law in Australia
- Programs
- 230
- Universities
- 35
- Tuition from
- A$12,400
The spread is wide. A JD at a sandstone law school can cost more than double an LLB at a newer university, and the degree name matters less than the school's admission recognition and its clinical and internship offerings.
A law degree in Australia comes in three forms. The undergraduate Bachelor of Laws (LLB) runs three to four years on its own or five as a double degree, and is the route for school leavers. The graduate-entry Juris Doctor (JD) is a three-year professional degree for people who already hold a bachelor's in another field, and is the most common choice for international students who did their first degree at home. The Master of Laws (LLM) is a one-year specialisation for people who are already qualified lawyers.
The JD is one of the more expensive coursework degrees, commonly AUD 45,000 to 55,000 a year at the Group of Eight, less at newer and regional law schools. All three degrees teach Australian law, so an LLM does not on its own let an overseas-qualified lawyer practise here.
Law attracts a smaller and more specific group of international students than business or IT, often people aiming at corporate, policy, or academic work rather than courtroom practice. If you are weighing it up, check what is different for applicants from your country on the /international pages.
Migration angle. Legal practice is hard to use for skilled migration. Solicitor and barrister sit on the occupation lists, but you must first be admitted to an Australian state legal profession, which for an overseas or JD graduate means passing the assessed academic subjects, completing Practical Legal Training, and being admitted by the state Supreme Court. Many international law graduates instead use the degree for policy, compliance, legal-adjacent corporate, or further academic work, where it is not a nominated occupation.
Compare Law programs
The 60 lowest-tuition Law degrees for international students, of 230 in our dataset. Tuition is the indicative annual international fee; IELTS is the program’s own overall minimum where it sets one, otherwise the university’s institutional minimum. Confirm both on the course page before you apply.
Figures are approximate, drawn from this site’s database and each program’s official course page, and change annually. A dash means the figure is not published at program level.
Universities known for Law
There is no official field-level ranking of Australian universities. These are the ones with a recognised reputation in Law, strongest first.
- 1University of MelbourneMelbourne Law School and the graduate-entry Juris Doctor, consistently the top-ranked law school in the country.
- 2University of SydneyLong-established law school with strong international and commercial law programs.
- 3UNSW SydneyKnown for social justice, human rights, and clinical legal education.
- 4Australian National UniversityStrong in public law, international law, and legal theory, in the national capital.
- 5Monash UniversityLarge law faculty with a well-regarded JD and extensive clinical and internship placements.
- 6University of QueenslandBroad law school with strong commercial and international law offerings in Brisbane.
Entry requirements for Law
JD entry needs a completed bachelor's in any field, usually with a credit to distinction average. A few schools consider the LSAT but none require it. LLB entry needs a strong senior secondary result or a completed year of tertiary study.
English is set higher than the general postgraduate bar: most law schools want IELTS Academic 7.0 overall with no band below 6.5, or the PTE equivalent.
There is no separate portfolio or interview for most JD programs. Double-degree LLB places can be more competitive because they draw on both faculties' entry cut-offs.
Law in Australia: common questions
Can I practise law in Australia with an overseas law degree?
Not directly. You apply to the state admitting authority, which assesses your qualifications against the required academic areas known as the Priestley 11. It usually requires you to complete several bridging subjects and then Practical Legal Training before you can be admitted. A local JD covers the academic areas in full.
What is the difference between an LLB and a JD in Australia?
An LLB is an undergraduate law degree, often taken as a double degree over four to five years. A JD is a graduate-entry law degree of about three years for people who already hold a bachelor's in another field. Both are professional qualifications that let you seek admission to practise, and both cost about the same per year.
Do Australian law schools require the LSAT?
No. No Australian law school requires the LSAT for JD admission. A small number will consider a strong LSAT score as supporting evidence, but admission is based on your prior academic record.
Is a law degree from Australia good for permanent residence?
It is one of the weaker fields for skilled migration. To claim solicitor or barrister as your occupation you must first be admitted to practise in an Australian state, which takes further study and supervised work. If permanent residence is your main goal, accounting, IT, engineering, nursing, and teaching have clearer pathways.
Related
Program counts and tuition figures are drawn from this site’s database and are approximate. This is general information, not admissions or migration advice.