Australia is a dream destination for thousands of international students from all around the world to pursue their higher education. The country is one of the top choices of international students because of its global reputation in academic excellence and globally reputed universities. Some of the universities in Australia rank at the top in World QS Rankings, every year. However, despite dreaming of studying in Australia, many students setback because of Australia’s high living costs and tuition fees.
Not to worry, we have listed some of the low cost universities in Australia for you that offer world-class education and have good rankings, globally. The list include universities that are partnered with BWBS Education Consultants:
1. The University of Western Australia
Founded in 1911, The University of Western Australia is located in the jaw dropping beautiful city of Perth in Western Australia. It is a globally renowned university for providing world-class education with industry-focused professional programs including Economics, Finance, Zoology, Science, Law, Computer Science, Business, and many more. 17 subjects of this institution ranked in the world’s top 50 in Academic Ranking of World Universities 2023 and QS Ranking 2024. Recently, it ranked No.77 in the world’s Top 100 universities in QS Ranking 2025. UWA has a wide range of courses for undergraduate and postgraduate students. The university also offers scholarships for domestic and international students. No doubt why this university is one of the low cost universities in Australia for international students.
2. The University of Notre Dame Australia
With vibrant campuses located in Sydney, Broome, and Fremantle, The University of Notre Dame Australia was established in 1989. It is a top-ranked and 5-star rated university for teaching quality, skills development, learner engagement, graduate salary, full time employment, and overall experience according to Good Universities Guide 2024. In 2022, according to the Graduate Outcomes Survey it became one of Australia’s best ranked universities for undergraduate employment. The university accommodates around 12,000 students across all its campuses in the nation. You can study Arts, Sciences, Business, Nursing & Midwifery, Law, Medicine, and many more programs at this institution. It has lucrative scholarships for international students.
3. University of Wollongong
University of Wollongong became the third institution in our list. It was founded in 1951 that offers a wide range of programs and prepares its students to thrive in their chosen fields. It has campuses in Wollongong, Sydney, and Shoalhaven. It ranks 2nd in the nation and 16th globally in the Times Higher Education Young University Rankings. If you are looking to pursue a degree in Arts, Business, Science, Medicine & Health, Nursing, Engineering, and Communications & News, and many more, you can consider this university. It offers scholarships to international students for undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
4. Charles Sturt University
Established in 1989, Charles Sturt University is located in some of the prominent cities of Australia. The university has campuses in Sydney, Macquarie, Melbourne, Wagga Wagga, Orange, Dubbo, Bathurst, and Albury-Wodonga. It is Australia’s largest regional university and it is the No.1 university in Australia for undergraduate employment. The university offers a wide range of programs including Agriculture and environment, Animal and veterinary sciences, Business, Education and teaching, IT and computing, Medicine and health, Psychology and social work, and Science and engineering. The institution offers scholarships to its domestic and international students.
5. University of Canberra
Founded in 1990, University of Canberra is one of the low cost universities in Australia. It is located in Canberra – the capital of Australia. According to Good Universities Guide 2025, UC became No.1 in Canberra for full time employment, skills development and student support. It also ranked in the top 24% of universities worldwide in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025. The university accommodates more than 18,000 students from across the country including students from 100 countries. From Arts, Business, Design to Health, Law, Science, and Technology, this university has a wide range of programs for you. There are few categories of scholarships that UC offers to its students.
6. Griffith University
Griffith University is one of the cheapest universities to study abroad in australia. It was founded in 1975 in South East Queensland of Australia. It ranks in between 301-350 in Times Higher Education World University Rankings and 255 in QS World University Rankings. The university takes pride in receiving 8 awards for Teaching Excellence. It is also a 5-star rated university for overall experience and skills development in Good Universities Guide 2023. The university offers a wide range of industry-focused programs from Architecture, Arts, Aviation, Business, Dentistry to IT, Law, Medicine, Nursing, Tourism, Science, and many more; in total 200+ degree programs. It is the No.1 university for Nursing & Midwifery and Hospitality & Tourism Management in Australia. More than 45,000 students are currently studying at this respected institution. It also offers lucrative scholarships to its domestic and international students.
7. University of New England
With a rich education history of 86 years, University of England was founded in 1938 in New South Wales of Australia. The university takes pride for being able to achieve 5-stars for Overall Experience for 18 years in a row by Good Universities Guide from 2007-2024. UNE is also a 5-stars rated university for Teaching Quality according to Good Universities Guide 2024. In the QILT Student Experience Survey, UNE ranks No.1 in New South Wales for Student Experience. The university has programs from Agriculture & Environmental Studies, Business & Management, Computing & Information Systems to Creative Arts, Law, Medicine, Nursing, and many more. There are some scholarship offerings by UNE that might help you to pursue a degree from this well reputed institution at an affordable cost.
8. The University of Melbourne
With 171 years of university heritage, The University of Melbourne was established back in 1853 in Melbourne. The university accommodates more than 53,000 undergraduate and graduate students of which 45% are international students coming from more than 150 countries. According to QS Graduate Employability 2022, this institution ranked No.8 for graduate employability. It offers a wide range of programs including Accounting & Finance, Agriculture, Arts, Business, Science, Dentistry, Law, Nursing, Psychology. It also offers scholarships to both domestic and international students. Recently, it ranked No.13 in the world in QS World University Rankings 2025.
These are the low cost universities in Australia for international students who want to pursue a respectable degree from abroad. Though it is a dream come true for many international students to study in Australia, it is crucial to apply in a university that aligns your affordability. Taking help from the experts may save a lot of money, so it is advised to consult experienced consultants like BWBS Education Consultants.
