The complete 2026 guide
Australia is one of the three most popular study destinations in the world, and in 2026 it is also one of the most tightly regulated. This guide covers what has changed, what it costs, how to get in, and how study turns into a career and permanent residence.
Checked against Department of Home Affairs and Study Australia sources · Last reviewed 21 September 2026
To study in Australia in 2026 you need an offer from a CRICOS-registered institution, a Genuine Student statement, proof of AUD 29,710 in living funds plus first-year tuition and travel, an English score of at least IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent), Overseas Student Health Cover, and the AUD 2,000 subclass 500 visa fee. A bachelor degree typically costs AUD 20,000 to 45,000 per year in tuition and a masters AUD 22,000 to 50,000, before living costs of roughly AUD 21,000 to 30,000 a year depending on the city.
Australia has around 40 universities, several of which sit in the global top 100, and a vocational sector that is directly wired to the skilled migration system. It is English-speaking, the weather is kind, and the student work rights are more generous than the UK, the US or Canada at 48 hours a fortnight during term and unlimited hours in breaks. The post-study work visa gives graduates two to three years to work after finishing, with extra time for regional graduates.
The reason most ApplyOn students pick it, though, is the line from study to permanent residence. Australia is unusual in that your course choice is a migration decision. The right course in the right city can be worth 15 points on the PR points test before you have worked a single day. The wrong one can leave you with a qualification and no pathway. Our PR Check Tool exists precisely because that gap is so wide.
If you read a guide from 2024 you are working from outdated rules. The settings that matter now:
| Setting | 2026 rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Visa application fee | AUD 2,000 | Non-refundable. Paid at lodgement through ImmiAccount. |
| Financial capacity | AUD 29,710 living costs + 12 months tuition + travel | Add AUD 10,394 for a partner and AUD 4,449 per child. Funds must be genuinely available, not a fresh deposit. |
| English | IELTS 6.0 overall (5.5 for packaged ELICOS/foundation) | PTE 50 and TOEFL iBT 64 are accepted equivalents. Home-edition tests are not. |
| Genuine Student (GS) | Replaces the GTE statement | Four structured questions about your circumstances, course choice and career value. Weak GS answers are the top refusal reason. |
| Processing priority | Ministerial Direction 115 (from 14 Nov 2025) | Providers are tiered by how close they are to their allocation; applications to over-allocated providers process slower. |
| Work rights | 48 hours per fortnight in term, unlimited in breaks | No cap for masters by research and PhD students. |
| Post-study work (485) | 2 years bachelor/masters coursework, 3 years research/PhD; age cap 35; IELTS 6.5 | The former two-year extension for shortage-list degrees has ended. |
Every figure on this page is checked against Department of Home Affairs and Study Australia sources. Settings change through the year, most often on 1 July, and we update within days. Full detail on each setting is in the student visa guide and requirements guide.
Australia runs a single national qualifications framework, the AQF, from certificate level to doctorate. That matters for international students because every level is CRICOS-registered separately and each level has its own visa, cost and PR implications.
| Level | Typical length | Tuition range (AUD/year) | Where it leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| English language (ELICOS) | 10–50 weeks | 300–450 per week | Packaged with a main course; lowers the entry English bar |
| Vocational (Certificate III to Advanced Diploma) | 6 months–2 years | 4,000–22,000 | Trades, hospitality, community services; strong regional PR pathways |
| Bachelor degree | 3–4 years | 20,000–45,000 | Professional careers; 2-year post-study work visa |
| Masters by coursework | 1.5–2 years | 22,000–50,000 | Career change or specialisation; 2-year post-study work visa |
| Masters by research / PhD | 2–4 years | Often scholarship-funded | 3-year post-study work visa; extra PR points; unlimited work hours |
Two rules of thumb. First, a two-academic-year course (92 weeks of CRICOS-registered study) unlocks the post-study work visa and 5 PR points; anything shorter usually does not. Second, the same qualification costs very different amounts across institutions, and a higher fee does not buy a better migration outcome. Compare with the universities guide and the courses guide.
Budget three things: tuition, living costs, and the fixed one-off costs of getting there.
Vocational courses at the low end, medicine and top-ranked universities at the top. Most ApplyOn students pay AUD 25,000 to 38,000.
Sydney and Melbourne at the top, Adelaide, Hobart and regional cities at the bottom. Rent is 40 to 50 percent of it.
Visa fee AUD 2,000, OSHC around AUD 600 a year, flights, medicals, and the first month of rent and bond.
Use the cost of studying calculator for a personalised total and the exact figure you need to show for the visa. For city-by-city rent and weekly budgets see the cost of living guide, and for ways to bring the number down, scholarships and working while you study.
The subclass 500 is the only visa that lets you study a full-time course longer than three months. It runs for the length of your course plus a short buffer, lets you work 48 hours a fortnight, and allows a partner and children to come with you. The application is assessed on genuineness, finances, English, health and character. Processing from India in 2026 has typically taken four to eight weeks, longer where the GS answers or funds are unclear.
The single most important change since 2024 is that the Genuine Student requirement is a structured test, not a personal statement. Case officers want to see why this course, why this provider, why Australia, and what you will do with it. Generic answers get refused. The full breakdown, including what the four GS questions are and how to evidence funds, is in the student visa guide. If you do not have an English test, read studying in Australia without IELTS first.
During term you can work 48 hours a fortnight; in scheduled breaks there is no limit. Minimum wage in Australia is among the highest in the world, so a part-time job realistically covers most living costs outside Sydney. Details, including the rules for masters by research students and how the cap is counted, are in study and work in Australia.
After graduating, the subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa gives bachelor and masters coursework graduates two years and research graduates three, with one or two extra years for those who studied and live in regional Australia. You must be under 35 and hold IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. Full eligibility in the post-study work visa guide, or use the free PSW Calculator.
This is the part most guides skip and most students care about. Australia's skilled migration program is points-based, and study is the fastest way to accumulate points before you have work experience: 5 for the Australian study requirement, 5 more for regional study, 10 for a specialist research degree, 5 for a Professional Year, and 15 for a 491 regional nomination that is far easier to get with local qualifications.
The catch is that the pathway depends entirely on your occupation being on the right list and on the state you study in. A nursing degree in Adelaide and a business diploma in Sydney are not comparable pathways. The study to PR pathway guide walks through the full sequence, and the PR points calculator shows where you would land today.
Common questions
Tuition for a bachelor degree is typically AUD 20,000 to 45,000 per year and a masters AUD 22,000 to 50,000. Living costs run AUD 21,000 to 30,000 a year depending on the city. For the visa you must show AUD 29,710 in living funds plus first-year tuition and travel.
An offer from a CRICOS-registered provider, a Genuine Student statement, proof of funds (AUD 29,710 living costs plus first-year tuition and travel), English at IELTS 6.0 or equivalent for most courses, Overseas Student Health Cover, and health and character checks.
Yes. PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge C1 Advanced and OET are all accepted for the student visa. Some applicants are exempt, including those who completed recent study in English in specified countries and those packaging an English course with their main course.
48 hours per fortnight during term and unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks. Masters by research and PhD students have no work-hour limit.
The subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa gives two years for bachelor and masters by coursework graduates and three years for masters by research and PhD graduates, with one to two extra years for eligible regional graduates.
For the right course and occupation, yes. Australian study earns 5 to 15 points on the skilled migration test before any work experience, and regional study opens the subclass 491 nomination worth a further 15 points. The pathway depends on your occupation and state, which is why course choice matters.
The main intakes are February and July. Many universities and most vocational providers also offer a third intake in October or November, and English language courses start most weeks of the year.
AUD 2,000 for the subclass 500 as of 2026, paid at lodgement and non-refundable.
Study in Australia guide
Start with the complete Study in Australia guide, then go deeper:
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