How to Study in Australia as an International Student: Complete 2026 Guide

Review by Qualified Education Agent Counselor (QEAC), · Updated August 2026

Key Takeaways

• If you are an international student in Australia and wish to study there, you must meet four mandatory requirements before your departure: obtain an admission notice for a CRICOS-registered course, hold a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE), meet the Genuine Student (GS) requirements, and hold a Subclass 500 student visa.

• Starting from 2026, in addition to paying the full tuition fees, you must also prove that you can cover at least 29,710 AUD in living expenses each year. This minimum amount is mandated by the Australian government and will be updated and adjusted regularly.

• When combining tuition fees and living expenses, the total annual cost of studying in Australia generally ranges from 55000 to 90000 AUD. This expense can be significantly reduced if you choose low-cost VET/vocational courses, or apply for university programs in regional areas.

• There is no “best” course that suits everyone; the most suitable course for you depends entirely on your personal goals: if your priority is to gain access to the permanent residency application pathway in the future, or to secure a job easily after graduation, or to keep the total cost as low as possible, the available courses corresponding to these different needs are completely distinct.

As an international student seeking to study in Australia, you must also meet these additional requirements: select a compliant CRICOS-registered course and the institution offering it, obtain your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE), meet English language proficiency and financial requirements, comply with the Genuine Student (GS) regulations, and apply for a Subclass 500 student visa. The total annual cost including tuition and living expenses typically ranges from 55000 to 90000 AUD, and this expense can also be drastically cut if you choose cheaper regional institutions and vocational courses.

How Can I Study in Australia as an International Student? (Step by Step)

• Choose a course and CRICOS-registered institution.Only courses registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) are eligible to support a student visa application; courses not on this list cannot be used to go through the student visa process.

• Apply and receive an offer letter. When submitting your application, you must upload your academic transcripts, English test scores, and all other supporting documents required by the institution; missing documents may delay your admission assessment.

• Accept your offer and pay the required deposit. After paying the deposit, the institution will issue you a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) — this electronic document will be directly shared with the Department of Home Affairs, and it is one of the core documents for your visa application.

• Arrange Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC): When purchasing the insurance, confirm that the policy’s validity period can fully cover the entire duration of your planned stay in Australia, with no gap in coverage.

• Prepare your Genuine Student (GS) statement and financial evidence. These two documents are the core factors influencing whether your visa application will be approved, directly determining whether the visa will be granted or refused (see the full details below).

• Apply for the Subclass 500 Student visa: After all documents are prepared, submit your Subclass 500 student visa application via the online channel of the Department of Home Affairs, and pay the visa application fee as required.

• Await visa grant, then arrange travel and arrival logistics — Once you receive the visa, arrange all travel and pre-entry preparations: find accommodation in Australia in advance, book an airport pickup if needed, plan the time to attend your university’s new student orientation, so that you can smoothly transition into your life as an international student after arriving in the country.

What Are the Requirements to Study in Australia?

What Is the Genuine Student (GS) Requirement?

Since March 2024, the Genuine Student (GS) requirement has officially replaced the previous Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) assessment. This new requirement has been directly integrated into the application process for Subclass 500 visas, eliminating the need to separately submit a relevant statement for additional assessment as was required in the past. Currently, the top reason for student visa refusals is failing to meet the GS requirement, which has surpassed all other grounds for visa rejection to become the leading cause of application failures.

The Home Affairs, which is specifically responsible for the assessment, will carefully verify every piece of content you submit: the course you choose to study, your financial situation that can support your overseas study, and your study plan for your upcoming study period in Australia. It will connect these factors to verify whether the whole application is authentic, reasonable and tenable. There are three common high-risk scenarios that most often lead to direct application refusal: either the chosen course is completely incompatible with your previous academic background, or the submitted financial proof has flaws that cannot be justified, or you submit a generic statement that is copied from a template without tailoring it to your own real situation.

How Much Does It Cost to Study in Australia?

Total costs vary significantly by course, city, and institution, but here’s a realistic breakdown for 2026:

Where you study changes your living costs significantly. The cost of living varies dramatically depending on which city you choose to study in, and the gap becomes immediately obvious once you list out the specific figures.

Sydney has the highest accommodation costs, with shared rental properties costing approximately 250 to 400 Australian dollars per week. Next is Melbourne, where shared rentals run from 200 to 350 Australian dollars per week, followed by Brisbane, where shared weekly accommodation costs range from 180 to 300 Australian dollars.

There are several other locations with far lower costs: Adelaide, Gold Coast, and remote campuses located outside major cities have consistently been the most affordable options. Furthermore, studying in several of these regional locations also makes you eligible to apply for a longer post-study work visa.

Ways to reduce total cost: If you want to reduce your overall costs, you can choose from the following options:

• Select a university or campus located in a regional area. Costs in these locations are generally 15% to 30% lower than in major cities, and you can also access the visa-related benefits mentioned earlier.

• Apply for merit scholarships offered by universities. These scholarships typically cover 20% to 50% of your tuition fees, and you can also apply for government-provided scholarships.

• Consider VET, which stands for vocational education and training courses. You can choose to complete this type of course before pursuing a full bachelor’s degree, or if you do not wish to complete a bachelor’s degree, you can switch directly to enroll in this type of course.

• Work part-time during your studies. International students are generally permitted to work a maximum of 48 hours per fortnight during the academic semester. The income from part-time work is not enough to cover tuition fees, but it can offset a large portion of your living expenses.

What Are the Cheapest Courses to Study in Australia?

If you prioritize cutting costs when choosing your school and major for studying abroad, two pathways have the lowest barriers and minimal costs: one is Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, and the other is universities in Australia’s regional areas.

• VET/vocational courses: For VET/vocational courses, the minimum annual tuition is approximately 5,700 AUD, which is currently the most cost-effective entry method available for studying in Australia.

• Business, marketing, and management degrees: For common general degrees that international students most often choose, such as business, marketing, and management, many regional universities charge annual tuition for these majors of less than 20,000 AUD, almost half the cost of the same majors in major cities like Sydney and Melbourne.

• Regional universities generally: When comparing all regional universities, the tuition fees of University of Southern Queensland, University of the Sunshine Coast, and Charles Darwin University have long remained in the lowest tier across Australia, with annual tuition for most majors ranging between 18,000 and 28,000 AUD.

Note: All the tuition fee figures mentioned above are for reference only. Specific costs will vary depending on the course you choose, and Australian universities update and adjust their tuition fees annually. Before submitting your application, you must confirm the latest tuition standards directly with your chosen institution.

Which Courses Are Best for International Students in Australia?

These are not the same course, “best” is based on what you want to optimize

Best for employability: Business, engineering, IT/data and healthcare-related courses generally have strong employment outcomes for graduates and are related to the Australia skilled occupation lists.

Best for cost: VET/vocational courses and business or management regional university degrees (as described above).

Best for a future PR pathway: Courses that are linked to an occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) or a state’s in-demand list (as these are always included, they are typically nursing, engineering, and IT). For information on how your course choice relates to your points score, see our guide to the best pathways to Australian PR.

Best for post-study work rights: Courses at regional campus may be longer to allow for a longer Temporary Graduate (Subclass 485) visa upon completion of studies, than the same course in a major city.

The mistake to avoid: selecting a course simply because it is popular or inexpensive — without considering if it is the best course to take in order to pursue a career, a pathway to promotion, or the cheapest option to earn a recognised qualification.

Get Personalised Course and Visa Guidance

Every student’s situation is different — the right course, city, and budget depend on your goals, not just what’s popular. Book a consultation with an APG study visa consultant in Melbourne to build a study plan that actually fits your budget and long-term goals.

Sources & Official References

• Student visa (subclass 500) — Department of Home Affairs
• Genuine Student requirement — Department of Home Affairs
• Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA)

Note: Visa financial thresholds, tuition fees, and processing times change frequently and vary by institution. All figures in this article should be re-verified against the above official sources at time of publishing.