There are many and varied reasons for wanting to study in Australia, and more international students are making their way Down Under every year. The number of international students studying in Australia increased from 7,000 in 1986 to 147,130 in 1998. Australia's forty government-funded universities have a reputation for quality education; indeed, these institutions are controlled by both State and Federal legislation, and receive both accreditation and registration to provide courses for international students.

Australia has a population of nearly 19 million in a land area of about 7.6 million square kilometres. However, 85% of these people live on the East Coast or in the major coastal cities of Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart and Perth, with Canberra, the national capital, and Toowoomba as the largest inland cities. Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world, but much of the country remains sparsely populated, providing a home for many of Australia's unique plants and animals. Of Australia's population, 7.3 million people were either born outside Australia or are children of parents born overseas, making Australia one of the most multicultural nations on earth. In fact, more languages are spoken in Sydney than in any other city in the world. More than 100 ethnic groups live in Australia, making a major contribution to the country's culture and economic development. International students will find themselves very welcome in this richly multicultural society. Australians are open, friendly people, who live in a healthy, safe and unspoiled environment.

The climate in Australia is generally warmer than that of Europe or the Americas, but in the northern Australian states, is similar to that of Southwest Asia and the Pacific. Temperatures in Queensland, the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia average about 20ºC to 29ºC in the summer, and about 10ºC to 22ºC in the winter. In the southern states of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, temperatures range from about 16ºC to 26ºC in the summer and about 7ºC to 15ºC in the winter. However, it does snow in Australia in the highlands and southern areas, so warm clothes are advisable for winter wear - and even in summer it is advisable to carry a light jacket, as the weather can cool off considerably.

Compared to European or American universities, Australian course costs are very competitive. For example, tuition costs for a Bachelor of Arts or Business degree at the University of Southern Queensland would be approximately US$17,700, while the equivalent degree at a publicly funded USA university would cost about US$35,000, and about US$28,000 in the UK. Annual average fees for a Masters course in Business or Arts at USQ would cost about US$6,400, while students would pay about US$9,800 in the UK and about US$10,500 per year in the USA. Living costs in Australia are also very competitive, and it costs students in Toowoomba about US$150 per week for rent, food and transport. This figure is closer to US$200 per week in the Australian capital cities.

International students holding student visas are permitted to work in Australia on a casual basis for up to twenty hours per week during course time, and full-time during vacations. However, casual work should not be seen as a means of funding studies in Australia, as there may be times when study commitments do not allow the time to work.

While most Australian universities provide a very high standard of on-campus residential accommodation, there are a number of options open to international students, including apartment or room rental, homestay accommodation with or without meals, or shared rental accommodation. It is very convenient to stay in university accommodation, as most of the residential colleges in Australian universities are on-campus - but often, international students prefer to get together and share a private rental house or apartment, and prepare their own meals.

Australia is a friendly country of great climate and cultural diversity. In the winter, more of Australia is under snow than the Swiss Alps, while at the same time it has a larger area of deserts within its borders than any other country. It also has the largest expanse of coastal beaches and one of the largest areas of temperate rainforests on the planet. No wonder so many international students want to come and study in Australia!

Author
Jennifer Simmons
Promotions Officer
University of Southern Queensland