Lowest Tuition Fees for International Students in 2027

International students pay full tuition fees to study in Australia. The tables below compare annual fees across universities and make it easy to find the cheap options.

International students compare tuition fee levels at Australian universities

Tuition fees for international students in Australia range from about A$27,000 to more than A$60,000 per year. The average across the courses sampled is approximately A$43,000.

  • Fees shown are annual tuition costs for Business / Commerce, Engineering / Science (STEM), and Arts degrees.
  • Figures are sourced from university websites, using 2027 rates where available. Fees may vary by course and subject choices.
  • Most bachelor degrees take three years. Professional or honours degrees commonly take four years. Masters degrees commonly take 1.5 or two years.

Note for Australian students: Domestic university fees are generally subsidised by the Australian Government. For bachelor degrees, are broadly similar across public universities. Postgraduate fees vary, and Commonwealth supported places are not available for every course. Eligible students may use HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP.

Bachelor Degree Tuition Fees in Australia

Annual tuition for bachelor degrees ranges from $27,000 to $63,600 across universities and fields. Arts degrees are generally the cheapest, STEM courses tend to cost more, and the gap between providers can exceed $30,000 per year. Each figure represents a standard full-time load of eight subjects.

University Business STEM Arts
Southern Cross University $27,000 $27,000 $27,000
CQUniversity $28,000 $33,000 $29,000
University of the Sunshine Coast† $28,500 $33,500 $28,500
University of Southern Queensland $30,520 $40,120 $31,160
Charles Darwin University $31,208 $39,392 $29,800
University of Notre Dame Australia† $32,199 $41,421 $33,589
University of New England $33,216 $36,096 $31,632
Charles Sturt University $34,400 $39,440 $28,960
Griffith University† $35,000 $43,500 $35,000
James Cook University† $35,646 $42,477 $34,649
Western Sydney University† $35,868 $40,916 $32,500
Australian Catholic University $36,016 $33,360 $36,624
Victoria University† $36,800 $41,000 $31,200
Murdoch University $37,800 $44,040 $36,720
Edith Cowan University† $38,600 $42,900 $39,300
University of Tasmania $38,950 $44,048 $37,250
University of Wollongong† $38,976 $48,768 $37,584
University of Canberra† $39,500 $43,000 $35,000
Federation University Australia $39,600 $43,500 $38,000
Flinders University $40,900 $49,600 $37,200
Curtin University $41,146 $47,652 $41,158
University of Newcastle $42,567 $49,030 $38,273
La Trobe University $43,000 $43,000 $35,800
Deakin University $45,200 $46,800 $38,200
Swinburne University of Technology $46,700 $48,300 $37,800
Queensland University of Technology $46,800 $50,200 $41,900
Macquarie University $46,900 $46,900 $41,200
RMIT University $47,040 $48,960 $41,280
University of Technology Sydney† $48,816 $54,770 $43,900
Bond University† $50,080 $50,080 $50,080
University of Western Australia $50,700 $53,700 $42,500
Adelaide University† $52,500 $57,100 $45,100
Monash University† $55,900 $59,600 $44,600
University of New South Wales† $56,500 $61,500 $51,000
University of Queensland $56,800 $60,952 $48,080
Australian National University $57,640 $57,640 $51,170
University of Melbourne† $57,856 $62,208 $44,832
University of Sydney $59,100 $63,600 $55,100
Updated: 10 August 2026. † Latest confirmed 2026 fee used because the 2027 rate was unavailable.

Masters Degree Tuition Fees in Australia

Annual tuition for masters degrees ranges from $27,000 to about $69,100. Arts courses are usually at the lower end, with STEM and MBA fees often higher. Course length also affects the total price, so a degree charging more per year may still cost less overall if completed sooner.

University MBA STEM Arts
Southern Cross University $27,000 $27,000 $27,000
University of the Sunshine Coast† $29,500 $38,500 $30,500
CQUniversity $31,000 $33,000 $29,000
James Cook University† $33,133 $36,491 $27,984
University of Notre Dame Australia† $34,356 $35,000 $34,078
University of New England $35,472 $38,688 $34,560
University of Southern Queensland $35,600 $40,040 $34,440
Charles Sturt University $37,040 $37,600 $28,960
University of Wollongong† $37,188 $48,768 $36,768
Charles Darwin University $38,192 $41,552 $37,672
Victoria University $38,800 $37,600 $28,000
Griffith University†‡ $39,000 $46,500 $35,000
Australian Catholic University $39,240 $39,240 $36,624
Western Sydney University† $39,337 $41,219 $34,776
Federation University Australia‡ $39,600 $43,500 $38,000
La Trobe University $40,000 $38,400 $37,400
Edith Cowan University $40,650 $45,400 $37,700
Bond University† $40,716 $39,865 $40,246
Murdoch University $40,800 $46,920 $37,800
University of Canberra† $41,500 $42,000 $33,000
University of Newcastle $46,035 $53,183 $41,486
Flinders University $46,400 $50,100 $42,000
Macquarie University $46,500 $46,300 $45,000
University of Tasmania $46,951 $41,950 $38,250
Swinburne University of Technology† $48,420 $51,420 $39,480
Curtin University‡ $50,054 $53,928 $41,112
Queensland University of Technology‡ $51,500 $51,100 $43,400
Deakin University $51,800 $47,800 $41,800
University of Technology Sydney† $52,240 $50,466 $41,425
RMIT University $52,800 $49,920 $45,120
University of Western Australia† $53,000 $52,600 $41,300
Adelaide University† $57,100 $57,100 $46,700
Australian National University‡ $57,640 $57,640 $54,540
University of New South Wales† $57,840 $61,000 $47,000
Monash University†‡ $59,900 $57,900 $46,400
University of Melbourne† $60,192 $62,976 $48,992
University of Sydney $63,100 $60,800 $56,800
University of Queensland $69,112 $60,952 $48,080
Updated: 10 August 2026. † Latest confirmed 2026 fee used because the 2027 rate was unavailable. ‡ A general business or management masters was used because a suitable on-campus MBA was unavailable.

Lowest Tuition Fees for International Students

Tuition fees for international students start at around $27,000 per year at Australia’s cheapest universities. Many low-fee universities are based in regional Australia or have suburban campuses outside the major city centres. Fees at inner-city universities in Sydney and Melbourne commonly exceed $40,000 per year.

Low-fee universities in regional Australia

²ÜÁôÉçÇø with low tuition fees are often regional universities. Being based away from major cities helps to keep costs down. Several low-cost universities also specialise in distance education.

Some of the cheapest Australian universities for international students are:

Low-fee universities in capital cities

The cheapest universities in Australian capital cities are often suburban universities. Lower-cost campuses can be found outside the central business districts of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Some of the cheapest capital-city universities include:

Cheapest universities in Melbourne

The cheapest mainstream Melbourne universities are Victoria University and Australian Catholic University. For bachelor degrees, annual tuition fees start at around $31,200 at VU and $33,360 at ACU, depending on the field of study.

  • ACU is a multi-state university with a strong Melbourne presence. Despite the name, ACU is open to people of all religions.
  • Victoria University is based in the western suburbs but also has teaching facilities in the city centre.

La Trobe University is generally the next lower-cost Melbourne option, particularly for arts degrees.

Cheapest universities in Sydney

Sydney has six main universities. Western Sydney University and Australian Catholic University charge the lowest fees among them.

Cheapest universities in Perth

The greater Perth area has five universities. University of Notre Dame Australia, based in Fremantle, is the cheapest. Annual tuition fees start at around $32,200 for bachelor degrees and $34,100 for masters degrees. Murdoch University and Edith Cowan University are next, with the cheaper option depending on the course and study level.

Lowest Fees for Masters Degrees and MBAs

Tuition fees for masters degrees, including MBAs, vary by university and course. Annual fees start at about $27,000, although the total cost also depends on the length of the degree.

Student bedroom with desk, Sydney skyline view and map pins showing Sydney suburbs where international students live cheaply.

  • Published annual fees generally cover two semesters of full-time study, not the three normally required for an MBA.
  • Masters degrees commonly take one to two years, so compare the total course cost as well as the annual fee.
  • A shorter degree may cost less overall even when its annual tuition fee is higher.

Southern Cross University has the cheapest MBA at $27,000 per year. University of the Sunshine Coast follows at $29,500, with CQUniversity next at $31,000.