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.

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 |
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 |
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:
- Southern Cross University (Lismore)
- CQUniversity (Rockhampton)
- University of the Sunshine Coast (Sunshine Coast)
- University of Southern Queensland (Toowoomba)
- Charles Darwin University (Darwin)
- University of New England (Armidale)
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:
- University of Notre Dame Australia (Perth, Sydney)
- Western Sydney University (Sydney)
- Australian Catholic University (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra)
- Victoria University (Melbourne)
- Flinders University (Adelaide)
- University of Canberra (Canberra)
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.
- Western Sydney University has annual fees starting at around $32,500 for bachelor degrees and $34,800 for masters degrees.
- Australian Catholic University starts at around $33,400 for bachelor degrees and $36,600 for masters degrees. ACU can be cheaper for STEM courses.
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.

- 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.
