There is a total of 45 public and private universities in Australia however Australian government do not publish their rankings officially. There are several categories of universities in Australia and it is very important for students to find the right university which fits their needs and passions. The three main categories are:
Group of 8
The Group of Eight (GO8) comprises of eight world-leading and research intensive Australian Universities . These universities are often some of the oldest in Australia with a strong focus on research and development of the higher education in Australia. Due to their consistent high ranking amongst the Australian universities, they are also the favourites among the Singapore students. The members in the Group of Eight are: The University of Western Australia, Monash University, Australian National University, The University of Adelaide, The University of Melbourne, UNSW Sydney, The University of Queensland and The University of Sydney.
ATN
ATN is an acronym for Australian Technology Network, a group of five universities that are more inclined towards innovation and enterprise. They work closely with industry partners for collaborative projects to solve real-world issues, thus instilling the necessary critical thinking and problem-solving skills in the students. The members in ATN are: University of Technology Sydney, RMIT University, Queensland University of Technology, University of South Australia and Curtin University.
IRU
Innovative Research Universities (IRU) is a group of seven Australian universities characterised by their adoption of inclusive excellence in higher education and research, as their guiding principle. The IRU plays an important role in Australian university policy making, advocating policies that support the distinction in teaching, learning and research. The members of IRU include: Charles Darwin University, James Cook University, Griffith University, Western Sydney University, La Trobe University, Flinders University and Murdoch University.
However, before students can pin point which are the universities that are suitable for them, there are numerous consideration that they need to make.
The correct selection of state or city in Australia
Australia consist of six states (WA, SA, VIC, NSW, QLD, TAS) and two territories (ACT and NT). Different states are governed in similar way that reports to Federal Government however there are differences in terms of law and regulation concerning certain topics like day light savings and others. Different states do not share the same amount of population.
The affordability of the cost in terms of tuition fees and living cost
Different states and cities will have different costs of living and in most cases, the universities tuition fees are linked closely with the cost of living of the cities or even states. For example, the cost of living and tuition fee in The University of Sydney located in Sydney will be way higher than University of Tasmania in Hobart, Tasmania.
The living style and study ambience
Different states and cities have differentiation in terms of how laid back the population is when handling day to day activities. For example, most shops will be closed by 5pm in Adelaide, South Australia which is not the same in the case of Melbourne, Victoria. In terms of cities in Australia, some are more metropolitan and the others are more rural. For instance, Perth and Brisbane is very different in terms of how the city is organised.
The conditions of the surrounding environment
The temperatures and living ambience will vary greatly. Southern part of Australia will enjoy colder winter while northern part will have more humid and sunny days all year round. Other than that, some cities will have a peaceful study condition in comparison to others. For instance, there are more entertainment in Gold Coast area in comparison to Darwin in the Northern Territory.
Therefore, students must choose the state and city to live in before zooming into the course and university that they want to pursue.