Australia has long been alluring to people from all walks of life looking to immigrate–and for good reason: a high standard of living, sunny weather, sandy beaches, socialised healthcare, stability, good infrastructure, and, of course, world-class higher education.
It’s no secret that higher education is big business. In 2023 alone, 786,891 international students called Australia home, many of whom will carry on to graduate, work and live here long term. The steady rise in Australian student numbers is no coincidence; universities across the country have carefully taken steps to improve and keep up with international competition without sacrificing the quality of their programmes or institutes.
World-class education
Australian universities have earned a reputation as strong competitors to other prestigious English-speaking institutions like those in the US and the UK, and for good reason, Australia has three universities in the top 20 and nine in the top 100 (by QS ranking). This success is driven by highly expert staff, a good academic reputation, a lot of research and good international recognition of Australian qualifications, among other things.
Keeping up with the big players has not been a walk in the park for a country of 26 million, but Australia’s educational institutions have managed to climb in the rankings and attract more students year after year.
In the competitive postgraduate scene, institutes offer high-quality courses ranging from a Master of Human Resource Management to scientific research, law, business, medicine and more.
Diverse course options
Whether you want to do a masters in your chosen field or a PhD, chances are one of Australia’s top institutes will have a programme for you, with over 3300 master’s degrees available across the country and hundreds of PhD programmes.
Many of these programmes are available part-time, online or mixed in-person/online, to give students flexibility. Research facilities are state-of-the-art and have led to developments like the world’s first durable artificial heart, invented by Australian Daniel Timms and implanted in Sydney. With so much research going on, students have the chance to collaborate with leading experts in their fields, enhancing their academic and professional growth.
Quality of life
Studying is important, but that’s just one component when it comes to choosing a whole new country to move to. Luckily, Australia is famous for its lifestyle, with sandy beaches, livable cities, national parks, good incomes and a highly educated population. That’s why the country consistently ranks high on quality of life indices and attracts thousands of migrants a year.
As a PhD student, you will most likely be in one of the major cities like Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne–with the latter two consistently ranking in the top ten most livable cities. The third largest city, Brisbane, is Australia’s fastest growing and will even host the Olympics in 2032.
Post-study work opportunities
Whether you are looking to stay in research or academia for the long run or want to get out into the job market ASAP, it’s important to understand how the job market looks and, most importantly, what visas are on offer.
Immigration currently lists several visas specifically for recent graduates; these allow you to stay in the country for anywhere between 18 months and 5 years, depending on a range of factors. After this, there are a range of options if you want to stay in Australia. If you found a skilled job while on a graduate visa, you may be able to get a work visa, and if your role is on the skill shortage list, your chances could improve.
Support for international students
Being properly supported is critical, especially for PhD students, and Australia offers plenty. There is a plethora of research scholarships available for international students at universities across Australia.
Money aside, there is a whole range of research programs to choose from across the country. Sites like ‘Find a PhD’ are good places to start the hunt; alternatively, you can search for programmes online or talk to researchers at your current university.
Off-campus support is also important for integration into the local community, and many areas have strong communities from a range of countries–for instance, Perth has a massive Bhutanese community with over 10,000 students from Bhutan. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane all have similar communities of Indian, Chinese, Nepali, Filipino and others.
Making the move down under
Deciding to move to a new country is daunting, but Australia has so much to offer, from sandy beaches to beautiful cities, visa options for the long term and plenty of opportunities for postgraduate study.
A growing economy in a country that counts as a continent with only 26 million people will need highly skilled graduates to drive future growth. So, whether you want to be a doctor, researcher, lawyer, teacher, scientist or surfer, why not do it the Aussie way?
