Choosing to Study in Australia

Set out to study in Australia and start your own academic success story. Australia has many world-class universities known around the world for their academic excellence. Its universities offer a wide range of fields, including engineering, business and medicine, so you can pursue advanced study in what interests you. Australian universities also emphasize hands-on learning, so you combine theory with real-world practice while you study, laying a solid foundation for your future career.

Australia is a place with a strong academic culture, and it is also a lively, multicultural society. You'll get to study alongside classmates from all over the world, broaden your international outlook and build friendships across cultures. On top of that, Australia offers a comfortable, safe place to study, well-equipped campuses and a high quality of life, so you can focus on your studies while enjoying a good life.

1. Cheaper than the US or UK

Normally, undergraduate and graduate tuition in Australia is about 2/3 of what it is in the US and UK. Undergraduate tuition at Australian universities averages about AUD 25,000-35,000 a year, and graduate tuition averages about AUD 28,000-40,000 a year.

2. Comprehensive public transportation

You don't need a car to study in a big Australian city, and life is still convenient and comfortable! Metro areas such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and the Gold Coast offer subways, trains, buses, trams, ferries and domestic flights. It's really convenient!

3. Almost no time difference with Taiwan

Most of Australia's big cities are on the east coast, which is only 2 to 3 hours ahead of Taiwan, and Western Australia is on the same time as Taiwan. You won't have your days and nights flipped or have to get up in the middle of the night to video call or phone family and friends in Taiwan. For all practical purposes, there's no time difference with Taiwan!

4. Direct flights and plenty of budget airlines save a lot on travel

There are daily direct flights from Taiwan to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, taking only 8-9.5 hours, and major budget airlines can get you to any big Australian city with just one connection. Round-trip tickets cost from NT$10,000 to just over NT$20,000, which saves you a lot of money!

5. Applying to study in Australia is easy, and the overall value is high!

Every year a fair share of international students go to Australia on a working holiday, to learn English or to travel, like the local environment and decide to stay on for further study. Studying a university or graduate program of two years or more also lets you apply for a 2-year work visa, stay and work there, gain overseas work experience and then qualify for a visa. What's more, nearly half of Australia's universities rank in the global top 300, so the standard of education is quite high

Applying to graduate school is also simpler than in the US. You only need IELTS or TOEFL, no GRE or GMAT, and most programs don't require recommendation letters from a professor or supervisor. You don't have to agonize over an SOP (statement of purpose) either! The admission rate is over 80%

6. A country with top-rated livable cities, low crime and great safety!

In The Economist's 2018 ranking of the world's most livable cities, which looks at crime rates, social welfare, infrastructure, education, income, happiness and more, Melbourne and Sydney came in 2nd and 5th in the world, and other cities such as Perth and Brisbane make the top 20 almost every year. Students and parents alike can feel completely at ease about studying in Australia!

7. Legal part-time work lets you earn your own living expenses

Not every country lets international students work legally to cover their living costs. The US, for example, does not allow off-campus work. Australia does allow international students to work part-time legally, with plenty of jobs and high pay. On a student visa you can legally work 20 hours a week, with no limit during holidays, so paying your own tuition and living costs is no problem!

8. 2-year work visa and skilled migration opportunities

The Australian government lets international students who complete a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree program of more than 2 years apply for the 485 work visa after graduation, valid for up to 2 years. If your field is on Australia's skilled occupation list, you may also be able to apply for skilled migration and stay in Australia.

Because Australia has had a long-term labor shortage, graduating from an Australian school will give you plenty of job options, and you'll have many chances to find your ideal job, whether in Australia or in the international market. Australian education is internationally recognized, and its degrees carry strong credibility worldwide, making your résumé stand out more in the Australian job market.