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If you think that you need to head overseas to find all the best universities, think again. Many Australian institutions are highly rated and regarded, so you should have no trouble in finding a course to suit you. Which factors should you consider? The content of the course, the university’s location (do you want to study close to home?), reputation, and fees. Here’s an overview of ten universities you might like to consider.

1. Australian National University (ANU)

The Canberra based Australian National University prioritises research, so if you’d prefer to avoid an institution that encourages students to simply regurgitate their tutor’s ideas, it could be well worth considering. As the ANU is just within the top 20 universities worldwide, you can be sure that standards are high. The university focuses on both national and international challenges.

The university has seven academic colleges offering:

  • Arts and social sciences
  • Asia and Pacific
  • Business and Economics
  • Engineering and computer science
  • Law
  • Medicine, biology and environment
  • Physical and mathematical studies
  • Indigenous studies.

2. University of Melbourne

The University of Melbourne has twice as many students as the Australian National University, although its world ranking is lower at 42. It is especially renowned for its education, accounting, psychology and medicine degrees. In fact, there are several research centres based at the university. If you want to go into politics, attending Melbourne may bode well for your future as former alumni include several Prime Ministers and governors-general.

The university offers the following bachelor degrees:

  • Agriculture
  • Arts
  • Arts Extended
  • Biomedicine
  • Commerce
  • Design
  • Environments
  • Fine Arts
  • Music
  • Oral Health
  • Science

3. University of Sydney

Ranking just below Melbourne is the University of Sydney, Australia’s oldest university (established in 1850). Graduates are considered highly employable, both in Australia and worldwide, perhaps due to the university’s emphasis on preparing students for the future. In total, there are around 58,000 students.

It offers the following departments:

  • architecture, urbanism and interaction design
  • arts and social sciences
  • business
  • education and social work
  • engineering and information technologies
  • health, medicine and dentistry
  • law
  • music
  • science, agriculture, environment and veterinary science.
  1. University of New South Wales (UNSW)

The cost of studying means that for many prospective students, their career prospects must be a priority.  The University of New South Wales understands this and focuses on preparing their students for the world of work. Also located in Sydney, the UNSW is ranked joint 46th in the world. It is a founding member of the Group of Eight, a coalition of top universities in Australia with a core focus on research, and of Universitas 21, a leading global network of research universities.

Its eight departments offer:

  • Art & Design
  • Arts & Social Sciences
  • Built Environment
  • Business School
  • Engineering
  • Law
  • Medicine

5. University of Queensland (UQ)

Ranked equal with the UNSW, the University of Queensland (UQ) is situated in Brisbane. With a wide choice of undergraduate programs, many of which can be ‘customized’ by specialized fields of study, the UQ offers considerable scope for tailoring courses to individual requirements – a draw for anyone frustrated by the inclusion of compulsory subjects in many courses. It is one of only three Australian members of Universitas 21, a founding member of the Group of Eight (Go8) universities, and a member of Universities Australia.

Its departments are:

  • Business, Economics and Law
  • Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
  • Health and Behavioural Sciences
  • Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Medicine

6.  Monash University

Monash University in Melbourne draws a substantial number of students, with a total of 70,000. It is ranked 67 in the world, and is among the top 50 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016 for accounting and finance, engineering, chemistry, law and medicine. Monash is a member of the Group of Eight.

Study areas include:

  • Art, design and architecture
  • Arts, humanities and social sciences
  • Business
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • IT
  • Law
  • Medicine, nursing.

7. University of Western Australia (UWA)

Another good choice if you are interested in a research-based university is the University of Western Australia in Perth. Although its world ranking is lower at 98, with over 75 research and training centres it is clearly a draw for this kind of degree. Indeed, the university receives about 80 % of all research funding to Western Australian universities annually.

UWA offers five undergraduate degree types and 70 different majors:

  • Bachelor of Arts
  • Bachelor of Commerce
  • Bachelor of Design
  • Bachelor of Science
  • Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours).

8. University of Adelaide

The University of Adelaide is one of the oldest universities in Australia, and ranks number 113 in the world. This is a science-based institution, with particular emphasis on subjects like health sciences, physical sciences, and information technology.  It has several campuses in the state, as well as one in Singapore. Many public officials in the state have Adelaide as their alma mater.

9. University of Technology, Sydney (UTS)

With over 37,000 students, the University of Technology, Sydney may be smaller than some but regards itself as a modern and innovative institution. Part of the Australian Technology Network, it focuses on practice-based learning. The largest faculty is the business school, with others including law, science and architecture. An interesting addition to the UTS is the recent Transdisciplinary Innovation, which will allow students to cross between fields and increase their versatility in the rapidly changing workplace.  UTS is ranked in the world in the QS Top 50 under 50 index of newer universities.

10. Macquarie University

Another Sydney option is Macquarie University with a total of 51,000 students. Ranked among the top 2 percent of universities in the world, Macquarie’s surburban campus offers an excellent choice for students who prefer to avoid city-based campuses while still enjoying top-ranked education. It offers world-class business, health and medical sciences, as well as undergraduate courses in:

  • Accounting
  • Actuarial Studies
  • Biotechnology
  • Business
  • Chemistry
  • Chiropractic
  • Commerce
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Environmental Science
  • Information Technology
  • International Relations
  • International Communications
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Psychology