Australia is one of the most popular countries where students from all over the world wish to pursue their education due to the beautiful weather, stunning sights and spectacular beaches that are available to enjoy along with the extremely high quality of education. Australia provides a highly cosmopolitan environment for students with a great selection of world-famous universities that offer excellent academic programs. The QS Best Student Cities Rankings for 2019 further cement Australia as one of the most student-friendly countries with 6 of its major cities ranking in the top 50 worldwide. As we have been closely working with students from years, at Whizstorm, we have come across the following top cities in Australia, that have been a popular choice amongst students based on the ease of stay and the cost of study as well as primarily based out of the QS Best Student Cities Rankings 2019.

B​​​​​​​​ook A free Counseling​​

• Melbourne:

Ranked 3rd in the QS Best Student Cities Rankings, Melbourne is an extremely attractive city for international students. It is home to seven internationally ranked universities giving students a variety of premium options to choose from. Melbourne is known as the Cultural Capital of Australia due to the large number of international students from diverse cultures that the city welcomes each year. Melbourne is a city that is jam-packed with things to do so much so that students will find it difficult to run out of places to visit every week. A few famous attractions that students can visit are the Eureka Tower, the Australian Ballet Company, Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Trams and Port Phillip Bay. While studying in Melbourne can be a bit pricey, it is definitely worth it, as it offers a perfect all-round student life experience. From cafes to clubs, pubs and bars as well as museums, beaches and other natural beauty spectacles, Melbourne fulfils the entertainment requirements of all types of students. As expected from a city as developed as Melbourne, there is a robust network of transport allowing students to explore the city freely.

• Sydney:

Not far behind Melbourne, Sydney is Australia’s largest city and also a great economic and financial hub. Sydney ranked 9th in the QS Best Student Cities Ranking 2019. The Sydney Opera house is an image that is synonymous with Australia itself, and the city attracts a large number of students each year. About a quarter of the students in Sydney are overseas students, providing it a good student mix, and giving a warm and welcome feeling to international students no matter where they hail from. Sydney is also home to five universities which are ranked internationally and offer research degree programs that are recognised worldwide. Outside of studies, students also have access to a plethora of nightlife, concerts and musical events to add contrast to the museums, theatres, beaches and green spaces. However, Sydney is one of the more expensive city and rental prices have increased drastically in the past few years, owing to its increasing popularity. Consequently, this also leads to plenty of social opportunities and events that allow students to build their networks and make the most of their time.

• Brisbane:

Unlike Sydney and Melbourne which are already quite complete student cities, Brisbane is a city that is still growing exponentially in terms of student lifestyle and opportunities. In recent years, Brisbane has garnered global recognition for its student-friendly status. With an incredibly pleasant climate, natural environments and laid-back yet metropolitan culture, Brisbane is truly a unique experience for international students. It’s location near the Gold Coast also makes it a very popular tourist location with a plethora of exotic and beautiful beaches. The city’s high growth rate has enabled it to stay among the top 25 student cities worldwide despite the competitive nature of the rankings, with a latest ranking of 22nd in the QS Best Student Cities 2019 rankings. Despite being almost as pricey as Melbourne, students have a higher chance of finding affordable accommodation in Brisbane if they start a bit early.

• Canberra:

Home to the Australian National University which is the highest-ranked university in Australia (joint 29th as per the QS World University Rankings 2020), Canberra is just narrowly behind Brisbane with a rank of 23rd in the QS Best Student Cities 2019 rankings. The national capital city’s name is derived from the word “canberry” which literally means “meeting place”, and with a large and culturally diverse student population, the city does live up to its name. Although it is not blessed with any natural beaches, the city does have Lake Burley Griffin (a man-made lake in the centre of the city) and the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, the Captain James Cook Memorial and the Black Mountain Tower. As a student, the city of Canberra feels like an optimal city, being big enough to be interesting yet not so big that it feels overcrowded. Canberra is also a great city to choose for students due to the employability of graduates who have completed their education here.

• Adelaide:

Just missing out on being in the top 25, Adelaide comes in at 26thin the QS Best Student Cities 2019 rankings. The city is famous for its beautiful beaches and vineyards which also attract food enthusiasts from all over the world. Being one of the comparatively cheaper cities to live in on this list, Adelaide attracts a large and diverse population of students. Though the unpredictable climate can be a slight issue, it is one of the best cities for students that are more active, providing a wide array of recreational activities like climbing, hiking, cycling, trekking and wildlife-watching that can be done at the nearby Adelaide Hills. Though there is a reasonable amount of nightlife in Adelaide, it does not match up to the vast amount of options that bigger cities offer. Overall, Adelaide is like the best of both worlds for students who want a great student experience while still being a bit conservative with their budgets. Each city in Australia has its own charm. At Whizstorm we have studied our student preferences and our communication with them while they study and post study as well, has provided us invaluable insights. Have questions for us? Connect with us today!