

UK and Australia both are popular among students for higher education. Many students going to study abroad visit either of these two places. The UK is mainly popular among students for Oxford University, which ranks globally and nationally. Australia is famous for the University of Melbourne, ANU, etc. These two rank globally and nationally. Both UK and Australia provide world-class education and accommodation facilities. This confuses students, but this article might be the solution they need.
The education system differs vividly in UK and Australia. In the United Kingdom, there are five levels of education - early years, primary, secondary, Further Education (FE), and Higher Education (HE). College and university studies come under higher education and is further divided into three categories – Undergraduate, Other Undergraduate Courses, and Postgraduate.
UG courses consist of first-degree courses, first degrees with qualified teacher status, enhanced first degrees, etc. Other UG courses consist of higher education courses like diplomas, HNC, SVQ, etc.PG courses consist of higher degrees, diplomas, and certificates and are pursued after completing UG courses.
While in Australia, the education system is divided into three stages primary, secondary and tertiary. These are further divided into ten levels, from which levels after level 5 come under higher education. These levels consist of Diploma, Advanced diploma, associate degree, bachelor's degree, Bachelor Honours Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Master's degree, and Doctoral degree.
Both the UK and Australia are home to some of the top universities globally. While the UK has Oxford University and the University of Cambridge, Australia has The Australian national university and The University of Sydney.
Given below is a list of all the top universities in Australia and the UK with their QS rankings:
Australian University |
QS Ranking |
UK University |
QS Ranking |
The Australian national university |
27 |
University of Oxford |
1 |
The University of Sydney |
38 |
University of Cambridge |
2 |
The University of Melbourne |
37 |
Imperial College London |
3 |
The University of Queensland |
47 |
UCL |
4 |
The university of new South Wales |
43 |
King's College London |
7 |
Monash University |
58 |
University of Birmingham |
13 |
The university of western Australia |
93 |
University of Manchester |
6 |
The University of Adelaide |
108 |
University of Nottingham |
18 |
Macquarie University |
200 |
University of Liverpool |
26 |
RMIT university |
206 |
University of Sussex |
32 |
A student can find almost every possible course in both Australia and UK. But studying cost in the UK is way lesser as compared to Australia.
Given below is a comparison of studying costs in the UK and Australia for UG courses:
Particulars |
Undergraduate courses in the UK |
Undergraduate courses in Australia |
Average Tuition Fee |
BSc: USD 20,400 BTech: USD 20,246 BBA: USD 19,214 |
BSc: USD 19,386 BTech: USD 26,715 BBA: USD 21,640 |
Average Living Expense |
USD 6,469 |
USD 8,205 |
Duration |
3-4 Years |
3-4 Years |
Exams Accepted |
IELTS, TOEFL |
IELTS, PTE |
Given below is a comparison of studying costs in the UK and Australia for PG courses:
Particulars |
Postgraduate courses in the UK |
Postgraduate courses in Australia |
Average Tuition Fee |
MA: USD 18,931 MS: USD 20,890 MBA: USD 22,733 |
MA: USD 25,621 MS: USD 33,723 MBA: USD 115,932 |
Average Living Expense |
USD 6,469 |
USD 8,205 |
Duration |
1.5-2 Years |
1-2 years |
Exams Accepted |
IELTS, TOEFL |
IELTS, TOEFL |
The cost of living in a country depends on the average price of common groceries and the rent. Giving below is a price comparison of ordinary expenses in Australia and the UK:
Expenses |
Australia (USD) |
UK (USD) |
Rice (1kg) |
1.97 |
1.38 |
Milk (regular)(1 litre) |
1.23 |
1.14 |
Water (1.5-litre bottle) |
1.58 |
1.19 |
Monthly pass (Regular Price) |
112.20 |
81.72 |
Internet (unlimited-60mbps) |
55.83 |
0.13 |
Movie Theatre |
13.02 |
12.57 |
1 bedroom apartment outside the city centre |
1030.84 |
628.59 |
1 bedroom apartment in the city centre |
1384.86 |
942.88 |
Scholarships are an excellent approach for students to escape financial restraints while paying for their education. Both Australia and UK provide scholarships, and students need to follow a simple procedure to apply for these.
Given below is a list of all the top scholarships in the UK and Australia:
SCHOLARSHIPS IN AUSTRALIA |
SCHOLARSHIPS IN UK |
Australia award scholarship |
Charles Wallace scholarships by the British council |
ACU destination Australia international scholarship |
Euraxess UK by the British council |
Australian research training program scholarship |
Marshall scholarships |
Scholarships by Australian embassies |
Castlesmart scholarships for undergraduate students from all nationalities |
The vice chancellor's international scholarship |
Saltire scholarships |
A student needs to apply for a student visa if they wish to study abroad irrespective of the country. The best time to apply for it is right after getting the admission letter.
Given below are some essential points about student visas for UK and Australia:
The post-study work permit differs vividly in UK and Australia.
Given below are the PSWP rules for UK and Australia.
Immigration processes differs in UK and Australia. It is easier in Australia as compared to the UK.
Given below are the immigration process in UK and Australia for better understanding.
Students can get excellent job opportunities in both UK and Australia. Since both of these have some of the top companies in the world
The following firms and annual wages are listed for the United Kingdom and Australia:
Companies |
Salary per year (USD) |
ABB |
$144,575 |
OpenGamma |
$264,006 |
Rothschild & Co. |
$152,118 |
Accenture |
$104,345 |
Pheonix Group |
$96,802 |
Marlborough |
$94,288 |
Wates |
$90,516 |
Park Square Capital |
$251,435 |
Capgemini |
$91,773 |
Mercia Asset Management |
$85,487 |
Company |
Average salary per year (USD) |
AECOM |
$64,848 |
Allen |
$59,877 |
EY |
$38,057 |
Goldman Sachs |
$39,927 |
Google Australia |
$37,749 |
Herbert Smith Freehills |
$41,379 |
KPMG |
$56,021 |
PwC |
$38,632 |
ResMed |
$50,090 |
In conclusion, the UK is better for students who want to study abroad. Since it is clear from the above information that studying in the UK is way more affordable than in Australia. They can also work for a few years after graduation since getting a PGWP in the UK is not that difficult. However, if a student wants to migrate after graduation, Australia will be better.
Finally, it entirely depends on a student's needs, and it should completely be their decision.
Kickstart your academic journey now! Studying abroad could be a long and tedious process however at AECC with expert counselors your dreams can be achieved at ease. The Counsellors will guide you through every step and help you attain your goals at ease. They will assist with courses, visas, universities, and more.
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