Key takeaways
- Macquarie is a public university in Sydney founded in 1964, CRICOS code 00002J, with more than 44,000 students from over 115 countries.
- It ranks 126 globally in QS 2027 and in Australia’s top 10 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026.
- The main campus sits inside Australia’s largest high-tech precinct of 300-plus companies, with its own metro station and an on-campus private hospital.
- Most courses require Competent English, equivalent to an overall Academic IELTS of 6.5; law, medicine and education require more. Results are valid two years.
- Indicative fees on the government course search run from about AUD 45,400 to AUD 49,300 a year depending on the program, as at September 2026.
- The Imdad track targets the world’s top 200 universities in set fields and requires a final unconditional offer; its list covers 223 universities in 15 countries.
In this article
- Where is Macquarie University, and why does the location matter?
- Macquarie University rankings
- What courses does Macquarie offer?
- How much does it cost to study at Macquarie?
- Macquarie University entry requirements
- How Macquarie relates to the Imdad scholarship track
- How to apply to Macquarie University, step by step
- Where to start
Macquarie University is a public university in Sydney founded in 1964, with more than 44,000 students from over 115 countries according to Study Australia. It sits at 126 in the QS World University Rankings 2027, and Saudi applicants most often encounter it through the Imdad (إمداد) track of the King Salman Scholarship Program.
Where is Macquarie University, and why does the location matter?
The main campus is in Macquarie Park in Sydney’s north, alongside a city campus and an online campus, per Study Australia. Its CRICOS code is 00002J — the code you use to confirm a provider is registered to take international student visa holders, via the CRICOS register.
The location is the point. The university sits inside Australia’s largest high-tech precinct, home to more than 300 companies; the campus itself covers 126 hectares, has its own metro station and an on-campus private hospital, and has attracted over AUD 1 billion in investment, per the same source. In practice, the distance between your lecture and a company you might intern with is short.
That precinct was the focus of what KD posted on X on 27 September 2019, describing the university as sitting "in the heart of Australia’s largest business and advanced technology precinct."
Macquarie University rankings
Rankings matter to Saudi scholarship applicants specifically, because Ministry of Education tracks are built on institution lists. The headline figures as at September 2026:
| Ranking | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | 126 globally | Study Australia |
| Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 | Top 10 in Australia | Study Australia |
| QS 2027 – graduate outcomes and employer reputation | 10th in Australia | Study Australia |
The practical reading: the university sits inside the global QS top 200 band, which is the band the Imdad track builds its list on.
What courses does Macquarie offer?
The university offers more than 150 degrees per Study Australia, of which 187 programs appear as open to international students on the Australian Government course search.
The fields Saudi students ask about most:
- Computing and artificial intelligence, such as the Master of Information Technology in Artificial Intelligence.
- Business, accounting and finance, including double degrees such as the Bachelor of Commerce with a Bachelor of Psychology.
- Health sciences, including the Bachelor of Chiropractic Science.
- Law and environment, through five-year double degrees.
Before you settle on a course, match its name against the approved discipline list for your application year on your scholarship track. Tracks specify fields, not just institutions.
How much does it cost to study at Macquarie?
Fees are set per program, not per university. These examples appear on the Australian Government course search as at September 2026:
| Program | Duration | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|
| Master of Information Technology in Artificial Intelligence | 2 years | about AUD 46,300 per year |
| Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Psychology | 4 years | about AUD 45,400 per year |
| Bachelor of Environment and Bachelor of Laws | 5 years | about AUD 47,300 per year |
| Bachelor of Chiropractic Science | 3 years | about AUD 49,300 per year |
| Graduate Diploma of Environment | 1 year | about AUD 46,900 |
To tuition, add the student visa (subclass 500) charge of AUD 2,500 since 1 July 2026 per Study Australia, plus health cover and accommodation. Check your own program page on the university site before you build a budget — fees are reviewed annually.
Macquarie University entry requirements
Entry has two halves: academic and English.
English language requirements
Macquarie requires Competent English for most undergraduate and postgraduate courses, equivalent to an overall Academic IELTS of 6.5, while courses such as law, medicine and education require Proficient or Advanced English above that level, per Macquarie’s English language requirements page. Test results are valid for two years and must still be valid when your program commences.
Academic requirements
For postgraduate entry the university requires a bachelor degree from a recognised institution considered equivalent to an Australian bachelor degree; some courses additionally require prior study or work experience in a related area, or a higher qualification such as an honours bachelor, per the academic entry requirements for international students. For undergraduate entry, the university publishes specific entry scores for secondary qualifications from more than 60 countries — look up Saudi Arabia on that list rather than estimating.
How Macquarie relates to the Imdad scholarship track
Imdad (إمداد) is one of four tracks listed on the King Salman Scholarship Program site, alongside Arruaad (الرواد), Research and Development, and Waaid (واعد). The Ministry of Education describes Imdad as sponsoring study at the world’s top 200 universities and institutes in fields of high labour-market demand, at bachelor’s and master’s level, and the page lists 223 approved universities across 15 countries and eight discipline areas, with on-campus study mode only.
The condition that trips applicants up is that the offer must be a final, unconditional offer issued by the admissions office of a university on the track’s list, per the same page. A conditional offer tied to language study is not sufficient in an English-speaking country like Australia.
The program’s general conditions add that the applicant must be a Saudi national, must not exceed 30 years of age for a bachelor’s degree (with the Arruaad track excepted), and must study full-time and reside in the country of study.
On X on 18 February 2023, KD invited students to meet a Macquarie University representative and described it as "one of the universities of the Imdad scholarship track in Australia." These lists are updated annually, so confirm the approved university list for your own application year on the track page before you rely on it.
How to apply to Macquarie University, step by step
The order that saves you time and rework:
- Choose the discipline from your track’s list first, then find a matching Macquarie program on the Australian Government course search.
- Check the program’s CRICOS code on the CRICOS register to confirm it is registered for international student visa holders.
- Read the English score for your specific program, not a general figure, and book IELTS early — results take time and are valid for two years.
- Prepare certified translations of your academic documents: transcript, testamur and graduation letter for postgraduate applications.
- Lodge the admission application well before your intended intake, because a final unconditional offer goes through a review that takes weeks.
- Once the offer arrives, begin the visa process and lodge your scholarship application on the Safeer portal if you are applying through a scholarship track.
Most Australian programs start in February and July, and some open a third intake. Confirm your program’s start date on its own page before booking a language test, because the whole sequence is built backwards from that date.
Where to start
Start with the program, not the university: pick a discipline from your track’s list, confirm Macquarie appears on that track’s list for your year, check the English score your specific program requires, and apply early, because a final unconditional offer takes time. The order of stages is set out in our process steps, and the other tracks are covered in the guide to Saudi scholarship programs.
At KD International we help you choose the program and prepare your admission file, and the admissions service is free for students seeking to enrol in scholarship-program disciplines at universities approved by the Ministry of Education. Start with the application form or contact us.
Frequently asked questions
It ranks 126 globally in the QS World University Rankings 2027, sits in Australia’s top 10 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, and ranks 10th in Australia for graduate outcomes and employer reputation, per Study Australia.
Postgraduate entry requires a bachelor degree from a recognised institution considered equivalent to an Australian bachelor degree, and some courses require prior related study or work experience. For undergraduate entry, the university publishes entry scores for secondary qualifications from more than 60 countries.
Most undergraduate and postgraduate courses require Competent English, equivalent to an overall Academic IELTS of 6.5, while law, medicine and education require a higher level. Results are valid for two years and must be valid when the program commences.
It varies by program. On the Australian Government course search as at September 2026, the Master of IT in Artificial Intelligence is about AUD 46,300 a year, the Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Psychology about AUD 45,400, and the Bachelor of Chiropractic Science about AUD 49,300.
KD described it as one of the Imdad track’s universities in a post on X dated 18 February 2023. Approved lists are updated annually, and the Ministry of Education’s Imdad page lists 223 approved universities across 15 countries, so check the list in force for your application year.
Not in English-speaking countries. The Ministry of Education requires a final unconditional offer issued by the admissions office of a university on the track’s list; an offer conditional on language study is only permitted for countries where English is not the language of instruction.
In Macquarie Park in Sydney’s north, inside Australia’s largest high-tech precinct with more than 300 companies. The campus covers 126 hectares and has its own metro station and private hospital, alongside a city campus and an online campus.
The university offers more than 150 degrees, of which 187 programs appear as open to international students on the Australian Government course search as at September 2026.
Official sources
- Macquarie University – provider profile — Study Australia (Australian Government)
- Courses at Macquarie University — Study Australia (Australian Government)
- English language requirements — Macquarie University
- Academic entry requirements for international students — Macquarie University
- مسار إمداد — وزارة التعليم – برنامج خادم الحرمين الشريفين للابتعاث
- المسارات — وزارة التعليم – برنامج خادم الحرمين الشريفين للابتعاث
- الشروط العامة للابتعاث — وزارة التعليم – برنامج خادم الحرمين الشريفين للابتعاث
- Student visa (subclass 500) — Study Australia (Australian Government)
- CRICOS – Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students — Australian Government Department of Education
Ready to start?
KD International helps you choose a university, prepare your admission and visa file, and answers your questions about Saudi scholarships and studying in Australia. Apply now or message us on WhatsApp.
Last updated: 14 September 2026. Fees and requirements change; always confirm with the official source before deciding.
