Key takeaways
- Semester 1 at Australian universities starts in February or March and Semester 2 in July, with mid-year applications usually opening in April.
- In the University of Wollongong’s 2027 calendar, lectures start 1 March and 26 July, with census dates on 31 March and 31 August.
- Breaks come in three layers: one week mid-session, four weeks between sessions, and a long break from November to February.
- Seasons are reversed: Sydney’s mean maximum is 26.0°C in January and 16.4°C in July; Brisbane’s is 30.4°C and 22.0°C, per the Bureau of Meteorology.
- Plan backwards from the session start: offer, then CoE, then a student visa charged from AUD 2,500 since 1 July 2026.
In this article
The Australian academic year opens with the calendar year, not in autumn. Semester 1 starts in February or March, Semester 2 in July, and the long break falls across December and January at the height of summer. That double reversal — calendar and weather — is what confuses students arriving from Saudi Arabia. Here it is, laid out with dates.
When does the academic year start in Australia?
Australian universities run two semesters, with some providers offering three trimesters, and courses usually start in March with mid-year entry also available, per Study Australia (as at 14 September 2026).
More precisely: Semester 1 begins in February or March, Semester 2 in July, and applications for mid-year enrolment usually open around April, per Study Australia (as at 14 September 2026). Schools run four terms and begin their year in late January or early February.
A real university calendar
These are 2027 dates from the University of Wollongong (as at 14 September 2026), a good model for what most universities publish:
| Milestone | Autumn session (S1) | Spring session (S2) |
|---|---|---|
| Orientation | Week commencing 22 February 2027 | Week commencing 19 July 2027 |
| Lectures commence | 1 March 2027 | 26 July 2027 |
| Census date | 31 March 2027 | 31 August 2027 |
| Mid-session recess | 19 to 23 April 2027 | 27 September to 1 October 2027 |
| Study recess | 7 to 11 June 2027 | 1 to 5 November 2027 |
| Exams | 12 to 24 June 2027 | 6 to 18 November 2027 |
| Release of results | 8 July 2027 | 2 December 2027 |
Watch the census date. It is the last day you can withdraw from a subject without paying for it, and the day fees fall due. Put it in your calendar in week one.
What about providers that run trimesters?
One university can run two systems side by side: sessions and trimesters. The University of Wollongong dates page for 2027 shows an Autumn session, a Spring session, an Annual session and a Summer session, plus three trimesters and non-standard sessions (as at 14 September 2026). Read the calendar for the course you were admitted to, not for the university’s name.
Some providers also open four intakes a year instead of two semesters. An official example: Torrens University main intakes for 2027 begin on 15 February, 31 May, 13 September and 1 November (as at 14 September 2026). That means more starting points, and more flexibility if an offer or a visa runs late for one of them.
When are the breaks?
Breaks come in three overlapping layers:
- Mid-session recess — one week inside each session, for example 19 to 23 April 2027 at the University of Wollongong.
- Mid-year recess — four weeks between sessions, 28 June to 23 July 2027 per the same source.
- The long break — starting after Semester 2 exams on 19 November 2027 and running to the start of the next Semester 1, roughly three months.
State public holidays sit on top. In Queensland, 2027 holidays include 1 January, 26 January (Australia Day), 26 April (Anzac Day), 3 May (Labour Day), 4 October (King’s Birthday) and 25 and 26 December, per the Queensland Government (as at 14 September 2026). Holidays differ by state, so check your own.
If you are bringing children, Queensland state school terms for 2026 run 27 January to 2 April, 20 April to 26 June, 13 July to 18 September, and 6 October to 11 December, per the Queensland Department of Education (as at 14 September 2026). School terms do not line up with university sessions, so plan for the gap early.
February or July: how to choose your intake
Both starts are valid; the difference is in what follows:
| February/March start | July start | |
|---|---|---|
| Course availability | Widest — most courses open here | Narrower; mid-year availability varies by course |
| Preparation time | Apply in the second half of the previous year | Applications usually open around April |
| Arrival | At the height of summer, after the long break | In winter, on a campus already running |
| Subject sequencing | Follows the standard first-year order | May need a different order for sequenced subjects |
Study Australia (as at 14 September 2026) advises contacting the provider to confirm whether mid-year entry is possible for your course and when to apply. The practical rule: if your field has tightly sequenced subjects, ask about the first-year order before choosing July.
Why is summer in December? The seasons, reversed
Australia sits in the southern hemisphere, so its seasons run the other way: December, January and February are summer; June, July and August are winter. The clearest proof is in the Bureau of Meteorology’s own averages:
| City | Mean max, January | Mean max, July | Mean min, July |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 26.0 | 16.4 | 8.1 |
| Melbourne | 26.8 | 14.5 | 7.5 |
| Brisbane | 30.4 | 22.0 | 10.5 |
| Perth | 31.9 | 18.0 | 8.1 |
Figures in degrees Celsius, from Bureau of Meteorology station averages: Sydney (Observatory Hill, 1859-2020), Melbourne (Olympic Park, 2013-2026), Brisbane (1999-2026) and Perth (Perth Airport, 1944-2026).
Three practical conclusions:
- Australian winter is not freezing, but in the south it is damp and long, and most homes are less heated than you would expect. Pack winter clothes even if you arrive in July.
- The gap between cities is wide: Brisbane’s winter is warmer than summer in parts of Europe, while Melbourne is the coolest of the four.
- Rainfall patterns differ: Sydney gets rain across the whole year, while Brisbane’s rain concentrates in the summer months.
How does this affect travel and applications?
The simple rule: count backwards from the session start date, not forwards from today.
- Decide which intake you are targeting — February/March or July.
- Apply for university admission months ahead; mid-year applications usually open around April per Study Australia.
- Once enrolled, a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) is issued — required for a valid Student visa (subclass 500) application per Study Australia (as at 14 September 2026).
- Lodge the visa application early; the charge is from AUD 2,500 since 1 July 2026 per Study Australia (published 3 July 2026).
- Plan to arrive before Orientation week, not before the first lecture — Orientation is where accounts are opened and systems explained.
For scholarship students the intake matters twice over: the start date appears on the final unconditional offer, and that date drives the scholarship record and allowances. To see what each track asks for, read our guide to all Saudi scholarship tracks, and the Arruaad track’s conditions and universities if you are aiming at the most demanding route.
In short
The Australian calendar makes sense once you see the flip: the year starts in February or March, turns over in July, ends in November, and the long break falls at the height of summer between December and February. In between sit a one-week recess mid-session, four weeks between sessions, and state holidays that vary by where you live.
Your step today: open your university’s key dates page and put three dates in your calendar — Orientation, the census date, and the start of exams. If you want the whole timeline mapped from offer to departure, see how we work or submit an application.
Frequently asked questions
Semester 1 starts in February or March and Semester 2 in July, per Study Australia. Schools run four terms and begin in late January or early February.
One week mid-session, four weeks between sessions (28 June to 23 July 2027 at the University of Wollongong), and a long break starting after Semester 2 exams in November and running to February.
Australia is in the southern hemisphere, so the seasons are reversed: December, January and February are summer, and June, July and August are winter. That is why the long break falls at the height of summer.
Not freezing, but damp and long in the south. July mean maximums are 16.4°C in Sydney, 14.5°C in Melbourne and 22.0°C in Brisbane, per the Bureau of Meteorology.
It is the last day you can withdraw from a subject without paying for it, and the day fees fall due. At the University of Wollongong in 2027 it is 31 March for Semester 1 and 31 August for Semester 2.
In many courses, yes. Semester 2 starts in July and applications usually open around April per Study Australia, but mid-year availability varies by course and university.
Before Orientation week rather than before the first lecture, because Orientation is when accounts are set up and systems explained. At the University of Wollongong, Orientation begins the week commencing 22 February 2027.
No. Schools run four terms — in Queensland for 2026 they begin 27 January, 20 April, 13 July and 6 October — which do not align with university sessions. Plan for the gap if you have children.
Official sources
- Australia’s education system — Study Australia
- Understanding mid-year entry — Study Australia
- Student visa (subclass 500) — Study Australia
- Student Visa Application Charge increase — Study Australia
- Session dates — University of Wollongong
- Application key dates — Torrens University Australia
- School term dates — Queensland Department of Education
- Queensland public holidays — Queensland Government
- Sydney (Observatory Hill) climate averages — Bureau of Meteorology
- Melbourne (Olympic Park) climate averages — Bureau of Meteorology
- Brisbane climate averages — Bureau of Meteorology
- Perth Airport climate averages — Bureau of Meteorology
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Last updated: 14 September 2026. Fees and requirements change; always confirm with the official source before deciding.
