Study in Australia for Saudi Students: Universities, Costs and Visa

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Studying in Australia has been a steady choice for Saudi students for years: universities near the top of the world rankings, a clear qualifications ladder from diploma to PhD, a Student visa (subclass 500) that allows part-time work and family members, and cities that lead the best-student-city lists. This guide brings together what you need to decide: why Australia, how the system is built, what it costs, where to study and how work rights operate.

Why is Australia the third most popular destination for Saudi students?

According to statistics from the Saudi Ministry of Education’s Scholarship Affairs Agency reported by Okaz on 3 March 2019, Australia hosted 6,694 Saudi scholarship students out of 92,997 worldwide, placing third after the United States (51,083) and the United Kingdom (14,614). These are the latest official figures published by country; check the current number with the Ministry of Education or the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission.

Three reasons keep coming up in students’ experience:

• University quality: six Australian universities sit in the world’s top 100 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, and ten in the top 200, per Study Australia on 9 October 2025.
• Saudi approval: the Ministry of Education lists 20 approved Australian universities on its Australia page within the King Salman Scholarship Program (برنامج خادم الحرمين الشريفين للابتعاث), per the Australia page as at 14 September 2026, and the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (الملحقية الثقافية) serves scholarship students from Canberra (16 Watson St, Turner ACT 2612).
• Quality of life: Melbourne ranks fifth and Sydney sixth in the QS Best Student Cities 2026, as reported by on 15 July 2025.

KD International, the Saudi-Australian education consultancy founded in 2015 with offices in Riyadh and Sydney, says it hosted the Australian Universities Forum in Riyadh in 2023 and 2024 with the Australian Ambassador in attendance, along with meetings with representatives of Monash, Macquarie, Wollongong, Sydney and Torrens universities. A video the company shared on 29 February 2020 collected key information for students heading to Australia; some of it has changed since then, and this guide gives the current figures.

How is the Australian qualifications system built, and how long does each degree take?

Every Australian qualification sits within the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), a ten-level framework that makes qualifications recognisable to employers and universities in Australia and abroad, per Study Australia. Typical durations, as described on the same page:

Qualification	Typical duration	Leads to
English language (ELICOS)	5 to 60 weeks depending on level	Academic entry or the visa English score
Foundation year and pathway diploma	About one year	First or second year of a bachelor degree
Vocational education and training (VET)	1 to 4 years	A trade or profession, or a pathway to university
Bachelor degree	3 years, 4 with Honours	Master degree or employment
Master degree	1 to 2 years	PhD or employment
Doctoral degree (PhD)	3 years plus a review period	Research and academia

Two points matter for scholarship students: an Australian master degree may be by coursework or by research, and students in a master by research or a doctoral degree have no work-hour limit, per the Department of Home Affairs. The academic year has two semesters, the first starting in February or March and the second in July or August, and Study Australia describes intakes as "generally March" with mid-year starts available. The sequence from admission to departure is laid out on our practical steps page.

Which are the best universities in Australia, and how are they ranked?

These are the ten highest-ranked Australian universities in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 as published by THE on 9 October 2025, with a note on whether they appear on the Saudi Ministry of Education’s Australia list:

University	City	THE 2026	On the Ministry of Education list
University of Melbourne	Melbourne	37	Yes
University of Sydney	Sydney	53	Yes
Monash University	Melbourne	58	Yes
Australian National University	Canberra	73	Yes
UNSW Sydney	Sydney	79	Check the current list
University of Queensland	Brisbane	80	Yes
University of Adelaide	Adelaide	133	Check the current list
University of Technology Sydney	Sydney	145	Yes
University of Western Australia	Perth	153	Yes
Macquarie University	Sydney	166	Yes

In the QS World University Rankings 2026, Melbourne placed 19th, UNSW 20th, Sydney 25th, ANU 32nd and Monash 36th, with nine Australian universities in the top 100, as reported by Information Age on 7 April 2026. Rankings matter for Saudi scholarship tracks: the Arruaad Track (مسار الرواد) requires admission from the world’s top 30 institutions on the program’s list, and the Emdad Track (مسار إمداد) targets the top 200 universities in specified fields, per the Ministry of Education. We explain the first in our article on the Arruaad Track scholarship, and all tracks in our guide to Saudi scholarship programs.

How much does it cost to study and live in Australia?

Tuition varies widely between universities and disciplines. Study Australia notes that international fees "vary across cities and programs" and points to its course search for actual fees. The practical rule: take the figure from the course page on the university website or from the CRICOS register, because that is the figure your visa and financial guarantee will be built on.

Living costs have an official benchmark. For the Student visa, the Department of Home Affairs requires evidence of funds for 12 months of living costs of AUD 29,710 for the student, AUD 10,394 for an accompanying partner and AUD 4,449 for each child, plus school costs of at least AUD 13,502 a year for each school-age child, the first 12 months of course fees, and AUD 2,000 for travel, as at 14 September 2026. The Department itself warns that this is a visa minimum and that "actual living costs vary throughout Australia. They may be much higher than what you need for the visa."

What other costs should I budget for?

Item	Amount	Source and date
Student visa application charge (main applicant)	From AUD 2,500	Department of Home Affairs, from 1 July 2026
Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) charge after graduation	AUD 5,750	Study Australia, from 1 July 2026
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)	Varies by insurer and length of cover	PrivateHealth.gov.au

Saudi scholarship students have tuition, living costs, insurance and airfares covered according to their sponsor’s regulations; the Cultural Scholarship Program, for example, describes its scholarship as "full, covering tuition, the financial guarantee, living expenses for the student and one companion, health insurance and airfares", per the Cultural Scholarship Platform. Self-funded students need a financial plan for the full first year before applying for the visa. KD International states that it has a partnership with Jeel Pay for tuition instalments; check the current terms when you register.

Which cities are best for study, and why?

Many families choose the city before the university. Here is what official sources say about the cities that host universities approved by the Saudi Ministry of Education:

City	State	Universities on the Ministry of Education list	What stands out
Sydney	New South Wales	Sydney, Macquarie, UTS, Australian Catholic University, Western Sydney	6th in the QS Best Student Cities 2026
Melbourne	Victoria	Melbourne, Monash, RMIT, Deakin, Swinburne	5th in the same ranking
Brisbane	Queensland	Queensland, Griffith, QUT	Three approved universities in one city
Perth	Western Australia	Western Australia, Curtin	Smaller time difference with Saudi Arabia than the eastern cities
Canberra	Australian Capital Territory	Australian National University	Home of the Cultural Mission and the Embassy
Adelaide, Wollongong, Newcastle and others	Various	Flinders, Wollongong, New England, Charles Sturt, Charles Darwin	Smaller, quieter cities

The university list comes from the Ministry of Education, and the city ranks from citing QS on 15 July 2025. Study Australia publishes a cost of living calculator that compares cities; use it before you decide. For housing, KD International works with Scape student accommodation and offers accommodation assistance among its services.

What is the Australian student visa, and what are its core requirements?

The Student visa (subclass 500) is a temporary visa to study for up to 6 years in line with your enrolment, per the Department of Home Affairs as at 14 September 2026. Its core requirements:

1. A Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) in a full-time CRICOS-registered course.
2. Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) starting from the day you arrive.
3. An approved English test result: IELTS 6.0 or equivalent for direct entry, with lower scores when an English or Foundation program is packaged.
4. Evidence of funds for the first year at the figures above, or a parent’s or partner’s annual income of at least AUD 87,856.
5. The Genuine Student requirement, answered in the application form with no more than 150 words per question.
6. A health examination and the character requirement.

Foreign government scholarship students are processed in Priority 1, which the Department aims to commence within 1 to 4 weeks of lodgement, per the processing priorities page. For context, the Student visa refusal rate reached 24.2% in June 2026 compared with 7.9% in June 2016, per ABC News on 9 September 2026, with weak justification for studying in Australia and the Genuine Student requirement among the main reasons; the application deserves care, not haste.

How many hours can a student work in Australia?

Student visa holders may work up to 48 hours a fortnight while their course is in session, with no limit during scheduled course breaks, and no cap at all for students in a master by research or a doctoral degree and their families, per the Department of Home Affairs. Study Australia confirms that work can start once the course begins and that international students have "the same protections at work as anyone else working in Australia". The Department is explicit that students "should not rely on work to support yourself or your family while in Australia": part-time work is a supplement, not a foundation. Scholarship students should also check their sponsor’s regulations on work. For internships and cooperative training, KD International lists practical training and co-op placements among its services.

Can I bring my spouse and children?

Yes. A partner and unmarried children under 18 can be included in the same visa application or apply later as subsequent entrants, per the Department of Home Affairs, provided all family members are declared in your application even if they will not travel; otherwise they lose eligibility to join you later. Each family member needs OSHC, and school-age children must attend school, with fees payable at both public and private schools, per Study Australia, plus at least AUD 13,502 a year per child added to the financial evidence. Start researching schools and childcare early; waiting lists are common.

Steps to start studying in Australia

1. Decide on the degree and major, and confirm the university is approved by your sponsor if you are a scholarship student.
2. Sit your English test at an approved centre; at-home tests are not accepted for the visa.
3. Apply to 2 or 3 CRICOS-registered universities and secure an unconditional offer.
4. Accept the offer, pay the first instalment and receive your CoE.
5. Arrange OSHC for yourself and your family from the date of arrival.
6. Lodge the visa application in ImmiAccount with a complete file: CoE, English result, financial evidence, Genuine Student answers, health examination.
7. Register on the Safeer portal with the Cultural Mission if you are a scholarship student, and arrange housing before you travel.

Summary

Australia combines globally ranked universities, a clear qualifications ladder and safe cities, but its numbers change every year: the visa charge rose in July 2026, and the financial evidence and work caps are precisely defined. Take the figures from their sources at the time you apply, and have the file ready at least six months before your course. If you would like someone alongside you from choosing the university to finding housing, register on the application form or reach us through the contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Subclass 500 Student visa — Department of Home Affairs (Australia)
• Student visa processing priorities — Department of Home Affairs (Australia)
• Australia’s education system — Study Australia (Australian Government)
• Living and education costs — Study Australia (Australian Government)
• Work in Australia — Study Australia (Australian Government)
• Bringing your family — Study Australia (Australian Government)
• Student Visa Application Charge increase — Study Australia (Australian Government)
• Best universities in Australia 2026 — Times Higher Education
• أستراليا | قائمة دول الابتعاث — وزارة التعليم السعودية
• «التعليم» تكشف أعداد وتخصصات الدارسين في الخارج — صحيفة عكاظ
• Australian student visa refusal rate hits 10-year high — ABC News

Last updated: 14 September 2026. Fees and requirements change; always confirm with the official source before deciding.