Key takeaways
- UOW is a public university on the New South Wales coast south of Sydney, with 35,076 students and CRICOS code 00102E.
- It sits in the global top 200 of QS 2026 and ranks 2nd in Australia and 16th worldwide in the THE Young University Rankings.
- 87.6 per cent of its graduates secure employment within four months of graduating, per Study Australia.
- Indicative fees on the government course search start at about AUD 38,976 a year for the Bachelor of Professional Accounting, as at September 2026.
- Wollongong/Illawarra is a Category 2 designated regional area, which can give graduates an extra year on a second Temporary Graduate visa.
- The university reports that graduates who stay in Wollongong get priority processing and access to 25,000 dedicated regional visa places.
In this article
- Where is the University of Wollongong?
- University of Wollongong rankings
- What is UOW known for academically?
- Why is Wollongong associated with lower costs?
- What the regional classification means in practice
- University of Wollongong entry requirements
- Is the University of Wollongong approved for Saudi scholarships?
- How to apply to UOW
- The practical summary
The University of Wollongong (UOW) is a public university on the New South Wales coast south of Sydney, with 35,076 students and a place in the global top 200 of the QS World University Rankings 2026, per the university. Its most valuable feature for Saudi students is that Wollongong is classified as a designated regional area for migration purposes, which can give graduates an extra year of work rights.
Where is the University of Wollongong?
The main campus is in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, postcode 2522, and the university’s CRICOS code is 00102E, per Study Australia. The city is on the coast south of Sydney — a university town on a smaller scale than the capital cities.
The network is wide: nine Australian campuses including Bega Valley, Eurobodalla, Shoalhaven, the Southern Highlands and Sydney CBD, plus international campuses in Singapore, Malaysia, India and Dubai, per the university. Study Australia lists 15 locations across New South Wales.
One Saudi regulatory point matters here. The University Degree Equivalency Regulation requires study at the main campus of a recommended university, and if you intend to study at a branch you must confirm that the specific branch is recommended, per the summary of the regulation. Studying at the Dubai or Malaysia campus is not the same as studying in Wollongong.
University of Wollongong rankings
| Ranking | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|
| QS World University Rankings 2026 | Global top 200 | University of Wollongong |
| THE Young University Rankings | 2nd in Australia, 16th worldwide | Study Australia |
| THE University Impact Rankings 2025 | 31st globally | University of Wollongong |
| Subject rankings | Five subject areas in the global top 200, including law and engineering | Study Australia |
The figure that matters most to a job-seeker: 87.6 per cent of UOW graduates secure employment within four months of graduating, per Study Australia. The university reports 2,586 staff, more than 191,000 alumni from 207 countries, and an annual contribution of about AUD 1.4 billion to the national economy, per the university.
What is UOW known for academically?
The Australian Government course search lists 385 UOW programs as at September 2026. Its strongest fields by ranking are the five subject areas in the global top 200, including law and engineering, alongside research strengths in clean energy and healthcare, per Study Australia.
UOW College pathways cover business, engineering, information technology, nursing and aged care, community services, legal services and early childhood education, per Study Australia. Among the programs KD highlighted on X on 21 October 2019 was the master’s in health informatics.
Why is Wollongong associated with lower costs?
For two separate reasons that should not be conflated.
Tuition fees
Fees are set per program, not per university. These examples appear on the Australian Government course search as at September 2026:
| Program | Duration | Indicative total cost |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Professional Accounting | 3 years | AUD 116,928 (about AUD 38,976 a year) |
| Bachelor of Science – Bachelor of Arts | 4.5 years | AUD 185,976 (about AUD 41,328 a year) |
| Bachelor of Psychological Science – Bachelor of Social Science | 4.5 years | AUD 179,496 |
| Bachelor of Creative Arts (Honours) | 1 year | AUD 35,280 |
Fees are reviewed annually and the cost per credit point may change at the start of each year, so use your own program page for budgeting.
Living costs
Wollongong is a coastal city smaller than Sydney or Melbourne, which usually shows up in rent and transport. But there is no published official figure comparing its living costs with Sydney’s, so check current accommodation figures with the university and student housing providers before you build a decision on them.
Add the student visa charge of AUD 2,500 since 1 July 2026, per Study Australia, plus Overseas Student Health Cover.
What the regional classification means in practice
This is the university’s most significant regulatory advantage, and it is widely overlooked.
The Department of Home Affairs classifies Wollongong/Illawarra as a Category 2 designated regional area (Cities and Major Regional Centres), alongside Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Newcastle, Geelong and Hobart. Graduates who studied and lived in a Category 2 area may be eligible for one additional year on a second Temporary Graduate visa.
The university sets out the practical effect: an eligible graduate who stays in Wollongong benefits from priority processing, access to 25,000 dedicated regional visa places, and an expanded list of eligible occupations.
For comparison, the standard Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) runs two years for a bachelor’s or coursework master’s and four years for a doctorate, per the Department of Home Affairs. The extra year is not a small detail.
University of Wollongong entry requirements
UOW accepts results from the major international tests — IELTS, TOEFL, Pearson, Cambridge and OET — and the required score varies by program; there is no single university-wide score. The official way to check is to open your program in Course Finder, switch the student type to "International," and read the Entry Requirements tab, per the university’s English language requirements page.
For applicants who fall short, UOW College offers pathway programs into undergraduate and postgraduate degrees; it was established in 1988, per Study Australia. Note, though, that Saudi scholarship tracks require a final unconditional offer, so a pathway program may not suit a sponsored student.
Is the University of Wollongong approved for Saudi scholarships?
On X on 28 January 2025, KD described the University of Wollongong as "approved by the Ministry of Education." The decisive reference is always the approved-university list on your track’s page for your own application year.
The Ministry of Education describes the Imdad (إمداد) track as targeting the world’s top 200 universities and institutes in fields of high labour-market demand, lists 223 approved universities across 15 countries and eight discipline areas, and requires a final unconditional offer and on-campus study only. The general conditions add that applicants must be Saudi nationals and must not exceed 30 years of age for a bachelor’s degree, with the Arruaad track excepted.
How to apply to UOW
- Choose the discipline from your track’s list before you choose the university.
- Open the program in Course Finder and read the entry and English requirements as an international student, not a domestic one.
- Check the program’s CRICOS code on the CRICOS register.
- Prepare certified translations of your documents and book your language test early — results are valid for two years.
- Apply well before your intended intake; most Australian programs start in February and July.
- Once you hold a final offer, lodge your scholarship application on the Safeer portal if you are applying through a track.
The practical summary
Wollongong combines three things that rarely come together: a global top-200 university, a quieter city close to Sydney, and a regional classification that may add a year to your stay after graduation. Review our process steps and compare tracks 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
In the city of Wollongong on the New South Wales coast south of Sydney, postcode 2522. The university has nine Australian campuses and international campuses in Singapore, Malaysia, India and Dubai — but studying at an offshore branch is treated differently under the Saudi equivalency regulation.
It is in the global top 200 of the QS World University Rankings 2026 per the university, ranks 2nd in Australia and 16th worldwide in the THE Young University Rankings, and placed 31st globally in the THE University Impact Rankings 2025.
It varies by program. On the Australian Government course search as at September 2026, the Bachelor of Professional Accounting totals AUD 116,928 over three years, about AUD 38,976 a year. Fees are reviewed annually, so use your own program page.
There is no single university-wide score. UOW accepts IELTS, TOEFL, Pearson, Cambridge and OET, and the required score is published on each program’s page in Course Finder once you switch to the International student type and open the Entry Requirements tab.
The Department of Home Affairs classifies Wollongong/Illawarra as a Category 2 designated regional area. Graduates who studied and lived there may be eligible for an extra year on a second Temporary Graduate visa, with priority processing and access to 25,000 dedicated regional visa places.
KD described it as approved by the Ministry of Education in a post on X dated 28 January 2025. Approved lists are updated annually for each track, so the decisive reference is your track’s list on the Ministry site for your application year.
UOW College, established in 1988, offers pathway programs into undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, but Saudi scholarship tracks require a final unconditional offer, so a pathway may not suit a sponsored student. Check your track’s conditions before enrolling.
The University Degree Equivalency Regulation requires study at the main campus of a recommended university, and if you study at a branch you must confirm that specific branch is recommended. Verify this before enrolling, not after graduating.
Official sources
- About UOW — University of Wollongong
- University of Wollongong – provider profile — Study Australia (Australian Government)
- Courses at University of Wollongong — Study Australia (Australian Government)
- UOW College – provider profile — Study Australia (Australian Government)
- English language requirements — University of Wollongong
- Post-study work options — University of Wollongong
- Designated regional areas — Department of Home Affairs (Australian Government)
- Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) – Post-Higher Education Work stream — Department of Home Affairs (Australian Government)
- Student visa (subclass 500) — Study Australia (Australian Government)
- مسار إمداد — وزارة التعليم – برنامج خادم الحرمين الشريفين للابتعاث
- ملخّص شروط وضوابط معادلة الشهادات الجامعية — وزارة التعليم
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Last updated: 14 September 2026. Fees and requirements change; always confirm with the official source before deciding.
