Advice for students in the UAE from someone who made the same move as an international student and then worked in Australian education.
By the time most students start looking seriously, they may not have the school subjects some degrees require.
Subject choices in Year 10 and 11 decide which Australian degrees a student can apply for. A student who has not studied a prerequisite will be unable to apply for that course, or will need to study a foundation program first.
The right course, city and university for one student is rarely the one ranked highest. It depends on the student, the budget, and what happens after graduation. To see every option rather than the best known, search all 42 universities.
You can model the total cost to graduation before deciding to study abroad. Most students and parents see the real number only once they are committed, and by then changing course is expensive.
Subject choices at school decide eligibility for certain Australian degrees later on. It is cheaper to get this right early. Search courses by career to see which degrees lead where you want to go, then check their prerequisites before you choose.
A realistic group of universities and courses becomes visible here, while there is still room to change direction.
A shortlist built from the student in front of me rather than a ranking table, set against the total cost to graduation and what the degree is worth afterwards.
Applications, offer negotiation, the visa and accommodation, then support through the first few months in Australia. Accommodation was the hardest part of my own first months in Sydney.
Every capital city in Australia has a university. What separates them are the rankings, cost of living, weather, the size of the graduate job market and how far you will be from home.
SA · 2 universities
Also known as the 20-minute city. A compact city centre with universities in or near it.
Read more about Adelaide →
QLD · 8 universities
Subtropical and warm almost year round, and building fast ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games.
Read more about Brisbane →
ACT · 2 universities
Small and quiet, built on purpose around government and the national institutions.
Read more about Canberra →
NT · 1 university
The tropical north, closer to Jakarta than to Sydney, and the smallest of the capital cities.
Read more about Darwin →
TAS · 1 university
A deep-water harbour under a mountain, and the second oldest capital city in Australia.
Read more about Hobart →
VIC · 9 universities
The densest concentration of research universities in the country.
Read more about Melbourne →
WA · 5 universities
The closest Australian capital to the Gulf, 4 hours ahead of Dubai.
Read more about Perth →
NSW · 14 universities
The biggest graduate job market in the country.
Read more about Sydney →
The earlier we start, the more courses a student can still apply for.
A 30 minute call to hear what you are aiming for, and to work out whether I can help. No obligation either way.
I map the constraints first: education and migration policy, the budget ceiling, the academic record, and where you want to end up. The recommendation comes after that.
A few recommendations for your situation, with the reasons written down, rather than a list of options for you to sort through.
A worksheet setting the full cost to graduation against what the degree earns on the other side.
Applications, scholarships, offer negotiation, visa guidance, accommodation, and the first few months on the ground.
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I keep the practice small, and every recommendation comes with the numbers behind it.
Case note
The student had high grades but did not have the prerequisites for the course.
A Year 12 student in Dubai came to me with her parents and a shortlist of highly ranked universities. She wanted to study veterinary science, but the subjects she had chosen 2 years earlier meant she was ineligible.
We mapped a pathway that starts with a foundation program in a related field and gives direct entry into the second year of the veterinary science degree. We modelled the total cost to graduation against the original plan, and found a campus with strong graduate outcomes and a lower fee base.
Frequently asked questions about entry, English tests and intakes →
Bring your year group, the subjects you’ve chosen, and a rough budget. You will leave knowing whether Australia makes sense for you, and what to decide next.