University of Adelaide

• Year of foundation: 1874
• Location: Adelaide, Australia
• Age of students: 17+
• Number of students: 27357
• Type of study: mixed
• Type of accommodation: residence
• Language of instruction: English.

University of Adelaide is the prestigious, third of the country's oldest universities, founded in 1874. The university has 6 campuses and is represented by 5 faculties in South Australia:

• Faculty of Engineering, Computer, and Mathematical Sciences (ECMS)
• Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
• Faculty of arts
• Faculty of the professions
• Faculty of Sciences.

University reputation:

• The university is part of the Group of Eight - an association of eight leading faculties of Australia
• The Australian university is included in the oldest international association of universities Association of Commonwealth Universities
• He is a member of the Sandstone universities association, representing prestigious Australian universities that were founded in the colonial era.
• Five graduates of the university became Nobel laureates
• The university made a significant contribution to the development of Australian society, releasing brilliant politicians, businessmen and artists
• The world owes the university such discoveries as penicillin, Wi-Fi, the first military tank and the development of space exploration tools.

Why do applicants choose UA?

1. A young specialist can gain practical knowledge in several research areas.
2. Financial injections from the government and grants from large corporations.
3. The scientific vectors of the university are very different and work in 40 directions.

Unique facts

1. This educational institution was able to make a discovery regarding the cognitive abilities of animals - it had a huge impact on several areas of the scientific world at once:

• natural Sciences
• information Technology
• food production
• winemaking.

2. Scientists from the University of Adelaide were able to establish a connection between the child’s addiction to sweet food and the taste preferences of the mother.
3. The walls of the university educated the famous astronaut S. Thomas.

Kevin McDonnell

Specialist in International Students of the University of Sussex

Is it difficult for talented students to obtain scholarships? What kind of financial aid is typically available?

Scholarships are available but tend to be modest. They are often awarded for academic or extracurricular excellence. Typically, scholarships offer a discount on tuition or other benefits, with full scholarships covering most costs being rare and highly competitive.

Study at Adelaide University combines a lecture format with practical laboratory work, seminars, field research, and clinical placements. Students of the College of Natural Sciences participate in real research projects and scientific publications together with professional research teams.

Academic management is handled through the student portal myAdelaide, and enrollment — through the myEnrolment system. Student Assist support is available by phone on weekdays from 8:30 to 18:00, for students in 100%-online programs — until 21:00 on weekdays and from 9:00 to 17:00 on weekends. IT support operates 24/7.

Online courses are delivered in four 10-week or six 6-week blocks throughout the year; all content is available before the period begins. Online students are assigned a personal advisor for the entire period of study, all exams for such programs are conducted remotely.

All degrees include opportunities for internships, practical placements, and international exchange. In a semester exchange, the student retains enrollment at Adelaide University, pays tuition here, and the host university waives their fees. The workload abroad is from 18 to 24 credit units. PostBac students have access to the Graduate Research & Innovation Training (GRIT) program — seminars and training sessions for professional development.

The academic structure of Adelaide University includes six colleges covering more than 400 programs across 22 disciplines.

• College of Business and Law — Schools of Accounting and Finance, Economics, Law, Management, Marketing; Adelaide Business School; MBA and Executive Education programs; 8 research centers, including the Institute for International Trade and the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute.
• College of Creative Arts, Design and Humanities — Elder Conservatorium of Music (est. 1898), School of Performing Arts, School of Architecture and Environment, School of Art and Design, School of Communication, Media and Journalism, School of Humanities; Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music (CASM).
• College of Education and Social Sciences — programs in education, social work and related disciplines.
• College of Engineering and Information Technology — aviation, civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, environmental and biomedical engineering, computer science, construction management; Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML), Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources.
• College of Health — Schools of Allied Health and Human Performance, Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Midwifery, Public Health. Training includes clinical and field placements. Adelaide Health Simulation — the most technologically advanced medical simulation center in Australasia.
• College of Natural Sciences — physics, chemistry and earth sciences; mathematical sciences; biological sciences; zoological and veterinary sciences (the only veterinary school in South Australia); agriculture, food technology and viticulture.

Qualification levels: Undergraduate Certificate (6 months), Diploma (12 months), Associate Degree (2 years), Bachelor (3 years), Graduate Certificate (6 months), Graduate Diploma (1 year), Master's (1–2 years), PhD / Master of Philosophy / Master of Research.

Preparation programs:

• Foundation Studies, UniStart (6 months, 100% online, free of charge).
• Short-term Learning Futures courses are available in person and online.
• Study Abroad and Exchange programs allow students to spend one or two semesters with credit transfer to their home university degree.
• University Senior College is also available — a secondary school (years 10–12) in the city center.

Online programs cover psychology, criminology, accounting, business, IT, law, healthcare, engineering, media, mathematics and data science, property management.

Adelaide University is among the world's leading research universities with a history of over 180 years.

Rankings (2026)

• 82nd in the world (8th in Australia) — QS World University Rankings 2026,
• 133rd in the world (7th in Australia) — THE World University Rankings 2026,
• Top 100 in «Education» (89th place THE 2026), «Medicine and Health» (91st place THE 2026), «Computer Science» (96th place THE 2026),

Scientific Achievements

• Researchers from the physics faculty participated in the discovery of gravitational waves.
• Scientists are known worldwide for their work in drought resistance, particle physics, DNA technologies, and plant breeding.
• Since 2019, South Australian NCRIS facilities have supported around 6,223 collaborations with researchers and 670 with industry partners.
• The university employs more than 5,000 researchers, and the partner network includes more than 7,000 colleagues.
• The contribution to the Australian economy is estimated at $4.7 billion AUD per year.

Unique Firsts

• The School of Art and Design — the birthplace of the world's first Bachelor of Design degree.
• The Roseworthy campus was founded in 1883 as Australia's first agricultural college.
• Among the alumni are five Nobel Prize laureates and the first Australian astronaut, as well as numerous Olympic Games participants.

• The local name of the university, Tirkangkaku, means «Place of Learning» in the Kaurna language. It is the first university in Australia to enshrine an indigenous name in founding legislation.
• Adelaide ranks 9th in the EIU 2025 Global Liveability Index, has been recognized as Australia's happiest city (Happy City Index 2025), and ranks 28th in the QS 2025 Best Student Cities ranking.
• Adelaide — is the world's only planned park city: the Adelaide Park Lands ring completely encircles the city centre.
• Koalas can be found on the Magill campus.
• The Waite campus includes Australia's largest teaching winery and an Arboretum (27 hectares, approximately 2,500 specimens of more than 800 plant species): it is home to the highest concentration of agriculture and viticulture experts in the Southern Hemisphere.
• The Mawson Lakes campus is home to the Adelaide Planetarium, and the adjacent Technopark brings together the world's leading space, technology and defence companies.
• Adjacent to Adelaide City Campus East is the Lot Fourteen precinct, home to the offices of major technology companies and the Australian Space Agency; to the west lies Adelaide BioMed City, the Southern Hemisphere's largest health and biomedical cluster.
• The university operates an extensive network of community clinics: dental, physiotherapy, psychology, legal, tax, mathematics, marketing and others, where students gain practical experience under the supervision of professionals.
• The MOD. museum (Museum of Discovery) — is Australia's leading museum of the future at the intersection of science, art and innovation.
• The ReAL Innovation model (Research-engaged Action Laboratories) is actively developing — physical hubs for bringing together researchers, industry and local communities.
• The university has 7,000+ industry partnerships and has developed 21 business innovation growth programmes.

During the studies in Australia, students live in residences on the territory of the university and beyond:

1. University of Adelaide Village is a student residence located five minutes from the grocery market, cafeterias and Chinatown. Cost of living:

• Room with shared bathroom (in the town house) - 13520 $ AUD
• Room with private bath - 14820 $ AUD
• A room in an apartment with a private bathroom - 13520 $ AUD.

2. Mattanya Student Residences is a university-owned residence in the northern part of the city. Comfortable residences are located 15 minutes from the North Terrace campus and 5 minutes from cafes and restaurants.

• A room with a shared bathroom (in a townhouse) - 12480 $ AUD.

3. Roseworthy Residential college accommodation is great for students who study at the University of Roseworthy campus.

• Room with shared bathroom (in the townhouse) - 7750 $ AUD.

Facilities:

• All rooms are equipped and furnished.
• The residence has common recreation areas, a library, shops, a cafe, a pool and sports grounds
• Meals are not included in the price.

Popular sports sections:

1. Athletics
2. Tennis
3. Lacrosse
4. Football
5. Volleyball
6. Water skiing
7. Table tennis
8. Taekwondo
9. Gymnastics
10. Basketball.

• The scale of scientific developments is primarily related to food technology. University scientists are studying the links between food and the occurrence of diseases,
• Multinational composition of students: about 25% of students are foreign citizens from 100 different countries.

The main building of the University of Adelaide (UA) is located directly in Adelaide, and five others are scattered at different points in South Australia.

University arrangement:

• Modern audiences
• Research centers
• Laboratories
• Libraries
• Pool
• Wireless Internet
• Sports grounds
• The university is equipped with everything necessary for people with disabilities.

The university offers foreign students good scholarships:

• For outstanding academic performance, the university awards Global Citizens Scholarship– a 15% -30% discount on the full cost of tuition
• Global Academic Excellence Scholarship is another scholarship that students with the best academic performance receive (up to 50% on tuition)
• High school graduates who brilliantly graduate from high school can apply for Higher Education Scholarship, which is automatically awarded to the best students
• If your close relative is studying at the University of Adelaide, you can get up to 25% discount on tuition (Family Scholarship).

Adelaide University aims to take first place in Australia for graduate employment. The alumni network already numbers more than 430,000 people from 150 countries — one of the largest in Australia. Among the graduates are five Nobel Prize laureates, the first Australian astronaut, numerous Olympic Games participants, industry and public service leaders, and more than a dozen knights and dames. 

Graduates have access to career counselling, employment opportunities, discounts, professional events, and a mentoring network. Mentoring, networking, and volunteering programmes are available both during and after studies.

All degrees include opportunities for internships, practical placements, mentoring from senior company executives (the Executive Partners Program at the College of Business and Law), and international exchange — providing graduates with hands-on experience and professional connections before they receive their diploma.

Admission requirements depend on the program level and applicant status.

Bachelor's degree (international students)

• A certificate equivalent to the South Australian SACE Year 12, or at least 6 months of full-time study in an AQF 7 program, or a VET Certificate IV or higher.
• English language level: minimum 6.0 on an academic English language test (some programs require higher scores); results must be no more than 2 years old.
• Certain programs require the UCAT ANZ entrance test, an audition, an interview, or a portfolio.
• If the language level is insufficient, the ELC Pre-enrolment English Program (PEP) or General English for Academic Purposes (GEAP) preparatory program is available.

Master's degree (international students)

• A bachelor's degree or a postgraduate diploma/certificate.
• English language requirements are similar to or higher than those for a bachelor's degree.

Research degrees (PhD, Master of Philosophy, Master of Research)

• Applications are accepted at any time of year.
• Before submitting an application, written confirmation of support from a qualified research supervisor must be obtained (finding a supervisor through the university's form takes up to 4 weeks).
• If skills are insufficient — Graduate Certificate in Research Skills / Research Design.

Documents for international students

• Academic transcripts and diplomas (documents in foreign languages require official translation and certification).
• Proof of financial capacity.
• Compliance with the Genuine Student (GS) requirement.

Preparatory programs for international applicants are delivered through partners: Kaplan International College Adelaide (Foundation Studies, Degree Transfer, Pre-Master's) and Eynesbury College (Foundation Studies, Diploma, Graduate Certificate).

Adelaide University has a well-developed scholarship program for students of various categories.

Scholarships for International Students

• Global Citizens Scholarship — for outstanding academic performance; 15–30% discount on the full cost of tuition.
• Global Academic Excellence Scholarship — for students with the best academic results; up to 50% off the cost of tuition.
• Higher Education Scholarship — for those who have brilliantly completed their senior school years; awarded automatically to the top applicants.
• Family Scholarship — up to 25% discount if a close relative is studying at Adelaide University.

Most international student applications are automatically considered for a scholarship upon enrollment.

Scholarships for Research Degrees

• Adelaide University Research Scholarships (AURS) and Research Training Program Scholarships (RTPS) — for PhD and Master of Philosophy across all disciplines: a stipend for the full duration, 100% tuition fee exemption, relocation and health insurance allowances for international students.
• Three types of scholarships: Merit round (competitive), Project round (project-based), Cohort round (group-based).
• Master of Research Indigenous Scholarship and Master of Research Assistance Scholarships — applications accepted year-round.

Targeted Scholarships and Funds

• Transforming Futures — for students from rural, remote areas or in difficult financial circumstances.
• Gavin Wanganeen Scholarship — for students from indigenous communities.
• Refugee Scholarship — for students with refugee status.
• Student emergency assistance fund — for cases of illness, family tragedies, or sudden increases in expenses.
• Sports scholarships and grants for student-athletes.
• Scholarships for students from Rural, Regional and Remote (RRR) areas: remote, rural, and regional.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision