Adelaide

Adelaide for students

Adelaide joins Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth and Gold Coast as one of seven Australian entries in the QS Best Student Cities 2019.

The city’s 15 place rise in the rankings this year is a reflection of the nation’s high quality of living, large and diverse student population and highly ranked universities.

This leap in the best student cities table is helped by an increase in almost all of the indicators; most notably the student view indicator, where the city has climbed an incredible 38 places and is now in the top 20!

Three universities based in Adelaide are featured in the QS World University Rankings® 2020, all within the world’s top 450: the University of Adelaide, University of South Australia and Flinders University. 

Are you studying in Adelaide? Rate your experience, and find out why one student said Adelaide was actually ‘radelaide’.

Best universities in Adelaide - QS Best Student Cities ranking: 26^th

More about Adelaide

To find out how each of the above categories is calculated, view the methodology.

Why study in Adelaide?

Easy to get around

The city is easy to navigate and has an excellent transport system in place, with buses, trains and trams.

Plenty of local restaurants to try the local food and drink

The city is located near to Australia’s biggest wine regions and also produces excellent beer. You can try these, along with the city’s excellent food, in the many bars and restaurants, located around Adelaide.

Affordable living costs

Despite its high tuition cost, Adelaide is much more affordable in terms of rent and living costs than several other Australian cities, including Melbourne.

Vibrant atmosphere

With local fresh food markets, to beautiful beaches, to museums and parkland, there’s always something going on in Adelaide. This gives the city a vibrant and effervescent feel to those who are lucky enough to study there. 

Cost of studying in Adelaide

As with most cities in Australia, tuition fees in Adelaide are on the more expensive side, averaging around US$24,600 per year. As a result, Adelaide ranks a modest 98^th for affordability.

Despite these high tuition costs, Adelaide’s living costs are a lot more affordable than other Australian cities. For example, you can expect a one-bedroom apartment in Adelaide’s city center to cost around A$1,360, according to Numbeo. This is nearly 30 percent cheaper than the same apartment in Melbourne’s city center. 

Life and culture in Adelaide

Australia’s fifth-largest city, Adelaide is located on the south coast, and is known for its attractive wide boulevards, open spaces, parklands and easily navigable city center.

As well as being close to beautiful beaches and islands, the city is also within easy reach of the Adelaide Hills, great for hiking, cycling, wildlife-watching, or sampling some of Australia’s best wines close to the vineyards where they’re produced.

Back in town, there’s also plenty to explore, from watching a cricket match at the Adelaide Oval, to partying at one of the festivals hosted here each year (many during ‘Mad March’) – or simply enjoying the atmosphere at a café in one of the central squares.

Career in Adelaide

Adelaide can be a tough place for graduates to secure jobs, due to the competitiveness of the South Australian job markets and the limited number of entry level roles available. Evidence of a job offer is usually required before you can obtain the relevant work permit to live and work in the city.

For those who manage to secure one of Adelaide’s highly sought-after roles, the city is a great place to live and work, with excellent weather and a great standard of living. 

Major industries in Adelaide include the defense industry, healthcare, retail, manufacturing and production.