Are you feeling overwhelmed trying to decide which country is the right option to study abroad ? A lot of what makes a destination the right one for you depends on you. Your preferences and needs will help you decide between top study abroad destinations like Australia and the UK. With these two destinations seeing huge numbers of Indian students every year, here’s how the best consultancy to study abroad says they compare.
Quality of Education
Rankings aren’t everything, but they can be quite revealing when highlighting the consistency of academic quality in a country. In the UK, 89 universities make it on the QS World University Rankings 2024. These include the #2 and #3 spots, which the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford hold respectively. According to THE World Rankings, this number is even higher – hitting 164 entries in total.
Out of Australia’s 41 universities, meanwhile, 38 secure a spot on the QS World University Rankings. This speaks volumes about why study in Australia is as popular as it is among international students. The University of Melbourne, UNSW, and the University of Sydney land in the global top 20 of the world’s best.
This gives you an idea of just how world-leading a program at a university in either the UK or Australia is. You will be confident that you will receive the best higher education has to offer in either destination. To explore the right opportunity for you, attending university fairs or speaking with the best consultancy to study abroad near you is a good place to start!
Career Focus of Programs
Your career is one of the biggest factors driving your decision to study abroad. It is wise then, to consider the growth sectors and in-demand job roles in both destinations to consider career-focused programs.
In Australia, some of the biggest sectors seeing high demand include health & social care, science, technology, engineering & mathematics (STEM), construction & trade, and education. Some of Australia’s most popular programs align with these demands.
In the UK, meanwhile, in-demand industry sectors include Law, Business & Management, Social Sciences, Computing, and Engineering & Technology.
The best consultancy to study abroad will be able to point you towards the best programs relevant to these growth sectors!
Part-Time Work Opportunities as a Student
In the UK, student visa holders can work 20 hours part-time per week, and full-time over semester break. In Australia, students can work up to 24 hours per week (48 hours per fortnight) as of 2023.
Experiential Learning Opportunities as a Student
Universities in both Australia and the UK offer programs that include internships and work placements as part of the curriculum. In these programs, you will supplement classroom learning with real-life work experience. Universities will typically help you find a placement within your field, leveraging their professional networks. By aligning your theoretical learning with first-hand real-world learning, you have the benefit of graduating with experience and professional networks under your belt.
Post-Study Work Opportunities
Australia offers its international students the Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) route to continue living and working in the country after graduation. Depending on the length of your program, you can qualify for 2 to 4 years of validity for your post-study visa. If you already hold a post-study visa, you may be eligible for two additional years if you are a graduate of specific programs aligning with workforce shortages in Australia!
In the UK, you may be eligible for the Graduate visa route after program completion. This lets you continue to stay and work in the UK for 2 years (3 years if you are a PhD graduate).
Post-study visas that let you build up work experience in either country can help open up doorways to future immigration opportunities.
Cost of Studying
Things get a little tricky when comparing costs because a variety of factors come into play to determine tuition fees and living costs. Tuition fees can vary depending on the university’s size, location, ownership (public or private), and your program and study level. Cost of living can vary depending on your accommodation type, city, location in the city, lifestyle, and so on.
Undergraduate tuition fees in the UK can fall between USD $14,500 to USD $48,000 annually. For postgraduate students, this is between USD $11,500 and USD $38,000 annually. In Australia, tuition fees for undergraduates can go between USD $22,750 and USD $62,000 per year. Graduates can expect tuition fees between USD $4,120 and USD $58,300 per year. These spectrums are quite broad because factors like program and university can impact fees. For example, programs in dentistry and veterinary sciences will tend to be much more costly than a bachelor’s degree in community development.
For living costs, the UK government requires international students to show proof of funds of £1,334 (around USD $1,700) per month for nine months in London. Outside London, this falls at £1,023 monthly (around USD $1,300). In Australia, you will need to show savings amounting to at least AUD $24,505 a year (USD $16,200 approximately) for living costs.
Rounding Up
Both Australia and the UK have plenty going for them as study abroad destinations. If you are caught between the two, thorough research, attending education fairs to meet university representatives, and consulting the best consultancy to study abroad near you are great resources to help you decide! Contact Gradstar Global if you are looking for a shortlist personalizing your options to your needs!
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