1. Australia offers world-class education

For a country with a relatively small number of universities, Australia offers a truly world-class education and regularly features in global rankings.Eight Australian universities placed in the top 100 in the latest QS World University Rankings, commended on areas such as academic reputation, employer reputation and international student ratio. Several universities also featured in the Times Higher Education Rankings and the Shanghai Jiao Tong Academic Ranking of World Universities.

2. Australia is culturally diverse

Australia is one of the most culturally diverse nations in the world, with a large population of international students. This means that you will study with students from all over the world and will enjoy many of the comforts of home — from restaurants and grocers to film festivals and food fairs. Australia is also home to some of the best student cities, as revealed in the QS Best Student Citiesranking. Cosmopolitan Melbourne placed second, ahead of cities such as London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul and Singapore. Sydney came in at fourth place, with Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth not too far down the list.

3. Australia is a beautiful country with plenty to see and do

When you think about Australia, you probably imagine beautiful white sand beaches or famous landmarks like Sydney’s Opera House. What you may not know is that Australia is a wonderfully diverse country, home to just about every type of landscape — from lush rainforests to vast dry deserts. Australia also hosts a number of World Heritage sites, such as Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in the Northern Territory. You’ll enjoy long holidays as a student, which means you’ll have plenty of time to explore your new home!

4. Australia is strong in global research

Australian universities are strong in research, excelling in area such as arts and humanities, education and sciences. Australia is also a proud contributor to global research, credited for many important discoveries, such as penicillin, IVF and wi-fi. This makes Australia a great choice for international students — whether you want to learn from the best in a coursework degree or undertake your own research.

5. Australia offers great work opportunities

International students can work up to 40 hours per fortnight in Australia, which will help you pay for things like nights out with friends or short trips over holiday breaks. Students also have the opportunity to stay in Australia to work once they have graduated, taking advantage of the post-study work visa. There are also opportunities such as the Professional Year Program (PYP), which allows graduates of accounting, information technology and engineering degrees to gain experience and mentoring in an Australian workplace. Completing a PYP can assist you to gain permanent residency.