Australian Courses

Read this before you plan your budget. The cost guide below is a rough guide only. It is based on the middle rent for all of New South Wales. It is not the rent for this suburb. Rents change a lot inside one city. A suburb near the centre can cost twice as much as a suburb further out. It does not tell you the price of any room, studio or apartment.

Get the real number for your postcode. Use the official rent data before you agree to anything: Rent Check — NSW Government. This is real data from your state government. It is free. It shows the rent for the exact postcode you enter.

Studying in Sydney, NSW

207 courses are taught here by 166 registered schools, across postcodes 2000, 2017.

Courses taught here207
Schools16611 government
Average feeA$19,027per year · Australia A$30,224
Cheapest courseA$1,400whole course
Campuses195
$$$$$$$$$$ Most expensive Middle rent for New South Wales · about A$650 per week

The most expensive place to rent in Australia. Plan your budget carefully. Expect to share a house. Look at areas further from the city centre with good public transport.

The scale compares Australian states: $ cheaper, $$ medium, $$$ expensive, $$$$ most expensive. Source: ABS — Latest insights into the rental market, April 2025.

What this place is like to study in

Sydney is a study area with many schools, not one large campus. 166 schools teach here. Most are colleges inside office buildings, not universities with grounds. 58% of courses here are vocational (VET). These courses are practical and hands-on. Your classmates will be a wide range of ages. Course fees here are about 37% below the national average. Over several years, this saves a large amount.

We calculate this description from the CRICOS register: the number of schools, the course levels and the registered fees. It describes study only. To learn about rent, transport and daily life here, talk to current students and ask your school.

What level people study here

LevelCoursesShare
Vocational (VET)1,420 58%
Postgraduate523 21%
Other302 12%
Undergraduate207 8%
School6 0%

Finding somewhere to live

Most international students choose one of four options. From cheapest to most expensive:

Two things to know before you sign a lease. First, the bond is usually four weeks of rent. A government office holds it, not the landlord. You get it back at the end. If someone asks you to pay a bond in cash directly to them, this is a warning sign.

Second, you usually cannot inspect a property from overseas. Book two to four weeks of temporary accommodation first. Then look at properties in person. This avoids the most common and most expensive mistake students make.

Your school's accommodation office is the best place to start. It is free. They know the area and often keep a list of checked properties.

Every course taught here

  1. A$205,9004 yr · A$51,475/yr
  2. A$210,5004 yr · A$52,625/yr
  3. A$210,5004 yr · A$52,625/yr
  4. A$210,5004 yr · A$52,625/yr
  5. A$261,3005 yr · A$52,260/yr
  6. A$267,2005 yr · A$53,440/yr
  7. A$267,2005 yr · A$53,440/yr