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Adelaide is one of the best destination to study for International Students in Australia
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and is the fifth largest capital city in Australia, that has ranked as one of the top ten most livable cities in the world and ranked third in 2021. Adelaide is a popular destination for international students in Australia. This is because the city offers a balanced lifestyle with world-class education institutions and thriving local economy.
Adelaide is the gateway to world-famous places such as Kangaroo Island and the best wine regions in Australia including the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and the Clare Valley. Local attractions in Adelaide include the Adelaide Central Market, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Botanic Gardens, National Wine Centre and much more.
Adelaide is up to 14% more affordable to live in than other major Australian cities and has the lowest average rent in the country. With lower rent, food, and public transport costs than most major Australian cities, you’ll be able to afford more of the wonderful lifestyle that Australia has to offer.
To help you understand the costs, below is a sample student budget based on a single student living in a shared accommodation in the city.
In Adelaide, you’ll enjoy student accommodations that are affordable. Depending on the location and type of accommodation you choose, rental prices may vary. Below is a guide to housing costs in Adelaide:
As a student in Adelaide, you’ll receive significant discounts on public transport thanks to the South Australian Government concessions.
Adelaide Metro is Adelaide’s public transport system, providing cost effective and efficient travel throughout the city and the greater metropolitan area. To travel on the public transport system, you’ll need to pay for your fare using either a Metro CARD or Metro Ticket.
Tertiary students in Adelaide can enjoy unlimited travel on all bus, train and tram services with a 28-Day Pass for AUD $51.50, and primary and secondary school students for AUD $25.50.
For your convenience, Adelaide Metro also provides several free public transport options servicing the city and North Adelaide.
Adelaide is home to over 900 restaurants, pubs and cafés, and is home to the Adelaide Central Market, one of the largest undercover markets in the Southern Hemisphere.
The fertile soil of the Adelaide Plains on which Adelaide sits has always meant an abundance of fresh produce for the Adelaide café and restaurant scene. Not only is the food award winning, our chefs and restaurants are being acclaimed around the world.
World-class experiences at your fingertips in Adelaide
Adelaide is bursting with culture, flavors, events and entertainment. Taste the world-famous wine regions only minutes from the city or indulge in award-winning restaurants in the heart of Adelaide. Join the party at our immersive festivals and events or spend the night exploring Adelaide attractions and a thriving restaurant and bar scene. Adelaide is a gateway to some of Australia’s best wine country and is home to Australia's official best restaurant, hotel, wine, gin and beach, Adelaide punches well above its weight when it comes to dishing up the best
Australia has one of the world's best healthcare system in the world, and a special health insurance coverage for international students called Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).
OSHC is an insurance designed to help international students cover the costs of medical and hospital care that they may need while in Australia. If you are planning to study in Australia soon, it is important that you purchase your Australian international student health insurance prior to departing your home country. It is a condition for temporary student visa holders to maintain adequate health insurance for the duration of your visa.
Adelaide has consistently ranked in the top 10 “most livable” cities, and this is in part due to its safety record. While it is generally safe to walk around the city at night, normal safety precautions such as walking in a group and being aware of your surroundings apply. This is particularly important for when you first arrive and are adjusting to your new way of life.
Following your common sense and best practices will ensure you remain safe and healthy, whether you are handling emergencies, personal and home safety, or natural elements such as sun, water, and fire.
Australia, has a country wide emergency phone number - in case of any life-threatening emergency you can contact Police, Fire or Ambulance by dialling triple zero "000" from a mobile or land-line device.
Adelaide is a leading education city with established institutions across all areas of study, including universities that rank in the top 2% globally.
The Australian education system is world-class, designed to internationally recognised qualifications that are valued anywhere you go.
From early learning all the way through to vocational education and training (VET), higher education and university, Adelaide's institutions meet the highest standards guaranteed by the Australian Government’s Education Framework.
Adelaide's three public universities are Flinders University, The University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia. Adelaide is also home to a campus of the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University and Torrens University, a private Australian institution.
In addition to our universities, there are a number of specialist higher education institutions in that offer quality education in a range of specialist study areas such as business, hospitality, technology and more.
The universities deliver Bachelor degrees, Masters degrees, graduate certificates, graduate diplomas and more across a broad range of disciplines including business, engineering, IT, hospitality and more.
Adelaide’s vocational education and training (VET) institutions offer courses to build job-specific skills across a wide range of industries in Australia.
VET qualifications are provided by government institutions, called Technical and Further Education (TAFE), as well as a range of Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), which are regulated by the Australian Government.
Adelaide's VET institutions, including TAFE SA, provide internationally recognised qualifications, workplace experience, and the practical skills to succeed in a global marketplace. This means course content is relevant to current and future industry needs, and you have access to technical experts during training and field placements.
To succeed in your studies in Australia, you must learn English, and if you need to improve your skills, take an English course. If you need help to improve your English skills, there are several specialist courses available for you.
English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) are popular as they are specifically designed to prepare you for study in Australia. There are even courses tailored to focus on specific industries such as tourism, IT, business and occupational English for areas such as health.
Australia has a wide range of industries that offer part-time and casual work. Before you undertake any paid work, you need to make sure your visa allows you to work.
If you have a student visa, you may be able to work up to 40 hours in a fortnight while your course is in session, and unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks. If you are a Masters by research or PhD student, you may work full time.
Part-time employment in Adelaide can be a great way to balance work with study. Most international students do some amount of part-time work in Adelaide while studying to assisting with living expenses, meet new people and gain experience of an Australian workplace.
There are many opportunities for you to undertake part-time work from a wide range of industries in Adelaide. This includes:
Internships and volunteering in Adelaide are a great way to demonstrate to employers that you can apply your technical skills effectively in the workplace, interact positively with a range of different colleagues and clients and contribute positively to the day to day operations of their organisation with the guidance of a workplace and academic supervisor.
All international students in Australia have the same workplace rights as all other workers in Australia. These workplace rights include protecting your entitlement to:
Find out more about your working rights as an international student through the Australian Government's Fair Work Ombudsman - an independent government organisation that offers free services to all workers in Australia, including international students.
There are many places where you can look for part-time work in Adelaide, including:
If you choose to stay in Adelaide after graduating, you may need to get a new visa. Some of the visa options that may be available to you include:
Many large organisations and government departments in South Australia offer graduate programs to recent graduates. These programs can offer you employment after you complete your degree. Graduate programs are a way for you to start your professional career in a supportive environment with an emphasis on on-the-job training and mentoring.
Many programs will offer you the chance to work in several different roles, giving you a ‘taste’ of the various opportunities available in your industry. There are many places where you can look for graduate programs, including:
An extra year of post-study work rights (subclass 485 visa) is available for graduates of South Australian institutions who have completed a higher education or postgraduate qualification and maintained residence in South Australia as a holder of a first Temporary Graduate Work Visa (Subclass 485).
Graduates must apply for their first 485 visa, and if they have resided in South Australia for the duration of this visa, can then apply for the additional year. Existing Temporary Graduate visa holders may be eligible, provided they can meet the requirements. Students studying offshore might also be eligible to apply for the 485 visa; find out more. Hong Kong passport holders may stay for 5 years.
For further information about the additional year of post study work rights, please visit the Department of Home Affairs website.
Post Study Work Rights Scenarios
This table shows the number of years of post study work rights available to international students that study in Adelaide, South Australia based on the qualification achieved.
The additional year of post study work rights is not available to international students studying in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane (Scenario - Other cities - Adelaide):
Hong Kong passport holders may stay for 5 years. For further information, please visit the Department of Home Affairs website.
Completing your studies in Adelaide gives you other advantages when considering a career in Australia:
Find out more from Skilled + Business Migration about your post study work rights and migration pathways to Australia. You could also consider getting advice from a registered migration agent.
You can also read more about skilled migration for South Australian graduates here.
A pristine environment and world leading scientific research is putting Adelaide at the forefront of food and agribusiness. Internationally, the food and agribusiness sectors require a workforce with skills in everything from science to business to food chain logistics. In South Australia, a range of education, training and research providers offer specialist programs that will prepare you for a career in the global food and wine industries.
Health and Medical Sciences: The Adelaide BioMed city links over 600 researchers with industry and education to create the largest health and medical sciences precinct in the Southern Hemisphere. At the centre of the ecosystem is the Adelaide BioMed City which brings together research, education, clinical care and business development in one location. In the precinct, the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) houses a team of more than 600 scientists working to solve some of the world’s most challenging health problems. SAHMRI is flanked by the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, the new The University of Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences Building, and the new University of South Australia Cancer Research Institute. An expansion of SAHMRI has just commenced which will see more than 10,000 researchers, health professional and students collaborating in across the precinct.
The world's second largest copper mine meets the world's largest battery in South Australia, at the forefront of resources and energy production in Australia. South Australia is leading the nation in the uptake of renewable energy. Currently, 53 per cent of the state's energy production comes from renewable sources. This commitment to clean energy has resulted in more than $7 billion invested in renewable energy projects. The state is a leader in home battery development and has attracted investments from leading global solar and home battery developers including sonnen and Eguana Technologies. South Australia is also home to the world's largest battery, installed by Tesla.
Adelaide has the fastest internet in Australia which is enabling the city to rapidly develop high technology industries of the future. South Australia has a deep automotive and defence manufacturing history and one of the state's greatest strengths is the development and adoption of new technologies. Across Adelaide’s universities, research centres are carrying out globally significant work in new manufacturing methods. This includes technologies such as nanotechnology, photonics, radar and robotics. All three universities in Adelaide offer postgraduate programs in computing, information technology and engineering.
Adelaide is Australia’s first member of the global GigCity network. GigCity Adelaide provides extremely fast gigabit-speed internet - 100 times faster than the national average. The network gives entrepreneurs and businesses in Adelaide’s innovation precincts access to affordable high-speed internet and helps businesses develop and collaborate on new ideas, products, and services.
Adelaide is home to the Australian Space Agency (the Australian equivalent of NASA), as well as billions of dollars of defence projects creating amazing opportunities in exciting new industries. South Australia is the nation’s defence state, and the centre of naval, information and space activities. Adelaide is home to Australia's $89 billion naval shipbuilding programs headlined by the $50 billion Future Submarine Program creating opportunities for significant design engineering work. While international students may not be able to work on sensitive parts of the projects, companies such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Naval Group and a whole Eco-system of engineering firms will require talent to work on these and related projects.
Adelaide is also home to the Australian Space Agency and mission control facility located in the centre of the city. South Australia has a long history in space technology and this history, coupled with a unique geography and technology ecosystem makes the state one of the preferred locations globally for companies seeking to design, manufacture and launch space and small satellite technologies.
Careers in design, film-making and visual effects have never been more in demand than today. Adelaide is helping to create content for some of Hollywood's biggest blockbuster films. A culture of creativity and innovation is helping to generate new enterprises and bring leading companies to Adelaide South Australia. In the visual effects sector (VFX) Adelaide is home to world-renowned production houses such as Mill Films (Technicolor) and Rising Sun Pictures.
There is also a growing independent games industry with Odd Games, Mighty Kingdom, Team Cherry and Team Fractal Alligator having an international impact in mobile and PC gaming. Monkeystack, a leader in serious games, is currently expanding across Australia from its Adelaide headquarters.
Adelaide is also home to a growing augmented, virtual and mixed reality ecosystem, including the development of augmented reality applications by global defence company SAAB Australia, Microsoft’s first Australian enterprise partner for its HoloLens augmented/mixed reality technology.
Disclaimer: ‘APM Visas’ and its associates are independent consulting entities which are not associated in anyway with the Australian ‘Department of Home Affairs’ (DOHA). Information on this website does not constitute personal migration advice. For a customized migration advice based on your personal circumstances, please call and talk to one of our Immigration Consultants or register your interest with our Associates.
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Copyright © 2025 APM Visas - All Rights Reserved
Arwinder Pal Singh RANDHAWA: MARN-1574550