UK and Australia both are popular among students for higher education. Many students going to study abroad visit either of these two places. The UK is mainly popular among students for Oxford University, which ranks globally and nationally. Australia is famous for the University of Melbourne, ANU, etc. These two rank globally and nationally. Both UK and Australia provide world-class education and accommodation facilities. This confuses students, but this article might be the solution they need.
Difference Between UK Vs Australia in Education System
The education system differs vividly in UK and Australia. In the United Kingdom, there are five levels of education - early years, primary, secondary, Further Education (FE), and Higher Education (HE). College and university studies come under higher education and is further divided into three categories – Undergraduate, Other Undergraduate Courses, and Postgraduate.
UG courses consist of first-degree courses, first degrees with qualified teacher status, enhanced first degrees, etc. Other UG courses consist of higher education courses like diplomas, HNC, SVQ, etc.PG courses consist of higher degrees, diplomas, and certificates and are pursued after completing UG courses.
While in Australia, the education system is divided into three stages primary, secondary and tertiary. These are further divided into ten levels, from which levels after level 5 come under higher education. These levels consist of Diploma, Advanced diploma, associate degree, bachelor's degree, Bachelor Honours Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Master's degree, and Doctoral degree.
UK Vs Australia Eligibility Criteria
UK
- Universities in the UK ask for education up to class 12th and two certificates as proof of eligibility for UG studies.
- Students can apply for PG degrees after completing three years of UG degree. Students might need to take the GMAT for management and GRE for science to enrol.
- Students might also need a few years of work experience to get into a management course.
- Students might also need to take IELTS or TOEFL and get a student visa.
Australia
- In Australia, students need to have only 12 years of education to admission to UG courses.
- While to be admitted in PG courses, students are required to complete three years of UG courses.
- As for engineering PG courses, students need to have completed four years of UG education.
- Students might also need to appear for the GMAT for management and GRE for Science to get admission.
- Like the UK, in Australia, too students need to have work experience to get enrolled in management courses.
- They also need to take IELTS or TOEFL and get a student visa.
UK Vs Australia Admission Process
UK
- Students need to examine all the available courses they are eligible for and pick any 5 of them.
- Students must make sure that they are eligible and appear for entrance exams if required.
- Then they must go to the respective university's website and submit the application form. They must have documents like GPA, SOP, and much more.
- Students must also appear for English proficiency tests like TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE. This is also necessary for Student Visa.
- If a student gets selected, they will get an admission letter. In the case of a conditional offer, students might need to fulfil specific terms and conditions.
- Finally, they can go on to apply for a visa so they can move to the UK.
Australia
- Students need to go through all the courses and their eligibility criteria to pick a suitable course for themselves.
- Students must decide the course and university they want to attend. They must keep in mind that they can only apply to a limited number of colleges.
- After this, students must appear for an English proficiency test. IELTS is the most preferred test for Australia.
- Students can then apply to their preferred college. They can do this by going to the college's website or talking to the admissions officers.
- Once the student gets notified that they are selected, they can apply for a visa. They must have the following document for a visa.
- Enrolment Confirmation (CoE)
- Passport in good standing
- results of the English language competence exam
- Financial proof
- Health insurance is widely recognized in Australia.
- Verification of criminal records
Top Universities in UK vs Australia for Bangladeshi Students
Both the UK and Australia are home to some of the top universities globally. While the UK has Oxford University and the University of Cambridge, Australia has The Australian national university and The University of Sydney.
Given below is a list of all the top universities in Australia and the UK with their QS rankings:
Australian University |
QS Ranking |
UK University |
QS Ranking |
The Australian national university |
27 |
University of Oxford |
1 |
The University of Sydney |
38 |
University of Cambridge |
2 |
The University of Melbourne |
37 |
Imperial College London |
3 |
The University of Queensland |
47 |
UCL |
4 |
The university of new South Wales |
43 |
King's College London |
7 |
Monash University |
58 |
University of Birmingham |
13 |
The university of western Australia |
93 |
University of Manchester |
6 |
The University of Adelaide |
108 |
University of Nottingham |
18 |
Macquarie University |
200 |
University of Liverpool |
26 |
RMIT university |
206 |
University of Sussex |
32 |
Costs of Studying Undergraduate Courses in the UK vs Australia
A student can find almost every possible course in both Australia and UK. But studying cost in the UK is way lesser as compared to Australia.
Given below is a comparison of studying costs in the UK and Australia for UG courses:
Particulars |
Undergraduate courses in the UK |
Undergraduate courses in Australia |
Average Tuition Fee |
BSc: USD 20,400 BTech: USD 20,246 BBA: USD 19,214 |
BSc: USD 19,386 BTech: USD 26,715 BBA: USD 21,640 |
Average Living Expense |
USD 6,469 |
USD 8,205 |
Duration |
3-4 Years |
3-4 Years |
Exams Accepted |
IELTS, TOEFL |
IELTS, PTE |
Costs of Studying Postgraduate Courses in the UK vs Australia
Given below is a comparison of studying costs in the UK and Australia for PG courses:
Particulars |
Postgraduate courses in the UK |
Postgraduate courses in Australia |
Average Tuition Fee |
MA: USD 18,931 MS: USD 20,890 MBA: USD 22,733 |
MA: USD 25,621 MS: USD 33,723 MBA: USD 115,932 |
Average Living Expense |
USD 6,469 |
USD 8,205 |
Duration |
1.5-2 Years |
1-2 years |
Exams Accepted |
IELTS, TOEFL |
IELTS, TOEFL |
Related Article: Postgraduate courses in Australia
Costs of Living in the UK vs Australia
The cost of living in a country depends on the average price of common groceries and the rent. Giving below is a price comparison of ordinary expenses in Australia and the UK:
Expenses |
Australia (USD) |
UK (USD) |
Rice (1kg) |
1.97 |
1.38 |
Milk (regular)(1 litre) |
1.23 |
1.14 |
Water (1.5-litre bottle) |
1.58 |
1.19 |
Monthly pass (Regular Price) |
112.20 |
81.72 |
Internet (unlimited-60mbps) |
55.83 |
0.13 |
Movie Theatre |
13.02 |
12.57 |
1 bedroom apartment outside the city centre |
1030.84 |
628.59 |
1 bedroom apartment in the city centre |
1384.86 |
942.88 |
Scholarships for Bangladeshi Students in UK Vs Australia
Scholarships are an excellent approach for students to escape financial restraints while paying for their education. Both Australia and UK provide scholarships, and students need to follow a simple procedure to apply for these.
Given below is a list of all the top scholarships in the UK and Australia:
SCHOLARSHIPS IN AUSTRALIA |
SCHOLARSHIPS IN UK |
Australia award scholarship |
Charles Wallace scholarships by the British council |
ACU destination Australia international scholarship |
Euraxess UK by the British council |
Australian research training program scholarship |
Marshall scholarships |
Scholarships by Australian embassies |
Castlesmart scholarships for undergraduate students from all nationalities |
The vice chancellor's international scholarship |
Saltire scholarships |
Student Visa Process in UK vs Australia
A student needs to apply for a student visa if they wish to study abroad irrespective of the country. The best time to apply for it is right after getting the admission letter.
Given below are some essential points about student visas for UK and Australia:
UK
- Getting a student visa in the UK is more complex and challenging than in other countries.
- It is granted only for full-time study courses, and a full-time student visa is called a tier 4 student visa.
- A student visa for the UK costs £310
- Students can also apply for a dependent visa that costs £310.
- Students may or may not have to appear for a personal interview.
- Students applying for diploma courses get a visa length of 3 years.
- Students applying for degree courses can get a visa length of 4 years (max).
- Students may or may not be allowed to work part-time during studying. It depends on the individual situation.
Australia
- A student visa for Australia doesn't come in the form of a sticker.
- It generally costs up to $630 to apply for a student visa.
- Students can apply for a dependent visa only if they pursue masters or PhD courses.
- Students are allowed to work for up to 40 hours per fortnight and their studies.
Post Study Work Permit - UK Vs Australia
The post-study work permit differs vividly in UK and Australia.
Given below are the PSWP rules for UK and Australia.
UK
- The PSWP in the UK was closed for the new applicant in 2012. That means a student visa would not include PSWP.
- So if students wish to work after graduation, they need to apply for Tier 2 Visa for Highly skilled workers.
- The new employees must have an annual wage of £20,500 or more to be eligible for Tier 2.
- If students get a Tier 2 Visa, they can stay and work in the UK for five years after graduation.
Australia
- In Australia, students get to apply for PSWP after graduation.
- A student graduating with Bachelor's or Master's degree can apply to stay and work in Australia for up to 2 years.
- Other graduates can only apply to stay and work for 18 months.
Australia vs UK Immigration
Immigration processes differs in UK and Australia. It is easier in Australia as compared to the UK.
Given below are the immigration process in UK and Australia for better understanding.
UK
- The immigration process in the UK is deemed to be complicated due to the latest changes in policies.
- UK government has delisted most of the 'bogus' colleges, due to which non-EU migration has become even more difficult.
- However, if a student does stay back due to a student visa or work visa, they will have to leave after the permitted period.
Australia
- Compared to the UK, immigration in Australia is a long process but possible.
- Students will have to go through a background check to avoid fraud from immigrating.
- It may, however, take a long time due to the complications, but students will eventually get Australian citizenship.
Australia vs UK Job Opportunities
Students can get excellent job opportunities in both UK and Australia. Since both of these have some of the top companies in the world
The following firms and annual wages are listed for the United Kingdom and Australia:
UK
Companies |
Salary per year (USD) |
ABB |
$144,575 |
OpenGamma |
$264,006 |
Rothschild & Co. |
$152,118 |
Accenture |
$104,345 |
Pheonix Group |
$96,802 |
Marlborough |
$94,288 |
Wates |
$90,516 |
Park Square Capital |
$251,435 |
Capgemini |
$91,773 |
Mercia Asset Management |
$85,487 |
Australia
Company |
Average salary per year (USD) |
AECOM |
$64,848 |
Allen |
$59,877 |
EY |
$38,057 |
Goldman Sachs |
$39,927 |
Google Australia |
$37,749 |
Herbert Smith Freehills |
$41,379 |
KPMG |
$56,021 |
PwC |
$38,632 |
ResMed |
$50,090 |
In conclusion, the UK is better for students who want to study abroad. Since it is clear from the above information that studying in the UK is way more affordable than in Australia. They can also work for a few years after graduation since getting a PGWP in the UK is not that difficult. However, if a student wants to migrate after graduation, Australia will be better.
Finally, it entirely depends on a student's needs, and it should completely be their decision.
Kickstart your academic journey now! Studying abroad could be a long and tedious process however at AECC with expert counselors your dreams can be achieved at ease. The Counsellors will guide you through every step and help you attain your goals at ease. They will assist with courses, visas, universities, and more.