University of Sydney
A world-leading research university known for academic excellence and innovation. Consistently ranked among the top institutions globally, offering cutting-edge programs across multiple disciplines with strong industry connections.
- Acceptance Rate
- 11.5%
- SAT Range
- N/A
- ACT Range
- N/A
- Avg GPA
- 3.72
- Size
- Large (47,287 students)
- Type
- N/A
- Student:Faculty
- 1:8
- Setting
- urban
- Graduation Rate
- 91.0%
- Retention Rate
- 95.0%
- Tuition (In-State)
- $12,000
- Tuition (Int'l)
- $50,000
Academic Programs
STEM
Business
Social Sciences
Humanities
Health
Arts
English Proficiency Requirements
Student Life & Environment
Campus life at Sydney sprawls across multiple precincts, each with its own character. The main quadrangle hosts protests, markets, and impromptu gatherings that make walking to class feel like navigating a festival some days. The University of Sydney Union runs over 200 clubs, ranging from the predictable to the bizarre, with new ones forming each semester. Manning Bar provides the central watering hole, hosting bands and trivia nights that attract students from across the city. Housing presents the main challenge for Sydney students, with limited on-campus options and surrounding suburbs growing increasingly expensive. Most undergraduates end up renting in share houses within a few train stops of campus. The residential colleges provide a more traditional university experience for those who secure spots, though they carry associations with privilege and occasional controversy. Sport matters here, particularly rowing, rugby, and Australian Rules football, with fierce competition against Melbourne universities. The Redfern area just south of campus has gentrified rapidly, offering coffee shops and restaurants that cater to the student crowd.
Location & Surroundings
Sydney needs little introduction as one of the world's most attractive cities. The university sits in the inner west, about four kilometers from the harbor, in a neighborhood that mixes residential housing with small shops and restaurants. Public transport connects campus to the rest of the city reasonably well, with Redfern Station providing direct access to Central and beyond. Beaches sit about 30 minutes east by bus, with Bondi and Coogee drawing students on sunny afternoons when studying feels impossible. The climate delivers mild winters that rarely drop below 10 degrees Celsius and summers that occasionally hit uncomfortable extremes above 40 degrees. Air conditioning in older campus buildings ranges from adequate to nonexistent. The cost of living in Sydney ranks among the highest in Australia, with housing eating significant portions of student budgets. Surrounding neighborhoods offer increasingly trendy dining and nightlife, though everything closes earlier than international students often expect. The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital sits adjacent to campus, serving as the main teaching hospital and providing an immediate sense of the medical school's integration with practice.
Costs & Career Outcomes
Domestic students access the HECS-HELP loan system, paying back tuition after graduation once earnings exceed threshold levels. Annual course costs range from roughly 4,500 to 12,000 Australian dollars depending on field of study. International students pay considerably more, with business and medicine programs exceeding 50,000 AUD annually. Living in Sydney requires careful budgeting, with rent for a room in a share house typically running 250 to 400 dollars weekly in accessible areas. The careers service maintains strong connections to corporate recruiters, particularly in law, finance, and consulting, with many firms conducting on-campus recruiting each semester. Internship culture has grown considerably over the past decade, though it still feels less mandatory than at American universities. Sydney graduates command strong starting salaries, particularly in professional degrees like law, medicine, and engineering. The alumni network spans the globe but concentrates in Australian business and government, with Sydney graduates dominating many professional circles in ways that smaller universities cannot replicate. Graduate outcomes data consistently shows low unemployment rates for Sydney graduates.
Campus Location
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