Our city is a student’s dream. We are home to Australia’s number one ranked university and several in the top 10. But studying in Canberra is about a lot more than that.

A vibrant place to live and study

This is a young city. A quarter of our population are students, and they’ve driven a lot of change.

There’s always something happening here. Whether it’s live gigs, big games, top exhibitions or festivals, Canberra’s events calendar is packed. Night clubs, Pilates studios, beer gardens, quirky cafes — whatever your interests, you’ll find your people and your place in Canberra.

Everything’s easier here

Our quality of life is one of the best in the world. We’ve been rated consistently as one of the QS Best Student Cities

It’s an easier lifestyle in a planned city. You’re not losing hours in traffic, so there’s more time to enjoy the things you love.

We’re the most active population in Australia, with the highest involvement in sport and recreation. Nature is right on our doorstep. National parks and nature reserves make up over half of the Australian Capital Territory. We enjoy hiking in Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve and Namadgi National Park all year round.

Lakes, parks, bushland and extensive cycle paths mean there’s always somewhere to unwind.

Our cultural calendar is world-class. There are always concerts, exhibitions, festivals and sporting events on offer. Our national galleries attract the world’s top travelling exhibitions. We host one of the biggest celebrations of cultural diversity across Australia, in our annual Multicultural Festival.

And the food scene here competes on the world stage. Become a regular at one of the popular food trucks and cafes in the city. Enjoy Canberra-region wine and beer. Our award-winning fine-dining restaurants serve delicious international cuisines. We’ve won international awards for our coffee.

Your career prospects are strong

Canberra has one of Australia’s most resilient economies underpinned by a diverse employment market. We consistently have the highest average income and high job growth.

Two out of every 3 Canberra jobs are in the private sector. Tertiary institutions, industry and government work closely together. They offer strong employment opportunities for graduates across broad sectors. These include the fields of:

• science
• research
• education
• health
• business
• politics
• the arts

and many more.

We’re Australia’s most inclusive city

We’re proud of the cultural diversity of our community. Canberra is progressive and diverse.

• We had the highest participation rate in support of marriage equality.
• We’re part of the Welcoming Cities Network.
• More than 26% of our population is from overseas.

Accommodation

New undergraduates have guaranteed on-campus accommodation at our universities. Alternatively, check out private accommodation options, including:

• share-houses
• private rental
• homestay
• off-campus managed student accommodation

Getting around

Our average commute is just 25 minutes. Sleep in, and you’ll still get where you’re going on time.

This is a car-friendly city, with great public transport. Cycle-ways link each of the town centres, with spectacular scenery along the way.

We have a light rail system between Civic and Gungahlin. And you’ll find clean, modern buses with free wi-fi and bike racks.

Canberra region

We’ve got the best of all worlds here. We’re only a couple of hours’ drive from:

• stunning beaches on the south coast of New South Wales
• pristine ski fields in the Snowy Mountains
• Sydney, even for a day trip

Or take a day away from the books and explore our region’s wineries and breweries. There are more than 30 within 35 minutes drive from the city.

Climate

One of the best aspects of living here is our four distinct seasons:

• We have warm dry summers, with an average temperature of 27 degrees Celsius.
• Autumn is stunning, and we celebrate with big outdoor festivals and hot air balloons.
• Winter’s average temperature is 12 degrees Celsius, and the days are crisp and sunny.
• Spring is all about flower festivals and getting outside in parks and open spaces.