The higher education system is a relatively large one for a country with a population of 18 million people. There are 37 universities in Australia (and two private universities) located in every state and territory in the country. While most are located in big cities, some are located in a rural setting.

The size of universities varies between 3,000 and 27,000 or more students. Universities offer Bachelors Degrees (generally three to four years of study), Postgraduate Diplomas, Masters Degrees and Doctorate study programs. They offer a wide range of courses such as agriculture, architecture, arts, business, computer science/technology, dentistry, economics, education, engineering, health sciences, law, medicine, music, nursing, science and veterinary science.

The higher education institutions usually begin their term in. The academic year is usually organized into two semesters which begin in end of February/ early March and end of July/early August. The basic undergraduate course at most institutions is a bachelor degree course of three to four years, but some courses can take up to five or six years to complete, such as Architecture and Medicine.