Study in Australia - Best courses for international students

Hey there! Need help figuring out which course might be available for you? Or which ones are best for your career or migration goals?

In this page, you'll find an in-depth list of international courses in Australia. We have listed postgraduate, undergraduate, and VET courses. We also have a list of the top courses for international students in 2025, along with the most popular courses by field of study and study level.

Enjoy browsing! If you have a specific question about a course, don't hesitate to contact our education counsellors for expert guidance.

1. Nursing (Health)

Popularity

• 51,350 international students enrolled in Health courses (2024).

Employment outcomes

• Health Care & Social Assistance is projected to add +585,100 jobs until 2034, the highest of any industry.

• Australia is expected to be short of 23,000 nurses by 2030, which means strong demand and job security for graduates.

PR opportunities

• 10,860 visas sponsored in 2025 by Health Care & Social Assistance (15.9% of all skilled visas).

• Healthcare is the largest sponsor of skilled migrants (17.9% of all primary visas granted).

• 147,400 permanent migrants are employed as Health Professionals (7.7%) in 2023. 

2. Aged Care / Social Work (Society & Culture + Community Services)

Popularity

• 213,293 international students enrolled in the broad field of Society & Culture.

Employment outcomes

• This course is part of the Health Care & Social Assistance industry, which is projected to add +585,100 jobs in ten years.

• Aged and Disabled Carer is the largest employing occupation in shortage (227,542 workers, shortage persisting 3+ years).

PR opportunities

• Key pathway in the Health & Social Assistance sector, which is the top industry sponsor of skilled visas.

• Shortage for 3+ years makes it a sustained pathway for PR.

• In 2021–2022, over 930,000 migrant workers were employed in Health Care and Social Assistance. That’s about 15% of all 6.2 million migrant jobs, making it the largest industry for migrants.

3. Trades – Chefs, Motor Mechanics, Electricians, Carpenters

Popularity

• 79,467 enrolled international students in the field of study: Food, Hospitality and Personal Services 

• 31,450 enrolled international students in the field of study: Architecture and Building

Employment outcomes

• Accommodation & Food Services projected to add +139,900 jobs by 2034.

• Electricians, Carpenters, and Motor Mechanics are in long-term shortage.

PR opportunities

• 10,770 visas in 2025 from Accommodation & Food Services (15.8% of all visas, ↑125.2%).

• Chefs received 3,920 visa grants in 2025 (↑160.5% YoY).

• Motor Mechanics are among the top 3 nominated occupations for primary visa grants.

4. Teaching (Education – Primary & Secondary)

Popularity

• 49,011 enrolled international students in Education

Employment outcomes

• Education & Training projected to grow +155,000 jobs (2024–2034).

PR opportunities

• Primary and Secondary School Teachers are both listed in the Top 20 shortage occupations, with 164,895 and 155,850 employed nationally.

• The education industry sponsored 2,100 temporary work visas in 2025 (↑33.4%).

• 62,000 permanent migrants work as Education Professionals (3.2%) in 2023.

5. Information Technology (IT)

Popularity

• 108,734 enrolled international students in Information Technology

Employment outcomes

• Professional, Scientific & Technical Services projected to add +152,200 jobs by 2034.

• The role, Developer Programmer, has been in shortage for 4 years.

PR opportunities

• 35 IT occupations in the SOL 

• 8,690 temporary work visas were granted to roles in the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services in 2025.

• 9% of migrant workers (4th highest-ranking industry employing migrant workers) work in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

If you’ve ever asked yourself: “Is this the right course for me?”

Many international students always doublethink factors like their eligibility, budget, visa, career goals, and even the PR chances tied to a specific study pathway. That’s a smart thing to do. The more sure you are, the better. 

The good news?  

Now you can choose the right course that takes you closer to your career and migration dreams. 

We’ll walk you through every detail, answer your questions, and help you apply with confidence.

6. Medicine & Allied Health (General Practitioners, Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, etc.)

Popularity

• Part of the Health field’s 51,350 students.

Employment outcomes

• Healthcare projected to add +585,100 jobs by 2034.

• General Practitioners are also listed in shortage for 4 years.

PR opportunities

• Consistently high PR demand for doctors and allied health professionals.

• 147,400 permanent migrants are employed as Health Professionals (7.7%) in 2023.

7. Engineering and Related Technologies

Popularity

• 79,057 international students enrolled in Engineering and Related Technologies

Employment outcomes

• Construction projected to add +132,600 jobs (2024–2034). 

• Engineering roles are also supported by Professional & Technical Services growth.

PR opportunities

• Many engineering occupations remain on the skilled migration lists, especially in regional areas.

8. Business / Commerce (Management, Marketing, Accounting)

Popularity

• 285,142 international students (largest enrolment field).

Employment outcomes

• Financial & Insurance Services projected to add +78,100 jobs by 2034.

• Sales & Marketing Managers are among the top 20 employing roles in the OSL (2024).

PR opportunities

• 11 business-related roles in the SOL (2025)

• 158,500 permanent migrants work as Business, HR and Marketing Professionals (2023). 

9. Construction Management / Building

Popularity

• 31,450 enrolled international students in Architecture and Building

Employment outcomes

• Construction projected to add +132,600 jobs by 2034.

PR opportunities

• Construction-related roles remain strong in skilled migration lists, especially regionally.

• Construction occupations received 5,510 skilled visas in 2025, making up 8.1% of all grants (↑30.9% from last year).

10. Early Childhood Education / Childcare

Popularity

• Counted within Education’s 49,011 enrolments.

Employment outcomes

• Child Care Worker is among the top 20 largest employing shortage occupations (123,815 employed).

• In shortage since 2021.

PR opportunities

• Childcare roles regularly appear on migration priority lists.

• Most childcare workers are on temporary visas, such as student or graduate visas (2024).

• Jobs and Skills Australia recommends relevant parties to consider Early Childhood Educator (421111) & Teacher (241111) roles for eligibility in employer-sponsored skilled visa program.

When we made our list of the Top Courses for International Students, we didn’t just pick at random. We looked at three clear things that we know matter the most for international students like you. 

We assessed: 

1. How popular the course is with international students

First, we looked at how many international students are already enrolled in each field. 

We used the International student enrolment and commencement data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics to know how many international students are enrolled per broad field of study until December 2024. 

A course with big enrolment numbers usually means it’s trusted, has strong demand, and offers study options in many universities and colleges.

2. Job opportunities after graduation

We know that when picking a course, you also want to make sure you’ll have a job when you graduate.

So we used employment data and projections from Jobs and Skills Australia to understand which industries in Australia are growing fast and adding the most jobs in the next 5–10 years.

3. How good each course is for permanent residency (PR) pathways

Many international students hope to stay in Australia after graduation. So, we also gave weight to how closely a course connects to jobs that appear on Australia’s skills shortage lists or visa data. 

We used data from Australian Bureau of Statistics to understand how many permanent migrants work in specific roles. We also checked the top-employing industries in the Occupation Shortage List and the number of visas granted to workers in different industries. These can all provide you with insights on whether your future career can help you gain permanent residency in Australia.

Higher Education

• Management and Commerce

• Information Technology

VET

• Management and Commerce

• Food, Hospitality and Personal Services

Higher Education

• Master's degree (Coursework)

• Bachelor’s degree

VET

• Diploma

• Certificate IV

Source: Australian Government - Department of Education - International student monthly summary

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