About the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
The Australian Capital Territory is home to one of the nation’s most significant cities - Canberra.
As Australia's capital, Canberra boasts some of the country’s preeminent educational and cultural institutions.
The ACT is known for being welcoming, inclusive and liveable. Its location offers a unique Australian experience, and provides easy access to national parks, Australia's biggest snowfields in winter and the pristine beaches of the New South Wales south coast in summer.
Map of study locations in the Australian Capital Territory.
A snapshot of ACT
Launch your career
Whether you’re looking for a part-time role or a full-time career, the ACT offers outstanding opportunities, with one of Australia’s highest employment rates and the nation’s highest average income.
Room for everyone
Over 25% of the ACT's residents were born overseas, including 20,000 international students from over 100 countries.
Stunning landscapes
Over 60% of the ACT is open space and nature reserves. Being surrounded by nature, it’s easy to find space to explore, restore and recharge.
Diverse study options
Enrol at one of Canberra’s tertiary education providers and you’ll study alongside some of the brightest minds in Australia. The ACT is home to globally ranked universities, with two ranked in Australia’s top 10 and the world’s top 100. Canberra’s tertiary education and training providers include:
- Australian National University
- University of Canberra
- Canberra Institute of Technology
- UNSW, Canberra campus
- Australian Catholic University, Canberra campus
- Charles Sturt University, Canberra campus
The city values education deeply. More than half of Canberra’s population holds a bachelor’s degree or higher. Students can learn from leaders award-winning artists, researchers, business entrepreneurs, and Nobel Prize winners.
Key industries
The ACT has a strong knowledge-based economy and is a thriving hub of innovation and business. It also has Australia’s highest employment rate and highest average income.
Graduates enjoy strong job opportunities across a range of sectors. A unique mix of prominent public and private organisations also offer internship and work experience opportunities for students. In fact, more than 60% of our jobs, across more than 25,000 businesses, are with the private sector.
The ACT’s key growth industries are hiring. These include:
- Renewable energy
- Innovation
- Space science
- Information technology and cyber security
- Agricultural technology and environmental sciences
- Defence
Leading Sustainability
The ACT is the place to be if you’re seeking a more sustainable way to live, work and study.
Known for its clear skies and clean air, over 60% of the ACT is dedicated to parks and protected nature reserves - perfect for hiking, camping, and getting up close to our native animals.
The ACT was the first mainland Australian jurisdiction to achieve 100% renewable energy supply and is on track to achieve zero net emissions by 2045. The Territory also has the highest number of electric vehicles and charge stations in Australia (per capita).
About Canberra
Canberra is ranked number one globally for quality of life in the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2025. For international students, it offers the perfect balance of opportunity, lifestyle and support.
As a welcoming, smaller student city, Canberra offers the chance to build a community and truly make it your own. Following studies in Canberra, international graduates with eligible degrees may also be able to apply for an extension to their post-study work rights, offering more time to build a career in Australia.
Canberra has an excellent supply of purpose-built student accommodation. Our two major universities guarantee student accommodation for all new and continuing students, making it easy to settle in. The city is clean and safe, with everything you need close to hand
Getting around is simple and affordable. Students receive discounts on public transport, including buses and light rail, and cycling is a popular option thanks to more than 400 km of interconnected cycle paths.
Canberra also delivers a vibrant cultural life. The city is home to national galleries and museums, and regularly hosts worldclass concerts, exhibitions, festivals and sporting events. The food scene is equally impressive, from stylish dining and casual cafés to lakeside burgers and great value eats, with plenty of student discounts available.
Whatever your interests, you’ll find your people and your place in Canberra.
National Arboretum, Canberra
A snapshot of Canberra
Major education providers
Australian National University, University of Canberra and Canberra Institute of Technology.
Population
Over 480,000
Guaranteed accommodation
Canberra’s major universities offer new undergraduate students guaranteed accommodation.
People in the community particularly welcomed international students. I never felt like I was a stranger in this city from day one!
Sabrina from China
Canberra often hosts world-class concerts, exhibitions, festivals, and sporting events. Australia’s capital is also home to a range of world class galleries and museums.
Whether you’re after stylish restaurants, gourmet cheap eats, a casual breakfast, or burgers by the lake, you’ll love Canberra’s ever-evolving foodie scene. Student deals and discounts are easy to find.
Whatever your interests, you’ll find your people and your place in Canberra.
How much will it cost?
Use our Cost of Living calculator to find out how much you will need to live and study here.
Canberra information and support
Study Canberra provides a range of useful destination and settlement information for international students, helping them to have the best possible time while studying and living in the capital.
