Benefits of Studying in Regional Australia | Free Points to PR
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If you are planning to migrate to Australia for your studies then you must feel happy after reading this article. Do you also dream of studying in Australia and imagine yourself in the universities of Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane? If yes, then we will help you to achieve this goal.
Although these options are just amazing, there are other ones too that are not discussed often. However, these options include the regional areas of Australia which are taken by many international students nowadays. Also, you can get additional 5 points to your skills visas if you plan to stay and apply for Australian PR (permanent residency).
Therefore, go through this article written by one of the registered migration agents Sydney to understand the benefits of studying in Regional Australia. Moreover, regional Australian education providers will allow you to explore indefinite opportunities other than just the capital cities which are already overcrowded.
Table of Contents
What categories fall under Regional Australia
Regional Australia is referred to as any area outside a metropolitan area. Also, to simplify the definition of the Regional Australia for some visas, the Australian Government made the entire country regional except Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Moreover, the country is divided into three parts by the Department of Home Affairs for migration purposes. These include
- Major cities (Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane),
- Cities and major regional centres (Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Canberra, Newcastle/Lake Macquarie, Wollongong/Illawarra, Geelong, and Hobart), and,
- Regional areas and other regional centres (all other locations).
Regional areas of NSW
- Central West and Orana
- Far West
- New England North West
- Newcastle and Hunter
- North Coast
- Riverina Murray
- South East and Tablelands
Some of the popular regional universities among international students in NSW are the University of Wollongong, Newcastle University, Charles Sturt University, Southern Cross University and the University of New England.

Regional areas of Victoria
- Barwon South West Region
- Gippsland Region
- Grampians Region
- Hume Region
- Loddon Mallee Region
La Trobe and Federation University are the two most popular when it comes to regional studying in Victoria Australia. The locations of micro-campuses include Albury, Bendigo, Mildura, Shepparton, Ballarat, Gippsland, and Wimmera.

Regional areas of Queensland Australia
- Gold Coast and Hinterland
- Sunshine Coast and Hinterland
- Toowoomba and South West Queensland
- Bundaberg and Fraser Coast
- Central Queensland
- Townsville and North Queensland
- Cairns and Far North Queensland
- Central West Queensland
Regional Queensland is not a popular destination among international students when it comes to studies and shown in statistics. However, this is an estate growth faster than other main states such as NSW and Victoria. Moreover, there is a plan to have Olympics by 2032 in Queensland. Therefore, if you are planning to study in regional Queensland, your options are to contact CQUni (Central Queensland University), James Cook University and the University of Queensland.
Regional areas of Western Australia
- Gascoyne
- Goldfields Esperance
- Great Southern
- Kimberley
- Mid-West
- Peel
- Pilbara
- South West
- Wheatbelt
Contact Edith Cowan University in Bunbury, the University of Western Australia in Albany and Notre Dame University in Broom, and Curtin University in Kalgoorlie if you are planning to study in regional Western Australia.
Regional areas of South Australia
- Adelaide
- Adelaide Hills
- Barossa
- Clare Valley
- The Eyre Peninsula
- Fleurieu Peninsula
- Flinders Ranges and Outback
- Kangaroo Island
- Limestone Coast
- Clare Valley
- Murray Mallee
- Yorke Peninsula
Nursing and Early Childhood are among few popular courses that enrolled in previous years by international students in regional South Australian Universities and the list top by the University of South Australia.
Regional areas of Northern territory
- Darwin
- Kakadu
- Arnhem
- Katherine regions
Charles Darwin University is the option for regional Northern Territory study if you wish to and nursing is one of the common study pathways as per stats.

The reason why the government introduced regional cities for studies
The main reason behind the introduction of the regional cities for education is the overcrowded major cities. That is to say, people who want to migrate to Australia for better education are not able to make their dreams come true because of the large competition.
Therefore, the regional areas that are less populated came into existence. Moreover, it is a way through which the Australian Government can promote regional areas that are backward or generally not preferred by students.
However, it will not only help to build up those areas but get more people to move out in those areas. Also, this will help to meet the shortage of the skills needed in the regional areas. In addition, it will reduce the pressure on major cities having a growing population.
Pros and cons of studying in regional Australia
PROS
- The very first benefit of studying in Regional Australia is the variety of special courses offered by universities. Moreover, some courses are exclusively available in regional Australia. For instance, the University of Tasmania’s Marine courses is not available anywhere else in Australia.
- The regional areas are less populated than the major capital cities, which is the biggest benefit of studying in Regional Australia.
- Due to less crowded area, you will find no traffic congestion. Moreover, this makes the place quieter.
- The areas are green which will soothe your soul and relax your mind. In other words, you can have a healthy lifestyle to boost up your living standards.
- Another main benefit of studying in Regional Australia is the affordable accommodation. That is to say, you have to spend less on rents which reduces the cost of living.
- The regional areas are ideal to go outdoors. Also, you will find a close-knit community that will never let you feel alone.
- You can have another benefit of getting additional 5 points towards the Australian skill migration application. This is a golden opportunity of increasing your points that cannot be ignored. Moreover, these 5 extra points are vital while applying for permanent residency.
- It is very easy to find a sponsor for your skilled visa which can help you in getting permanent residency.
- Last but not the least, the benefit of studying in Regional Australia is that you can easily find jobs such as farm jobs, etc.
CONS
- Due to less availability of public transport, it is difficult to reach far off places.
- If you are a socializer, then this place might disappoint you. In other words, it will feel difficult to adapt to regional areas due to limited social life.
- Students studying in regional Australia may not be able to use fancy facilities that are found in abundance in cities. That is to say, the lack of funding in regional areas has led to limited infrastructure.
Contact a student visa consultant
If you also want to be a part of Regional Australia and study there, then immediately book your appointment with Australian Visa Lawyers to assess your case. In addition, you can contact our team of experts who will make your student visas possible conveniently.
Further, a migration agent will assess your options and tell you about your eligibility. This will not only give you clarity about everything but also help you to know the areas for improvement or changes.
Therefore, without wasting your time achieve your goal of Australian migration with us.
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