Todd St Vrain
Regional Manager, USA & Canada
Based in: San Francisco, CA
AIRR-NA Member Institution
University of Melbourne
Melbourne, Australia
Institution at a Glance
- Year founded
- 1853
- Institution type
- Public International University
- Campus setting
- Urban
- Population category
- Very large (30,000+ students)
- Degree levels
- Postgraduate, Undergraduate
- Undergraduate length
- 3-year
- Undergraduate students
- 27,260
- Postgraduate students
- 30,740
- International students
- 26,680
About the Institution
The University of Melbourne is a large, public, research-intensive university regarded as Australia's leading university. Ranked #22 in the world, and with more than 50 disciplines ranked in the top 100 globally, Melbourne offers affordable access to excellence. Most degrees base admission only on academic achievement, providing transparent and objective admissions.
Study in the heart of vibrant Melbourne, Australia's sporting and cultural capital voted the #1 city in the world by Time Out in 2026, with easy access to Australia’s stunning and unique flora and fauna.
North American Representatives
Julia Jerving
Country Officer, USA & Canada
Based in: Orange County, CA
Academics and Programs
Undergraduate study
Three-year bachelors degrees in arts (humanities and social science), business and economics, design/architecture, health, fine arts and music, STEM. Over 150 majors and minors. Australian universities do not have general education requirements but Melbourne's curriculum is unique in the country. It requires UG students to take 20-25% of their studies outside of their degree. These 'breadth subjects" offer students a great deal of flexibility and choice.
Melbourne does not offer direct entry into professional degrees at the undergraduate level. All professional degrees at Melbourne are offered only at the graduate level and require a bachelor's degree for admission.
Postgraduate study
400 graduate programs in architecture, business, engineering and IT, environment, health, the humanities and social sciences, fine arts and music, law, science and veterinary medicine. Most graduate degrees are two years.
Popular degrees include:
Juris Doctor
Master of Environment
Master of Public Health
Masters of International Relations & Public Policy
Master of Management
Masters of Engineering and IT
Doctor of Veterinary Science.
Graduate research degrees require a thesis/capstone project from a previous degree and the endorsement of a Melbourne academic willing to serve as the supervisor if admitted.
Areas represented: Agriculture, Architecture, Artificial Intelligence, Arts, Business & Management Studies, Computer Science, Creative Arts, Data Science, Dentistry, Design, Economics, Engineering, Environmental Science, Humanities, Law, Marine Science, Medicine, Natural Sciences, Nursing, Performing Arts, Psychology & Clinical Sciences, Robotics, Social Sciences, Technology, Veterinary Science, Visual Arts
Admissions and Applications
Application type
Direct
Entry requirements
UG from high school: US high school diploma (GPA + test score. Prerequisites met by specific AP exams or equivalent dual credit studies); International Baccalaureate (IB final score. Prerequisites met by specific IB courses).
UG transfer admission: Minimum GPA varies by degree and for 2-year and 4-year institutions. Prerequisites met by college/university studies or those from an approved high school curriclum.
Graduate study: admission for most degrees based only on undergraduate GPA and any academic prerequisites.
Applications, dates and deadlines
Most degrees offer the flexibility to start in either term (Sem 1 Feb - June or Sem 2 Aug to Nov). Applications for the upcoming intake are prioritized. Deferrals are common for most degrees and tend to be granted automatically.
UG: Rolling admissions for international students. We recommend applying at the same time as applications to US universities. Overseas Australians apply at the end of their senior year through VTAC.
Graduate degree application deadlines vary widely. Programs in law, health, veterinary science and fine arts start only in Jan/Feb with applications due 4-6 months the year before.
How to apply
International students can apply direct to the university online or use the free services of an authorized agent. See https://study.unimelb.edu.au/how-to-apply.
Overseas Australians must apply through VTAC (https://www.vtac.edu.au) for UG degrees but direct for graduate programs.
Standardized testing
For the US high school diploma, Melbourne requires the SAT or ACT or an aggregate score of AP exams. AP exams are also the most common way to meet any academic prerequisites and the English language proficiency requirement, but there are alternative ways to satisfy these requirements.
A test score is not required for IB applicants or UG transfer students with at least one year full-time university or college study. Only a handful of graduate degrees in health or business require a test score.
Costs, Scholarships, and Funding
Tuition and fees
Tuition fees vary widely for undergraduate and graduate degrees. Most are similar to or less than costs at peer institutions in the US. See the Fees & Scholarship section of each degree page accessed from https://study.unimelb.edu.au. A sample of average annual tuition costs: Bachelor of Arts – USD$38,000; Bachelor of Science – USD$47,000; Juris Doctor – USD$51,000; DVM – USD$74,500.
Estimated cost of living
The average annual cost of living in Melbourne is AUD$28,000 (USD$20,000). See https://costofliving.studyaustralia.gov.au to determine your budget.
Scholarships and funding
The University only offers merit-based scholarships for undergraduate and graduate degrees. High-achieving students are automatically considered. There is not a separate scholarship application. The average scholarship award is 20% tuition remission per year. Only graduate research students may receive full tuition remission and a stipend as a scholarship.
Residential colleges (dormitories with a meal plan) offer their own scholarships for room and board that require a separate application.
Student Life and Support
Student life and location
There's so much more to uni life that just studies. At UniMelb, students can join over 200 clubs and societies, whether academic or cultural in focus. See https://umsu.unimelb.edu.au/buddy-up/clubs. Choose from 50 sports to play, whether at the varsity level or intramural fun. See https://sport.unimelb.edu.au.
Our main Parkville campus is in a peaceful neighborhood, but just a stone's throw away from all the action. Melbourne ranks #4 in the world in the QS Best Student Cities 2027 because of the incredible food, music and sports scene. The beaches are 20 minutes away by Uber. Hope on the train at the nearby Central Station and you'll soon be out in Australia's amazing nature with unique wildlife.
Housing and support
On-campus housing includes residential colleges (dormitories with a meal plan) or student apartment communities. You always get your own room in Australia. Both require a separate application. Or you can rent a room in a flat or group house. There are many third-party student housing providers close by. See https://study.unimelb.edu.au/accommodation.
UniMelb provides an extensive range of health, counselling, disability, learning and career service support. See https://students.unimelb.edu.au/support-and-wellbeing.
Careers and Outcomes
UniMelb ranks #8 globally in the QS Graduate Employability Ranking 2026 because of the extensive and customized Career Services (https://students.unimelb.edu.au/careers), the internships and work integrated learning offered in our degrees, or through co-curricular volunteer programs like MelbournePlus (https://students.unimelb.edu.au/student-life/melbourne-plus).
Information for Counselors
See the US high school diploma guide (https://go.unimelb.edu.au/b276) and IB diploma guide (https://go.unimelb.edu.au/qj4i) for reference.
Semester 1 runs from February to June and semester 2 from July to November. Most degrees provide the flexibility to start in either semester, as orientation and core classes are held every semester. Graduating from the US in May or June, students can apply for the mid-year intake but then apply to defer to start in February of the following year. Deferrals are common in Australia, providing students with a mini gap year.
Both of the North America Office staff, Todd St Vrain and Julia Jerving have studied in the US and Australia. Please reach out with any questions at north-america@unimelb.edu.au or book a meeting with either of them at http://go.unimelb.edu.au/2eci.