Australia has 15 APAC-accredited Graduate Diploma in Psychology online programs. Based on published tuition fees, the cheapest Graduate Diploma in Psychology online in Australia is offered by Cairnmillar Institute, with a total course cost of $24,886. This is the lowest published price for an accredited program at the time of review.
Among universities, Edith Cowan University is the cheapest overall based on total course cost. When fees are compared per subject, James Cook University (JCU Online) has the lowest tuition fee of any university offering an online Graduate Diploma in Psychology.
This article reviews all accredited programs and compares published course structures and tuition fees current as at 5 February 2026. Some students may be able to obtain a Commonwealth Supported Place, with details also provided below.
Tuition Fee Comparison Table
The table below compares all 15 APAC-accredited Graduate Diploma in Psychology online programs in Australia, ranked by total course cost. Total fees reflect the full program and account for differences in subject count.
| # | Provider | Degree title (online) | Subjects | Total fee (AUD) | Per-subject fee (AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cairnmillar Institute | Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science | 8 | $24,886 | $3,111 |
| 2 | ACAP University College | Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science | 9 | $27,279 | $3,031 |
| 3 | Edith Cowan University | Graduate Diploma of Psychology | 8 | $30,080 | $3,760 |
| 4 | Charles Sturt University | Graduate Diploma of Psychology | 8 | $31,600 | $3,950 |
| 5 | University of Newcastle | Graduate Diploma in Psychological Science | 8 | $35,265 | $4,408 |
| 6 | JCU Online | Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Bridging) | 10 | $36,790 | $3,679 |
| 7 | RMIT University | Online Graduate Diploma in Psychology | 10 | $37,200 | $3,720 |
| 8 | ACU Online | Graduate Diploma in Psychology | 10 | $37,430 | $3,743 |
| 9 | UNE | Graduate Diploma in Psychology | 10 | $37,680 | $3,768 |
| 10 | Swinburne Online | Graduate Diploma of Psychology | 10 | $38,230 | $3,823 |
| 11 | Monash University | Graduate Diploma in Psychology | 10 | $41,000 | $4,100 |
| 12 | Deakin University | Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science | 10 | $41,000 | $4,100 |
| 13 | Adelaide University | Graduate Diploma in Psychology | 10 | $42,240 | $4,224 |
| 14 | UTS Online | Graduate Diploma in Psychology | 10 | $43,070 | $4,307 |
| 15 | UNSW Sydney | Graduate Diploma in Psychology | 10 | $49,800 | $4,980 |
Table notes: Fees shown are published domestic tuition fees for the complete course. Programs range from 8 to 10 subjects, which affects total cost. No weighting or quality adjustments have been applied.
The lowest total course fee is offered by Cairnmillar Institute at $24,886. The next lowest total fees are $27,279 at ACAP University College and $30,080 at Edith Cowan University. Each of these programs uses fewer than ten subjects, which contributes to the lower overall cost.
Cheapest University Courses (Per Subject)
Many students prefer a university qualification and therefore limit their comparison to universities. This section ranks universities only by per-subject tuition fee, allowing comparison across programs with different total subject counts.
| Rank | Provider | Degree Title | Subjects | Per-Subject Fee (AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JCU Online | Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Bridging) | 10 | $3,679 |
| 2 | RMIT University | Online Graduate Diploma in Psychology | 10 | $3,720 |
| 3 | ACU Online | Graduate Diploma in Psychology | 10 | $3,743 |
| 4 | Edith Cowan University | Graduate Diploma of Psychology | 8 | $3,760 |
| 5 | UNE | Graduate Diploma in Psychology | 10 | $3,768 |
| 6 | Swinburne Online | Graduate Diploma of Psychology | 10 | $3,823 |
| 7 | Charles Sturt University | Graduate Diploma of Psychology | 8 | $3,950 |
| 8 | Deakin University | Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science | 10 | $4,100 |
| 9 | Monash University | Graduate Diploma in Psychology | 10 | $4,100 |
| 10 | Adelaide University | Graduate Diploma in Psychology | 10 | $4,224 |
Table notes: Only universities offering APAC-accredited online Graduate Diploma–level psychology programs are included. Per-subject fees are based on published subject prices.
Among universities, JCU Online has the lowest per-subject tuition fee at $3,679 per subject. The next lowest per-subject fees are $3,720 at RMIT University and $3,743 at Australian Catholic University (ACU Online).
Cheapest 10-Subject Graduate Diplomas
Ten-subject programs are the most common structure for a Graduate Diploma in Psychology in Australia. This format allows core psychology content to be covered without compressing material into a shorter program.
| Rank | Provider | Degree Title | Total Fee (AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JCU Online | Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Bridging) | $36,790 |
| 2 | RMIT University | Online Graduate Diploma in Psychology | $37,200 |
| 3 | ACU Online | Graduate Diploma in Psychology | $37,430 |
| 4 | UNE | Graduate Diploma in Psychology | $37,680 |
| 5 | Swinburne Online | Graduate Diploma of Psychology | $38,230 |
| 6 | Monash University | Graduate Diploma in Psychology | $41,000 |
| 7 | Deakin University | Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science | $41,000 |
| 8 | Adelaide University | Graduate Diploma in Psychology | $42,240 |
| 9 | UTS Online | Graduate Diploma in Psychology | $43,070 |
| 10 | UNSW Sydney | Graduate Diploma in Psychology | $49,800 |
Table notes: Only programs structured as 10 subjects are included. Total fees shown are published full-course tuition costs.
The cheapest 10-subject Graduate Diploma in Psychology online is offered by JCU Online at a total cost of $36,790. The next lowest total fees among 10-subject programs are $37,200 at RMIT University and $37,430 at ACU Online.
JCU Online - Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Bridging)
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Commonwealth Supported Places
Some providers offer Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) for Graduate Diplomas in Psychology. Availability depends on internal provider quotas and intake conditions, and you need to confirm availability with the provider.
At the time of review, CSP options were identified at Charles Sturt University and the University of New England. Based on published figures, UNE lists a CSP amount that implies an approximate total course cost of $18,744 for its 10-subject program, while CSU lists Commonwealth Grant Scheme pricing of $17,376 per year for full-time study. These figures are not used to rank the cheapest program because CSP offers are limited and not available to all applicants.
Sources and Methodology
All data in this article was sourced and verified on 5 February 2026.
[1] APAC-accredited program list
The universe of eligible programs was established using the official search tool maintained by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC). Filters applied were Level 1, Graduate Diploma, Online, with discontinued and teach-out programs excluded.
[2] Course structure and subject counts
Course structure data, including the number of subjects required for completion at each provider, was sourced from Postgraduate Futures.
Graduate Diploma in Psychology Online: Australian Accredited (Providers Desk, 4 February 2026)
[3] Tuition fee data
Tuition fees were sourced from the official course pages, handbooks, or published tuition fee schedules of each listed university, college, or institute. Only published domestic full-fee tuition prices were used. Third-party comparison sites, summaries, and estimates were not relied upon.