Australia has a dozen or so universities delivering online education in a big way. Let's find out about Australia's biggest and best online universities.
Australia's Biggest Online Universities
Here's a list of the top 20 biggest universities in Australia for online learning.
Every uni on the list has around 4k or more students doing accredited online degrees. At the top is CSU, with close to 25k external university students.
| Rank | University | Online Learners |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Sturt University | 24,910 |
| 2 | University of New England | 21,046 |
| 3 | Deakin University | 17,782 |
| 4 | University of Tasmania | 17,072 |
| 5 | University of Southern Queensland | 16,786 |
| 6 | Swinburne University of Technology | 16,045 |
| 7 | Curtin University | 8,575 |
| 8 | CQUniversity | 8, 293 |
| 9 | University of South Australia | 8,269 |
| 10 | Griffith University | 7,493 |
| 11 | Southern Cross University | 7,410 |
| 12 | Edith Cowan University | 7,193 |
| 13 | Charles Darwin University | 6,784 |
| 14 | Monash University | 6,097 |
| 15 | Queensland University of Technology | 5,550 |
| 16 | Torrens University Australia | 5,279 |
| 17 | University of Newcastle | 5,116 |
| 18 | RMIT University | 4,284 |
| 19 | University of New South Wales | 4,184 |
| 20 | Macquarie University | 3,928 |
Source: UCube Higher Education Stats – 10 February 2023
Featured Universities
Australian universities with accredited courses listed by Lerna Australia
Charles Darwin University
CDU is the only uni based in the NT. The dual-sector universities meets the needs of all kinds of students, including people in regional areas. CDU offers a variety of 100% online degrees.
Charles Sturt University
CSU is Australia's biggest online university. CSU is also the biggest university in regional NSW. It has a common internet platform for courses called CSU Interact2.
CQUniversity is based in Queensland and has a network of campuses across the state. The uni caters for all kinds of students and many of its courses are available online.
Deakin is a large Victorian uni that specialises in flexible learning. External students can study 100% online or combine online (cloud) and on-campus study.
ECU is a suburban Perth university. It has a significant and growing presence in distance learning and supports regional study in Western Australia.
RMIT is one of Australia's first tertiary institutions and has global links. To complement on-campus courses, it offers online postgraduate degrees.
SCU is a regional uni based in northern NSW and southern Queensland. It has a growing number of just-online postgraduate courses delivered through SCU Online.
Swinburne University of Technology offers custom-built online degrees through Swinburne Online. Study areas include business, communication, education and IT.
UNE has been delivering flexible education for 60+ years. The Armidale-based university has 20,000+ students who are doing some or all of their studies online.
University of Southern Queensland
USQ has a reputation for providing online degrees in a flexible and supportive environment. Every USQ student has their own Student Relationship Officer.
UNSW Online offers graduate courses and degrees in fields such as business analytics, cyber security, data science, financial technology, and management.
UTS Online has a large range of masters degrees and other postgraduate courses in business, education, health management, nursing, and technology management.