Home » Business » MBA Online » How Much Does an MBA Cost in Australia?

How Much Does an MBA Cost in Australia?

While MBA costs vary between providers, the typical cost of an MBA in Australia is $45,540 for international students and $57,600 for Australians.

Business professionals and MBA sign

Tuition fees for doing an MBA in Australia range from AUD$30k up to AUD$100k. International students tend to choose cheaper MBA programs while Australians often go for mid-range options. Let's look at MBA cost figures for Australia.

MBA Cost for International Students

To give a quick snapshot of costs for a Master of Business Administration degree, we sampled fees at five of the most popular business schools for international students in Australia. These five institutions account for a large percentage of students from abroad. Here are the results.

Table 1: MBA Program Fees for International Students

Business School Tuition Fees (12 Subjects)
Holmes Institute $30,000
Australian Institute of Business $30,228
Torrens University Australia $45,540
Southern Cross University $45,600
James Cook University $52,440
Median $45,540
Average $40,672

Source: Business school websites. Updated: 8 March 2023.

For international students, you can generally expect the cost of an MBA degree to range from $30k up to around $52k. The typical or median fee is the $45,540 it costs to study for an MBA with Torrens University Australia. The average cost for a 12-subject program is $40,672.

International students tend to flock to business schools with cheaper fee structures, especially non-universities. The Holmes Institute and AIB are featured on the list. Other providers that could have been included are Kaplan Business School and Universal Business School Sydney.

Domestic (Australian) Students

Here is a table showing five of the largest business schools in Australia for MBA program participation by local students. Shown is the indicative fee for the total program, or a per subject fee multiplied by twelve (12) subjects.

Table 2: MBA Program Fees for Australian Students

Business School Tuition Fee
Australian Institute of Business $41,604
Deakin University $55,500
RMIT University $57,600
University of New South Wales $81,720
University of Melbourne $99,630
Median $57,600
Average $67,211

Source: Business school websites. Updated: 8 March 2023.

Tuition fees for Australians are in the range of $41,604 up to $99,630. The median fee is represented by how much students pay at RMIT University, which sits at $57,600. The average fee across these five major business schools is $67,211.

FEE-HELP is normally available, which means students are able to obtain automatic loans from the Australian Government. The loans are paid back gradually based on annual taxable income.

Online MBA Course Fees

MBA students who study online primarily care about the learning experience. We looked up course fees at five leading graduate business schools to see what students are paying for online MBA degrees. Here are the results.

Table 3: Online MBA Program Fees in Australia

Business School Tuition Fees
Southern Cross University $35,880
James Cook University $44,400
UTS Online $51,000
RMIT University $54,720
University of Adelaide $56,952
Median $51,000
Average $48,590

Source: Business school websites. Updated: 8 March 2023.

Tuition fees for online MBA learners in Australia fall between $35,880 and $56,952. UTS Online, with a program fee of $51,000, represents the median amount paid by students. On average, the fee for these five leading online business schools is $48,590.

Online learners in Australia appear to pay less than their on-campus counterparts, with an average fee that is $18,620 lower. Median fees are closer however.

While being cheaper, online study also saves money by allowing students to keep working. Most online MBA courses are designed for part-time study by working professionals.

Is an MBA Worth It in Australia?

Man in suit holding up an MBA sign

An MBA can be worth the course fees when pursued at the right point in one's career. Earning the degree has the potential to provide a salary boost and place you on a higher career trajectory.

Recent data suggests that graduates of postgraduate business schools are among the highest paid. Male business and management graduates earn a median salary of $120,000 and females earn around $110,000. Income gains, which can easily be in the tens of thousands of dollars annually, accumulate year after year over the course of your career.

An MBA holder in Australia is estimated to have a median salary of $114,182 per year, based on the earnings of recent graduates, self-reported incomes, and typical earnings of senior and general managers... READ MORE