Open Universities in Australia

Access open university for flexible online university courses and degrees from Australian universities. Start your study journey today.

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Access degrees and courses from the Australian online university of your choice.

Choose open universities for online degrees and courses that are accessible and in high demand. You can enroll in bachelor degrees and postgraduate courses, including graduate certificates, graduate diplomas, and masters degrees. University study is available for online learners.

What is an Open University?

In Australia, an open university provides flexible access to higher education by offering a strong selection of online degrees. Large numbers of bachelor and postgraduate students are able to enroll in fully online programs.

An open university is defined as having over 1,000 undergraduate and 1,000 postgraduate online students. At least 15% of total enrolments are external, demonstrating the university's commitment to accessible online learning.

Based on recent enrolment statistics, Australia has 18 open universities:

Postgraduate Online Universities

Some Australian universities are considered "open" primarily for postgraduate courses. These universities offer strong online programs for graduates. Each has over 1,000 students enrolled in online postgraduate courses, accounting for at least 20% of graduate school enrolments.

The open (postgraduate) universities in Australia are:

  1. University of Newcastle (51% of postgraduate students are online)
  2. Victoria University (43%)
  3. University of Canberra (26%)
  4. UTS (25%)
  5. UNSW Sydney (24%)
  6. RMIT University (23%)
  7. University of Adelaide (22%)
  8. Monash University (21%)

Open Universities

Southern Cross University campus sign

SCU Online

SCU Online offers bachelor degrees and postgraduate courses in fields like business, education, law, healthcare, and project management.

Swinburne University campus sign

Swinburne Online

Swinburne Online offers 100% online courses in business, education, IT, and more, with industry-focused learning and strong student support.

Torrens University building entrance

Torrens University Online

Explore Torrens University's online degree studies, including undergraduate and postgraduate courses in business, health, tech, and more.

University of Canberra campus sign

University of Canberra Online

Explore UC Online courses in business, health, education, and more. Study 100% online or through blended formats with access to resources.

University of New England campus sign

University of New England Online

UNE offers online courses in fields like education and business. Benefit from over 70 years of distance education expertise with UNE online.

University of Newcastle campus sign

University of Newcastle Online

Explore University of Newcastle online courses, with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in fields like business, health, and technology.

Campus-Focused Unis

Around a dozen Australian universities participate in distance education but without being a "go-to" destination for prospective online learners. Some are smaller and have fewer than 1,000 online students. Others offer limited online programs, with no more than 15% of their total student population online, showing patchy course availability.

"Closed" Universities

Universities that are not open offer few, opportunities to study online with them remotely. Each of these unis each have fewer than 1,000 online students and less than 15% of their total enrolments online: