Study smart in a vibrant city
Adelaide is an energetic capital city, well-known for its festivals, cultural life and sporting events. It offers a great mix of shopping, beaches, café culture and affordable student accommodation. It’s also a leading education city, with world-class universities across all areas of study.
Studying in Adelaide gives you access to one of the highest standards of education and living in the world – in a city that is one of the least expensive. This means more money to spend on food, accommodation, travel and entertainment.
An ideal place to live and learn
Lively and welcoming
Known for its friendliness, Adelaide makes you feel right at home. In summer, the parklands buzz with open-air music festivals and the city comes alive with cabaret, theatre, comedy and circus acts. In winter, the streets are illuminated by art exhibitions and light displays. It has street food markets, film festivals, lantern walks, parades and so much more.
There are cool bars, cosy pubs and award-winning eateries. Visit the Adelaide Central Markets for fresh produce, exploring stalls packed with fruits, vegetables, cheeses and chocolates. In Chinatown, find world-renowned restaurants and affordable noodles, laksa, bubble tea and gelato. Take a quick tram ride to the beach or cross the River Torrens to join the lively sports culture at Adelaide Oval.
Safe and affordable
Adelaide is compact and easy to navigate. The first and only planned city in a park, the Adelaide Park Lands wrap the city in a leafy embrace, full of trees, playgrounds and gardens. Known as the ‘City of Churches’, it has countless places of worship – including mosques, temples and synagogues – as well as free community centres and libraries.
An accepting place, Adelaide’s diverse population contributes to the city's multicultural identity, reflected in its international cuisine, cultural events, community clubs, hubs and youth services.
Adelaide is also one of Australia's most bicycle-friendly cities. There is free Wi-Fi throughout the city and several free tram and bus services. Living costs, including public transport, rent and food, are lower than in most major Australian cities. Students enjoy discounts on transport fares, museum entries, movie tickets, clothing, events and gym memberships – contributing to Adelaide's reputation as one of the world’s best student cities^.
An innovative industry hub
Much more than just Australia’s ‘festival capital’, Adelaide is also recognised as a leader in education, science and technology. North Terrace is Adelaide’s cultural boulevard, home to the Art Gallery of South Australia, the South Australian Museum, Adelaide University and our futuristic discovery centre, MOD. To the east is Lot Fourteen, an innovation hub for industry giants like Google Cloud, Microsoft, Amazon and the Australian Space Agency. To the west, discover Adelaide BioMed City, the largest health and biomedical precinct in the southern hemisphere.
*Ranked #11, 2024 Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index.
^Adelaide ranked #28, QS Best Student Cities 2025.
Image: Peel Street, courtesy South Australian Tourism Commission.