The University of Adelaide is a public research university in Adelaide, South Australia, part of the Adelaide metropolitan area. It is a massive university with 23,564 undergraduate students. Admission is competitive, and the University of Adelaide acceptance rate is approximately 75%. Some of the offered majors are Engineering, Business, Computer Science, Medicine, and Social Sciences. The six-year graduation rate is 82%, while University of Adelaide graduates earn a median starting salary of around INR 47,19,000 (ten years post-graduation, converted from $56,000 median salaries).
The University of South Australia is a leading public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia in the Adelaide metropolitan area. It is a large institution with an undergraduate student body of 24,465 students. Admission is relatively competitive, with the University of South Australia acceptance rate standing at approximately 65%. Popular majors include Business, Education, Engineering, Health Professions, and Social Sciences. The six-year graduation rate stands at 74%, and graduates of the University of South Australia still have a median starting income of around INR 38,72,000 (equivalent to $46,000 median earnings after ten years of graduation).
| University of Adelaide | University of South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| Collegedunia Score | 5.8 Out of 10 | 4.6 Out of 10 |
| ranking (overall) | # 82 QS World University 2025 # 128 Times Higher Education 2025 # 213 Center for World University Rankings 2025 | # 301 Times Higher Education 2025 # 340 QS World University 2025 # 549 Center for World University Rankings 2025 |
| Subject Strength | # 101 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2025 # 124 for Medicine by QS World University 2025 # 101 for Law by QS World University 2025 | # 251 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2025 # 301 for Medicine by QS World University 2025 # 301 for Law by QS World University 2025 |
| Programs | UG Programs -137 PG Programs -85 | UG Programs -140 PG Programs -47 |
| Acceptance Rate | 75.0 % | 65.0 % |
| Exam Score | GMAT-500 GRE-295 IELTS-6.5 PTE-58 TOEFL-79 | GMAT-500 IELTS-6 PTE-50 TOEFL-79 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 34265 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 35420 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 16700 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 25102 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 27643 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 20192 Per Year |
| placement (average package) | Graduate Employability Ranking 2020: 171 – 180; Highest paying degrees are Executive Masters, Masters in Finance and Bachelor of Arts with average annual pay of 124,000 USD, 77,000 USD and 74,000 USD respectively. | Graduate Employability Ranking 2020: 301 – 500; Top paying degree along with their annual salary are: MBA – 128,000 USD; Masters in Finance – 81,000 USD; BBA – 73,000 AUD |
| application requirements | Evidence of motivation and commitment towards the subject; Resume | 60% in best four subjects for UG; Letters of Recommendation; Personal Statement; Work Experience |
| CollegeDunia Reviews | 7.3/10 Read 13 reviews | 7.5/10 Read 9 reviews |
Top Courses Comparison
| ranking | # 151 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025 # 201 for Business by QS World University 2025 | # 151 for Business by QS World University 2026 # 201 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025 |
| exam scores | GMAT - 550/800IELTS - 6.5/9PTE - 58/120TOEFL - 79/120 | IELTS - 6.5/9PTE - 58/90TOEFL - 79/120 |
| documents required | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose |
Other Popular Comparisons
| General Facts | University of Adelaide | University of South Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Type of University | University | University |
| Established | 1874 | 1991 |
| Location Facts | Four campuses: three in South Australia at North Terrace, Waite, and Roseworthy; one in Melbourne, Victoria; North Terrace is the main campus offering undergraduate programs and hub of research activities | University has 8 campuses: Adelaide – City East; Adelaide – City West; Magill at Eastern Suburbs, Mawson Lakes; Whyalla; Mount Gambier; Enterprising Spaces; UniSA Cancer Research Institute |
| Library | 3 libraries: Barr Smith, Roseworthy and Waite; 1,833 study spaces; 18,000,000 e-resources accessed; 82,935 items loaned from the library; 217,246 citation views; 224,253 full-text views; 3,193 files downloaded (as per 2019 statistics) | Important collections of library include Bob Hawke, Alexander Downer, Rosemary Crowley, De Lissa Association, Dr Basil Hetzel, Chris Hurford, etc. |
| Campus Life | University has counseling support, disability support, international student support, wellbeing hub, safer campus community, over 130 clubs, and 40 sports clubs; university organizes Australia’s largest university snow ski trip | University has the University of South Australia Student’s Association (USASA) ran democratically by its students; Some of the clubs are ETLAS, Hindu Society, Bangladeshi Student Society, Aviation Student Organization, etc. |
| Hostel | #Rooms - $16700 | #Homestay - $11222 #Student Apartments - $8970 |
| Famous Alumni | Robin Warren and Barry Marshall (Nobel Prize for discovering the cause of peptic ulcers); Edward Charles Stirling (physiologist and politician); Brendon Coventry (helped in discovery of immune cycle); Sir Alexender Fleming (development of penicillin); Margaret Reid (first female president of Australian Senate) | Beverley Bolin (architect); Tom Calma (social justice campaigner); Philip Corey (Journalist), Bob Day (former Family First Senator of South Australia); Glenn Docherty (Mayor of the City of Playford); Dana Wortley (member of Australian Senate) |
| City Life | Adelaide is South Australia’s capital city; fifth largest Australian capital city; 75% of South Australia’s population live in Adelaide; Climate is 25 to 35 degree Celcius in summers and 10 to 15 degree Celcius in winters; Unemployment rate was 8.2% in 2019 | Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia; 547.6 thousand people were employed here full-time and 550 thousand were working as part-time in 2019; Unemployment rate was 6.3% |
| Weather |
University of Adelaide vs University of South Australia (UniSA)
Subject Strength & Global Rankings (2025/2026)
The University of Adelaide, which belongs to Australia's elite Group of Eight (Go8) group, is ranked #82 in QS and 128th in Times Higher Education. It boasts good subject performance in engineering, computer science, medicine, agricultural sciences, and wine sciences. The University of South Australia (UniSA) is ranked 301-350th in Times Higher Education and is very highly regarded for applied research and industry links. UniSA performs well by field in education, business, nursing, pharmacy, and design. Adelaide's excellence in global research reputation and research citations is unmatched, while UniSA excels at employability and practice-based fields.
General Information
The University of Adelaide, founded in 1874, is Australia's third oldest university and has approximately 30,000 students. It boasts a long tradition of research-informed education and provides a well-rounded set of undergraduate, postgraduate, and higher doctoral degrees. UniSA, formed in 1991 as the result of a series of mergers, is South Australia's largest university with approximately 37,000 students. It focuses on accessibility, innovation, and industry involvement, with a vocational and career-focused strategy. Both universities have a presence in Adelaide, with several campuses in the city and its environs.
Acceptance Rate & Admissions
University of Adelaide is relatively selective, drawing top performers both domestically and internationally, especially into STEM, law, and medicine. UniSA has a less selective admissions profile, providing wider entry points and flexible programs intended to access a diverse range of students, including working professionals and international students. Competitive programs like health sciences and education at UniSA continue to have selective entry.
Research Impact & Facilities
Adelaide is known globally for its research excellence, especially in health sciences, agriculture, engineering, physics, and wine research. It enjoys close links with global partners and research centers. UniSA leads applied and industry-partnered research, with prominent programs in business innovation, education, materials engineering, and health. Its research centers are renowned for converting scholarly knowledge into usable solutions. Both institutions provide state-of-the-art facilities, although Adelaide focuses on depth of research, whereas UniSA focuses more on industry partnership and practical applications.
Cost & Financial Aid
Both institutions have competitive tuition fees by Australian standards. International undergraduate fees at Adelaide usually cost between AUD 42,000–48,000 per annum, while UniSA is a bit cheaper at AUD 32,000–38,000 per annum depending on the course. Scholarships are offered at both universities for international and domestic students, with Adelaide having merit-based academic excellence awards and UniSA offering a combination of equity-based, merit, and industry-sponsored scholarships.
Career Outcomes & Alumni Success
University of Adelaide alumni are the recipients of a highly regarded Go8 affiliation and international alumni community, with high achievements in academic pursuits, research, medicine, law, and engineering. UniSA graduates are extremely employable within applied professional fields, such as teaching, nursing, business, and design, with intensive industry placement programs in place. Adelaide's alumni community best exhibits global recognition and top academic esteem, yet UniSA is also known to produce job-ready graduates with direct professional contributions in South Australia and other regions.
