Adelaide University

Adelaide, South Australia

Details

University Location Adelaide, South Australia
Address North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5001
Main Campus Adelaide City Campus
City Population 1.3 million
Student Population 22,840
Int'l Student Population 7,100
Semester 1 Start February
Semester 2 Start July

Overview

Adelaide University unites and serves those striving to change the world—and themselves—for the better. This is a place where you can make history. Established in 1874, the university is home to more than 30,000 students and 3,800 staff, all working to create progress. This is a university of outstanding quality—ranked among the top 100 in the world*—in the heart of one of Australia’s most liveable cities†.

Relentlessly Progressive
Adelaide has always broken new ground. In fact, Adelaide was Australia’s first university to welcome female students. The first to offer science and business degrees. One of the first with a conservatorium of music. Among those who’ve studied, taught, or conducted research at Adelaide University are Australia’s first: female prime minister; space-walking astronaut; Indigenous Rhodes Scholar; and female Supreme Court judge and state governor. Not to mention five Nobel Prize winners.

Exceptional Research and Education
As a member of Australia’s prestigious Group of Eight research-intensive universities, Adelaide is rising to global challenges with research universally rated world-standard or above^. In fact, the university’s output is recognized as “well above” world standard in 41 distinct areas. These range from space sciences, materials engineering and AI, to cardiorespiratory medicine, crop production, and environmental science. As a teaching university, they’re ranked among the top 100 globally in 27 subject areas‡. In eight—including computer science, dentistry, and civil engineering—Adelaide is in the top 50.

The university also leads South Australia in graduate employability**. Their degrees combine deep discipline knowledge with broad, transferable skills, ensuring graduates are well prepared for multidimensional careers in the future workforce.

* Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 2024; QS World University Rankings, 2024; US News Rankings of Best Global Universities, 2023.. † Economist Intelligence Unit, 2025. ^ Excellence in Research Australia, 2018 (the most recent assessment date). ‡ Total unique entries across QS World University Rankings by Subject (2023), Times Higher Education (2024), and Academic Ranking of World Universities by Subject (2022). ** QS Graduate Employability Ranking, 2022

Why Study Here?

Adelaide University is recognized as one of Australia’s most respected research-intensive universities. Studying at Adelaide, you will receive the best academic preparation to achieve in your chosen discipline and equip you with knowledge and skills to make a real difference.

The university is committed to excellence and providing a student experience of the highest quality and are focused on ensuring students continue to develop the necessary knowledge and graduate attributes that will equip them to make a real difference in an ever-evolving world.

Adelaide’s degrees are world-class, infused with cutting-edge research and technology that encourages critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, and communication. Staff are forward thinkers who are national and international leaders in their field. This combined, their teaching and your learning, is the university’s priority across their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Some of the most popular study areas for Canadians include dentistry, law, medicine, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, nursing, public health, and teacher education.

Location Details

The majority of students and staff study and work on Kaurna land in the centre of Adelaide, a beautiful and affordable city regularly ranked among the world’s top 10 for liveability. This location affords the university a unique ability to engage with, and shape, the life of the city. More than any other institution, the university builds and nurtures connections among the next generation of leaders, industry collaborators, world-class teachers and researchers, sporting bodies, and major cultural and entertainment events.

Despite being home to a growing population of 1.3 million, the city is blessed with an abundance of green spaces and minimal traffic congestion, making travel—including walking and cycling—safe, pleasant, and easy. And it’s home to a huge variety of cafés, restaurants, entertainment options, and festivals. During February and March, for example, the city hosts world-renowned cultural events the Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Festival and WOMADelaide.

South Australia is also globally renowned for its premium wine regions, such as the Barossa Valley and Coonawarra, beautiful sandy beaches, stunning and geologically significant Flinders Ranges, and the iconic Australian Outback.

Campuses

Adelaide University proudly holds the largest campus footprint in South Australia, with metropolitan and regional campuses as well as connections to rural, interstate, and transnational locations and pathway colleges.

The university’s campuses offer dynamic learning environments where students can access modern, purpose-built facilities and industry-standard tools and technologies, preparing them for their future careers. The university’s campuses also feature a range of student support and wellbeing services as well as spaces open to the public, including galleries, museums, cafés and eateries.

Adelaide City Campus (East & West)
The campus encompasses precincts at both the east and west ends of the city. With buildings steeped in history, vibrant galleries and public spaces, and the latest in teaching and research facilities, Adelaide University’s Adelaide City Campus is perfectly positioned on North Terrace in the Central Business District (CBD).  North Terrace is well known as Adelaide’s cultural boulevard: with institutions like the SA Museum, Art Gallery of South Australia, Jam Factory, Samstag Museum and MOD., you’ll have plenty of opportunities to discover South Australia’s rich history and culture.

Adelaide City Campus – West:  The west campus features cutting-edge creative studios and modern learning spaces, as well as unique facilities like the Architecture Museum and SASA Gallery. Adelaide City – West is also surrounded by live music venues, and borders Adelaide’s biomedical precinct, where significant and groundbreaking medical research occurs.

Adelaide City Campus – East: Located adjacent to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, the east campus is infused with rich architectural history and cultural significance. Recharge your batteries with a wander through the picturesque botanical gardens. Discover diverse habitats and learn about the local wildlife or simply enjoy a coffee or lazy lunch among some of Australia’s finest plant collections. Adelaide’s East End also boasts an eclectic mix of art galleries, contemporary dining and boutique fashion retailers nestled among some of the State’s oldest buildings.

Adelaide City Campuses are easily accessed by public transport and are included in the city’s free tram travel zone that runs between the South Terrace, Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Festival Plaza and Botanic Gardens tram stops. There is plenty of nearby parking and bike storage available across both locations.

Magill Campus
Magill Campus is tucked in the picturesque eastern suburbs of Adelaide, just seven kilometres from the city centre. Getting to the campus is easy using local bus routes, and there is plenty of affordable on-campus car parking if you’re driving.

Magill Campus boasts cutting-edge research laboratories and hands-on studios including a dedicated theatre and industry-standard TV and radio station.

Magill Campus is tucked in the picturesque eastern suburbs of Adelaide, just seven kilometres from the city centre. Getting to the campus is easy using local bus routes, and there is plenty of affordable on-campus parking if you’re driving.

Mawson Lakes Campus
Mawson Lakes Campus is set alongside 114 hectares of wetlands within the world-class Mawson Lakes residential development. Just 12 kilometres and approximately 20 minutes’ drive from the city centre, the campus is next to Technology Park, which is home to several global space, technology, and defence companies, many of which have partnered with the university.

Mount Gambier Campus
Access a range of modern study spaces at Mount Gambier Campus, including a central piazza that is ideal for casual study or group projects. Discipline specific, industry standard learning areas provide hands-on learning opportunities. There are specialist learning environments and advanced IT infrastructure ensuring students get the best out of their studies.

Waite Campus
Adelaide’s Waite campus is home to the largest concentration of agriculture and wine research and teaching expertise in the Southern Hemisphere. Here, the Waite Research Precinct (The Waite) is a hive of complementary organizations and centres engaged in world-class research and development in plant biotechnology, cereal breeding, sustainable food and agriculture, wine, horticulture, and natural resource sciences.

Roseworthy Campus
The University of Adelaide’s Roseworthy campus is a vibrant hub of undergraduate teaching, postgraduate training, research, and clinical services.

Whyalla Campus
Adelaide University’s picturesque Whyalla Campus is set in the coastal Eyre Peninsula region, approximately 380 km from Adelaide and just over four-hours’ drive. The 22-hectare site makes Whyalla Campus the largest regional university campus in South Australia. Whyalla is home to unique marine ecotourism opportunities and boasts a unique circular jetty, the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

Weather

South Australia has a Mediterranean climate, with long, hot summers (25°C to 35°C) and cool to “cold,” snowless winters (10°C to 15°C). Adelaide offers more than 2,500 hours of sunshine a year, and without the humidity of other Australian cities.