Australia vs New Zealand-Which is the right Study Abroad Destination?
Studying overseas is a fantastic opportunity which can advance your career and help you widen your horizons. Though academically, New Zealand and Australia both are unique choices for studying in a foreign nation, each offering an exceptional experience to international students. As such deciding upon your study abroad destination can be a difficult task.
Both the places have loads of benefits and unique study abroad options, so it may seem testing to pick just one. Still, there are certain significant aspects to reflect upon, comprising the climate, culture, study programs, expenses, your feelings about the country, and, most importantly, the accent.
So let’s first compare and contrast the educational alternatives and country-specific aspects to ease your task.
Seven reasons to Study in Australia
• Third most popular International Student Destination in the world
• 7 out of 100 World’s Top Universities are Australian
• 5 out of 30 best student cities in the world are in Australia
• Annual investment in international scholarships by Australian Government is quite high.
• Two years of Post-Study Work Visa
• An opportunity for Permanent Residence
• Diverse culture, friendly people and high quality of education
Six reasons to opt for New Zealand
• New Zealand has an international reputation for Providing Quality Education
• British Based Education System
• 1-year Job Search Visa & 2 years Work Permit
• Opportunity for Permanent Residence.
• 15 years of education is acceptable in NZ
• Warm and welcoming environment, high-quality living conditions
Cost of Living: New Zealand Tends to be Cheaper
We’ve always heard that Australia is expensive. Living on an island is, rarely cheap since anything you might want that doesn’t grow there has to be imported. But those who know how to plan their budget need not worry about this. It mostly depends on the City rather than the country. Sydney is extremely expensive whereas Adelaide is much cheaper compared to Sydney.
In comparison, studying abroad in New Zealand is certainly an affordable option, with the highest-ranked city, Auckland, ranking 56 and Wellington, at a respectable 74. They’re still not cheap cities, compared to other regions of the world, but next to their neighbour, they’re positively a bargain.
Australia — More Options for Study Abroad Programs
If you choose to study in Australia, you’re almost certainly going to be in one of the major cities. Sydney has the widest range of varied programs and universities, including Macquarie University and the University of Sydney, generally considered to be one among the top schools in the country.
Programs offer studies in fields from botany to linguistics, and many include cultural activities and excursions to places like the Great Barrier Reef, the Outback, or even other countries like New Zealand or Thailand.
Programs in other cities like Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, have their benefits like access to world-class arts programs and research, proximity to natural attractions like the Gold Coast and koala sanctuaries, and one-of-a-kind study opportunities like marine biology or conservation work.
With only a handful of cities, Study in New Zealand is concentrated almost entirely in Auckland and Wellington, with a few programs scattered in smaller cities like Dunedin and Christchurch. Most Auckland programs are affiliated with University of Auckland, and they offer students options from Political Science to Hebrew.
In Dunedin, you can apply to the University of Otago or Victoria University which is the cultural hub of Wellington. Some programs also provide opportunities for internships with local businesses or organizations.
Tuition Fee and Part-Time Job Opportunities
The tuition fee depends on the course and University you are applying to. Australia would be little costly compared to NZ.
Though the fee structure may be high, there are more part-time opportunities in Australia as compared to NZ. So if you opt to Study in Australia, you can support yourself financially by picking up specific part-time jobs.
Permanent Residence
The immigration system of Australia is better compared to NZ. It is entirely point based and does not matter whether you have the relevant job in your field of education or not, whereas in NZ you need a job in your area to apply for PR.
So folks, as we all know pros and cons always go hand in hand. You can’t say that any one of these countries is the only best option. The decision would be purely yours. You need to weigh the options based on your requirements, present circumstances and future expectations. You will be the whole and sole decision maker. But you can always make your decision based on the facts given in this article.
