Modern life, in which juggling full-time work and family commitments with continued learning is often a necessity, means that online or flexible studying is an increasingly popular choice at many universities.. Nearly a quarter of students (24%) surveyed by Canstar Blue undertook some type of distance or remote learning, with the majority either working casually or full-time while studying. More than a third (38%) look back at their time at university – either virtual or in-person − fondly.
Choosing a university can be difficult, and since the majority of students surveyed by Canstar Blue (79%) said their university degree was vital for their future career prospects, and 60% called university the best time of their life from a social perspective, making the right choice is important.
Canstar Blue surveyed more than 919 current students and graduates of the past 10 years to identify which online universities students rated the best in Australia. (Note: ‘online universities’ refers to any Australian university that offers online degrees and courses). There are many university ratings out there, but for this survey, Canstar Blue asked students to rate their university on a range of factors that were important to them and to understand how satisfied they were overall with their university experience. Please see our methodology here.
The winning university is the one that receives the highest overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Universities must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all universities available in Australia have been compared in this survey. In our 2024 student satisfaction review, we collected sufficient data for 10 universities (assessed by domestic and international students) to be included in our ratings. So, which are the highest-rated online universities in Australia for student satisfaction?
Here are the online universities in Australia that were included in Canstar Blue’s 2024 student satisfaction survey, listed below in alphabetical order.
| University | Locations |
|---|---|
| Charles Sturt University | NSW |
| Deakin University | VIC |
| Griffith University | QLD |
| La Trobe University | NSW |
| Monash University | VIC |
| RMIT University | VIC |
| Swinburne University of Technology | VIC |
| University of New South Wales | NSW |
| University of Sydney | NSW |
The University of Sydney received five stars for quality of education received, learning resources, opportunities and career prospects after graduation, teaching staff and overall satisfaction.
The University of Sydney is ranked number six in the world for anatomy and physiology, number nine for endocrinology and metabolism and number 10 for telecommunications engineering and transportation science and technology.
The University of Sydney offers online learning for postgraduate degrees, massive online open courses (MOOCs) and short units.
Interested in finding out how students rated other top universities from around Australia? Click on the links below to read more about the top-rated universities in the country.
Online university degrees hold the same value as traditional degrees in most, but not all, industries, providing they’ve been accredited. Most Australian universities accredit their own courses and degrees. Education providers without self-accrediting authority must have their courses accredited by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), which is the national regulator for the higher education sector.
Keep in mind that online degrees are simply a choice in the way you learn, not the degree you earn. While accredited online degrees are just as good as traditional, on-campus degrees, it’s important to mention that some degrees are better suited to studying online than others. Degrees in areas such as accounting, IT, social sciences, and business can more easily be conducted online because they have fewer practical elements than study disciplines such as medicine, science-based programs and engineering, which typically require more hands-on learning.
Your chosen university or higher education provider should be able to advise you on the best study options for your field of study, career goals and personal circumstances. If you’re after more information, check out our guides on how online university works and if they’re a good idea for you.
Current and past students surveyed by Canstar Blue were asked to name the key reasons for choosing their university. The main factors identified included the reputation of the university, acceptance of enrollment from the university, and the physical location of the campuses. These are the reasons students and graduates cited for choosing their university:
Canstar Blue has a collection of the best deals on student phone plans in Australia. Find out if you could save more on a new phone plan.
This article was written by Canstar Blue Home & Lifestyle Content Producer, Rachel Bollerman. Rachel graduated with a Bachelor of Communications, majoring in Journalism at the Queensland University of Technology. She has worked in a variety of public relations, marketing and communications roles, gaining experience in community management, social media marketing, blog writing and other styles of copywriting. When she’s not working, Rachel enjoys doing arts and crafts projects at home and spending time with friends.
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and two years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
Here are the past winners from Canstar Blue’s online Australian university ratings:
