Best MBA Programs in Australia

For instance, the Melbourne Business School offers the most expensive MBA program. UNSW, University of Sydney, and University of Melbourne are renowned for their competitive admission requirements. These universities, along with Monash University, attract the highest number of graduate students in management and commerce.

Let's look at some rankings to help discover the top MBA options in Australia. All types of courses are considered, from expensive to cheap, and both face-to-face and online. The guide includes some top picks for good value MBAs.

1. Australia's Biggest Graduate Business Schools

The biggest MBA programs in Australia are clearly popular with prospective students. While size isn't the best measure of quality, a business school must be doing something right to attract students in large numbers.

The table ranks universities by the size of the graduate management and commerce program. The biggest postgraduate schools in Australia are based in Sydney and Melbourne. The majority of Australian MBA students now choose to study online, a phenomenon that predates the COVID pandemic.

UNSW and RMIT University are the most popular with Australian students. For international students, the largest programs are at the University of Sydney and Monash University.

Graduate Business School	Australian	International	Total students
University of Sydney	1,272	8,772	10,044
University of New South Wales	3,701	4,362	8,063
Monash University	803	5,515	6,318
University of Melbourne	2,247	3,703	5,950
RMIT University	2,931	2,696	5,627
Torrens University Australia	520	5,085	5,605
University of Queensland	695	4,258	4,953
Macquarie University	1,238	3,687	4,925
CQUniversity	332	4,209	4,541
Deakin University	2,120	2,130	4,250
University of Technology Sydney	1,203	2,814	4,017
Charles Sturt University	1,288	2,399	3,687
Australian National University	144	3,358	3,502
Southern Cross University	983	2,301	3,284
Queensland University of Technology	2,022	1,247	3,269
University of Wollongong	244	2,800	3,044
Griffith University	1,616	1,169	2,785
La Trobe University	404	2,152	2,556
University of Adelaide	398	1,668	2,066
University of Tasmania	366	1,677	2,043
Curtin University	839	1,058	1,897
Federation University Australia	91	1,763	1,854
University of South Australia	751	964	1,715
Edith Cowan University	347	1,258	1,605
University of Western Australia	910	693	1,603
University of Newcastle	649	917	1,566
Western Sydney University	481	1,019	1,500
James Cook University	247	1,222	1,469
Swinburne University of Technology	859	597	1,456
Murdoch University	275	1,121	1,396
University of Canberra	375	804	1,179
University of Southern Queensland	699	471	1,170
Victoria University	353	754	1,107
Flinders University	250	771	1,021
University of the Sunshine Coast	146	776	922
University of New England	709	66	775
Bond University	214	540	754
Charles Darwin University	71	438	509
Australian Catholic University	180	242	422

Source: uCube Higher Education Statistics, 29 May 2023

Pros and cons of large MBA programs

A bigger graduate business school indicates the MBA program is popular. Many people must think the school offers good value for money.

A further positive of size is that students may be offered more choice. A large budget allows the university to employ more instructors and offer more majors and subjects.

But a drawback to large business schools is that you easily get lost in the crowd. Instructors may be too busy to give you one-on-one advice. Also, student services may be stretched, making it harder to do things like vary your subject choices.

2. University Reputation (Entry Scores)

Getting an MBA from a business school with a good reputation adds a feel-good factor. Some prestige goes with saying you got your MBA from the University of Melbourne or Australian National University for example.

You don't have to dig deep to figure out how much prestige you get from studying at a particular university. People – including employers – don't usually bother checking out the latest business school rankings. Prestige is linked to the university's brand more than the business school itself.

A solid way of measuring prestige is to quantify how hard it is to get into undergraduate courses. The table shows the Australian universities with the highest indicative cut-off scores for getting into Bachelor of Business or Bachelor of Commerce programs. On top are the University of Sydney, University of Melbourne and UNSW.

Business/Commerce Degree	ATAR Score Required
University of Sydney	96
University of Melbourne	93
University of New South Wales	93
University of Technology Sydney	85
Australian National University	80
Macquarie University	80
University of Adelaide	80
University of Queensland	78
Monash University	75
University of Western Australia	75
University of New England	73
Curtin University	70
Edith Cowan University	70
Murdoch University	70
Queensland University of Technology	70
RMIT University	70
University of Newcastle	70
University of Wollongong	70
Western Sydney University	70
Bond University	65
Griffith University	65
University of South Australia	65
Deakin University	63
University of Southern Queensland	63
Charles Darwin University	60
Charles Sturt University	60
CQUniversity	60
Flinders University	60
James Cook University	60
Southern Cross University	60
Swinburne University of Technology	60
University of Canberra	60
Australian Catholic University	59
La Trobe University	55
University of Tasmania	52
University of the Sunshine Coast	51
Federation University Australia	50
Torrens University Australia	50
Victoria University	50

Source: University Reviews, 29 May 2023

3. MBA Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are an important value factor. Students pay full fees for postgraduate courses, including MBAs and other masters. Domestic students are eligible for FEE-HELP loans from the Australian Government.

MBA tuition fees vary greatly. As the table shows, the cheapest MBAs are around $35k - $40k for the full 1.5 years of study. The most expensive are much more. The highest total tuition fees push above $60k.

Note that the fees shown are for domestic students. For international students, the fee is normally the same or higher. MBA fees are, on average, about 17% higher for international students.

Graduate Business School	Full fee in AUD, 2023 start
SCU Online	$35,880
CQUniversity	$37,422
Southern Cross University	$37,680
University of the Sunshine Coast	$38,784
University of Newcastle	$38,832
Murdoch University	$39,240
Edith Cowan University	$39,675
Charles Darwin University	$40,500
Federation University Australia	$40,650
University of New England	$41,460
Australian Catholic University	$42,000
University of Canberra	$42,000
University of Southern Queensland	$42,600
Charles Sturt University	$43,200
University of Wollongong	$44,280
James Cook University	$44,400
Western Sydney University	$47,628
Flinders University	$48,654
Bond University	$49,149
University of Tasmania	$49,875
Swinburne University of Technology	$50,400
University of Technology Sydney	$51,000
Australian National University	$51,735
Victoria University	$52,800
Deakin University	$55,500
University of Adelaide	$55,500
University of South Australia	$55,650
Curtin University of Technology	$57,327
RMIT University	$57,600
Monash University	$57,750
La Trobe University	$58,500
Macquarie University	$60,000
Griffith University	$61,500
University of Western Australia	$61,500
Queensland University of Technology	$66,150
University of Sydney	$68,250
University of Queensland	$80,208
University of New South Wales	$81,720
Melbourne Business School	$99,630

Fee for domestic student assuming 1.5 years of study (12 subjects). May include some online-only courses.

4. Most In-Demand MBA Fields

Although a Master of Business Administration is fundamentally a management degree, students can potentially add value to their studies by choosing a specialisation that is in-demand with employers. You can improve your managerial skill set and/or be better prepared for work in specialist fields with the right kind of program.

Popular with students

In terms of what students are interested in studying, the 10 most popular MBA fields are:

Finance
Marketing
Business
Healthcare Management
Accounting
Project Management
Engineering
Leadership
Business Analytics
Entrepreneurship.

These are the majors for which we have found there is most interest and search volume.

Fields with the highest salaries

When aiming for the highest salary potential with your MBA degree, it's advisable to specialise in promising fields such as Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, and Marketing. These specialisations are known for being among the highest paying business degrees, which typically results in lucrative salaries for managers.

These field are also popular choices for MBA students, as they offer valuable skills that can be applied even without extensive prior experience. Even if you don't plan to practice the relevant discipline beyond a managerial role, pursuing these majors can enhance your capabilities and contribute to professional success.

Further reading: MBA Career Paths and Opportunities

Best MBA in Australia

1. Australia's Biggest Graduate Business Schools

Pros and cons of large MBA programs

2. University Reputation (Entry Scores)

3. MBA Tuition Fees

SCU Online MBA

4. Most In-Demand MBA Fields

Popular with students

Fields with the highest salaries